Verdi Housing Market: Buyers Have Leverage Even With Very Few Homes for Sale
The Verdi housing market is tight on inventory, but it is not acting like a seller’s market. This month looks slower and more negotiable than a year ago: buyers still do not have many homes to choose from, yet sellers are not getting broad pricing power. The clearest pattern is that asking prices are mixed, while actual home prices and negotiations are moving in buyers’ favor, and the latest monthly changes mostly reinforce that softer market.
What changed vs last year
Buyers negotiated more in January 2026 than they did in January 2025, with homes selling for about 96% of asking price versus about 101% a year earlier. That tells you sellers are no longer broadly getting their number, and buyers have more room to push back.
Home prices came in much lower than a year ago. The median home price fell to about $480,000 from about $1.23 million, and price per square foot dropped to about $333 from about $520, showing that this market is not supporting last year’s pricing outcomes.
Sellers were still testing the market at higher asking prices, with the median list price rising to about $874,000 from about $587,000. But asking price per square foot fell to about $360 from about $509, so the cleaner takeaway is that higher asks are not translating into stronger buyer-paid prices.
Demand was much softer. Pending sales fell to 1 from 6, and closed sales slipped to 1 from 2, leaving sellers with much less support for aggressive pricing.
Homes were not moving any faster despite limited supply. Median days on market was 122, nearly unchanged from 123 a year earlier, and no homes went off market within two weeks in either period, so buyers are not being forced into rushed decisions.
What changed since last month
Pricing weakened further in January. Price per square foot fell about 12% to roughly $333 from about $379 in December, reinforcing that buyers are still resisting higher pricing.
Demand slowed again, with pending sales dropping to 1 from 3 and closed sales falling to 1 from 4. That is not the kind of momentum that gives sellers more leverage.
Supply looked looser on paper, but mostly because homes were moving more slowly. Months of supply rose to 3.0 from 0.8 while new listings dipped to 2 from 3, so this was more about weaker deal flow than a real surge in choices.
More sellers appear to be adjusting. The share of listings with price drops rose to 0.33 in January from 0.13 in November, a sign that the market is becoming less forgiving of optimistic pricing.
Competition stayed muted. No homes went off market within two weeks in either month, and 0% of closings sold above list in January, which keeps the advantage with disciplined buyers.
What this means if you’re buying
Negotiate first, then move quickly only if the listing is clearly well-positioned. In Verdi, buyers have more leverage than they did a year ago because homes are generally selling below asking, demand is light, and bidding pressure is limited. If a home has been sitting or the asking price looks ambitious, there is support for negotiating on both price and terms.
At the same time, do not confuse leverage with abundance. Inventory was just 3 homes in January, so good options may still be scarce even in a soft market. The best approach is to stay patient on overpriced listings, but be ready to act when a home is priced realistically and fits your needs.
What this means if you’re selling
Price for today’s Verdi market, not for last year’s. Buyers are not broadly meeting seller expectations, home prices are down sharply from a year ago, and demand is thin. Launching too high is more likely to lead to extra time on market or a later price cut than to create competition.
Use early buyer response as your signal. In a market where homes are taking about 122 days to sell and none are going under contract quickly, weak showing activity or limited interest is a warning that the price is off. Limited inventory still gives well-priced sellers a chance, but it does not create automatic pricing power.
What to watch next
Verdi still looks like a slow, negotiable market where buyers have leverage even though supply is limited. The main pricing story is unchanged: sellers can ask for more, but buyers are only paying up selectively and are pushing harder on the rest.
The one signal to watch in the next monthly update is pending sales. If pending sales rise meaningfully from January’s level of 1, that would be the clearest sign that buyer demand is strengthening enough to support firmer home prices. If they stay this low, expect the current pattern of soft demand, longer selling times, and selective pricing pressure to continue.