The Spring market has just begun and it appears to have shifted in favor of buyers. Nearly two-thirds of buyers nationally purchased a home below the original listing price in 2025, according to the Wall Street Journal, with an average discount of 8%. This trend represents a healthy change in market dynamics as affordability improves throughout the US. 

Home sales in Walworth County increased 10.6% in January on an annual basis, and new on the market homes for sale jumped 66% month over month but were down 13.5% annually. The sold to list price ratio is 95.7%, indicating some price concessions are happening. The median list price is $550,000. In the City of Lake Geneva 3 homes closed in January versus 6 one year ago and the median sold price fell 34.64% to $333,333. But with such a small sample size, it is more helpful to look at median list prices which are up 10.28% to $696,950. So, homes in Lake Geneva are appreciating well. The greater Milwaukee metro area tells a clear story, with the inventory of homes for sale up 5.7% to 2,210, the median sales price up 12.9% to $350,000, and pending sales up 1.5%. Inventory, especially affordable homes, continues to be a challenge as there is only a 2.47-month supply of homes for sale. 

While homes are appreciating in the Lake Geneva and Metro Milwaukee areas, some national real estate markets that rose sharply in recent years, such as Miami, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, and San Francisco are seeing falling prices. 

In 2025, the economy grew 2.2%, measured from the fourth quarter of the prior year. That was slower than 2.4% growth in 2024 and the weakest since 2022. The stock market is rising, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average crossing over the 50,000 mark for the first time, indicating investor confidence. The job market improved slightly, with 130,000 jobs created in January, mostly in healthcare, while unemployment fell to 4.3%. Consumer spending rose 3.5% in Q4, accelerating from 2.5% in Q2. Wages grew 3.7% in 2025 well ahead of inflation at 2.4%, according the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Finally, Goldman Sachs is predicting continued economic growth in 2026 of 2.5% annually. A growing economy is always good news for real estate and the spring market should be strong. 

There has never been a better time to invest in a home, but finding the right one can be challenging.  Buying or selling, I have the experience and market knowledge to help you successfully navigate your next move. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation real estate review!