Taking longer to sell

Those for-sale signs in your neighborhood might be staying up longer.

• Homes in North Carolina spent a median of 53 days on the market before going under contract in August, according to new Redfin data.

Zoom in: Things are a little better in the Triangle, where the population continues to surge.

• The median for-sale home in Wake County sat on the market for 33 days in September, up 78% from last year, according to Doorify MLS.
• In Durham County, it was 30 days, up 58% from last year. In Orange County, it was 37 days, up 121%.

The big picture: Homes are generally selling faster in the Midwest and Northeast and slower in the South — another sign that America is seemingly split between two housing markets.

Catch up quick: In the Midwest and Northeast, shortages of available homes and less new construction are keeping prices firm.

• Meanwhile, in southern areas where homebuilders have been busy adding supply, prices are softening and buyers are gaining negotiating power.

Reality check: For many, homebuying still feels out of reach.

• "Homebuyers are spooked by high home prices, high mortgage rates and economic uncertainty, and now sellers are spooked because buyers are spooked," Redfin senior economist Asad Khan said in an August report.

What we're watching: Some sellers are pulling listings or staying put rather than cutting prices.