January Market Recap: A Slow Start in West Chester Area School District
January brought the lowest number of home sales we’ve seen in the West Chester Area School District since February 2023. Just 49 homes sold last month, a significant dip compared to the 2025 monthly average of 107 homes. That puts January 2026 at 59 homes below the typical pace.
So what caused the slowdown? Inventory.
December saw only 48 new listings hit the market — the lowest number since December 2022. With so little fresh inventory to choose from, January sales were naturally limited. While listings ticked up slightly in January to 66 homes, that’s still well below the 2025 monthly average of 126 listings.
Fewer homes to sell means fewer homes that can sell.
What About Prices?
The average sale price in January came in at $667,121, down from the 2025 average of $744,952. Interestingly, even with limited inventory, bidding wars weren’t as aggressive as you might expect.
21 homes sold above asking price
20 homes sold below asking price
With inventory so tight, I would have expected stronger upward pressure on prices across the board.
February Is Telling a Different Story
Buyer demand remains strong — and actually feels stronger — while inventory continues to lag. When you combine motivated buyers with limited options, competition intensifies quickly.
Case in point: I recently showed a beautiful home listed at $950,000. My buyers were preparing to submit an offer, but when I spoke with the listing agent the next day, he shared that there were already multiple offers in hand — and that to be competitive, buyers would need to come in at least $150,000 over asking.
That’s the reality of this market.
January may have started off slow by both buyer and seller standards, but all signs point to February picking up momentum quickly. If inventory doesn’t increase, we can expect to see fierce competition continue — and likely escalate.
If you’re thinking about buying or selling this spring, timing and strategy are going to matter more than ever. Fill out the form below to start the conversation.
