Richmond's best homebuying week is now

State of play: Realtor.com researchers analyzed years' worth of metrics, including listing prices and inventory levels, to determine the best week to buy a home nationally and in the 50 largest metros.

• For Richmond, the week of Oct. 26-Nov. 1 is prime buying time, they found.
• That's when locals could find nearly 17% more homes for sale than average, plus prices around 7% below typical seasonal peaks, per their research.

What they're saying: "In a year that's been the most buyer-friendly in nearly a decade, it's the best window of opportunity for homebuyers," Danielle Hale, Realtor.com chief economist, said in a statement.

Zoom in: That isn't the only good news for prospective homebuyers, per data Virginia-based Homes.com shared with Axios Richmond.

• Locally, new listings were up by 12% as of last month, and overall home inventory was up 21% year-over-year, says Nick Leverett, director of market analytics for CoStar Group, which owns Homes.com.
• Richmond's suburbs — and Midlothian specifically — led the way in new listings, per their data.

Stunning stat: The median home price in Richmond was $395,000 in September — the same as it was a year ago, making it the first time since before the pandemic that home prices were flat, per Homes.com.

Between the lines: Homes.com assesses combined single-family, condo and townhome sales for its median price.

• The Richmond Association of Realtors — which breaks out single-family and condo — found slight price growth (1.2% year-over-year) for single-family homes in September, hitting $430,000.
• Median condo prices, meanwhile, fell 6.7%, to just under $361,000.

What we're watching: Mortgage rates are hovering around 6%, but Fannie Mae forecasts them moving below 6% by the end of next year.