Selling Before Winter? What September's Indy Numbers Say About Pricing Your Home

17 hours ago

3 min read

If you own a home on the southside and you're thinking about selling, you've probably asked yourself whether to list now or wait for spring. I pulled the latest numbers so we can make that call with real data instead of a gut feeling.

The short version: homes are still selling, but buyers have more choices than they did a year ago. That changes how you need to price and prepare.

What the September numbers show

MIBOR's September report covers 17 central Indiana counties, and a few numbers jump out:

Median sale price: $320,000, up 1.3% from September 2025 but down 2.9% from August, according to MIBOR.
Active inventory: 7,405 single-family homes, up 16.3% from a year ago.
Months of supply: 2.9, up from 2.4 last September.
Median days on market: 27, up from 20 a year ago.
Typical homes sold for 98.1% of list price.

Pending sales were down 6.8% from last year, so fewer buyers are going under contract right now. Prices are holding steady. What's growing is the competition between sellers.

Rates are easing, a little

Freddie Mac's 30-year average fell to 7.18% in its Nov. 5 survey, the third weekly drop in a row. It was 7.24% the week before and 6.22% a year ago.

The Fed held its benchmark rate at 3.75% to 4% on Oct. 28, and two of the voting members wanted to raise it, according to the FOMC statement. I wouldn't plan your sale around rates suddenly falling.

Here's why that matters to you as a seller. A buyer who budgets $2,000 a month for principal and interest can borrow about $295,000 at 7.18%. At last year's 6.22%, that same payment covered about $326,000. Your buyer's budget shrank by roughly $30,000 even though your home didn't change.

How I'd price a southside home right now

With nearly three months of supply, your first two weeks on the market matter more than ever. Here's what I'm telling sellers in Perry Township, Franklin Township, Greenwood and Beech Grove:

Price to closed sales. Use what homes near you actually sold for in the last 90 days. Active listings show what sellers hope to get. Closings show what buyers paid.
Plan for negotiation. At 98.1% of list, a $320,000 home typically closes about $6,000 under asking. Build that into your number up front so it doesn't sting later.
Watch the first 14 days. Showings but no offers usually means you're close. Few showings usually means the price is the problem.
Consider a concession before a price cut. Money toward a buyer's closing costs or rate can help a payment-focused buyer more than a small price drop.

List now or wait for spring?

Both can work. Listing in November or early December means fewer competing homes and buyers who are serious enough to shop in the cold. Spring brings more buyers, but inventory has been climbing all year, so you could face more competition then too.

If you need to move in the next six months, I'd lean toward listing sooner and pricing it right from day one. If you're flexible, use the winter to knock out the small stuff (paint, lighting, caulk, that dripping faucet) so you're ready the moment spring buyers show up.

The bottom line

Southside homes are still selling close to asking. Pricing high and waiting for a bidding war isn't working right now, though. Price to the data, prep the house, and be ready to negotiate.

If you want to know what your home would likely sell for this winter, I'll pull the recent closed sales on your street and give you a straight answer.

Call or text me at 317-629-0070 and let's run the numbers on your home.