Berkshire Hathaway says to ignore this home-buying red flag | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

When we scroll through home listings online, we may skip right past those houses that have been on the market for two or three months. I know I’m guilty of this.

We often assume that something is seriously wrong with the house. Otherwise, someone would have bought it by now, right?

I’ve been reporting on the real estate market for years, and normally, I would jump to this same conclusion. But the 2026 housing market is different. It’s actually not that weird for homes to sit on the market for a while.

An article by Berkshire Hathaway emphasizes that in this market, an old home listing isn’t necessarily a “red flag” — it’s an opportunity for homebuyers.

Why are homes are staying on the market longer?

Remember the early 2020s, when homes were flying off the market? Near Seattle, where I live, it wasn’t uncommon for a house to sell less than 48 hours after listing.

Well, to paraphrase Dorothy Gale, “I’ve a feeling we’re not in 2022 anymore.”

America is experiencing a totally different housing market. Mortgage rates have stubbornly remained near 6.5% for six weeks, according to Freddie Mac, so would-be buyers are hanging on the sidelines until housing becomes more affordable.

“Still, you might be questioning why the home has been sitting in the first place. Just remember, sometimes it has nothing to do with the home itself,” Berkshire Hathaway writes.

There are reasons you might see a two- or three-month listing — and it’s not because the house is hopeless.

Lack of demand. As people wait to buy due to high rates, fewer are jumping at new listings. Naturally, this results in homes staying on the market longer than if demand was high.
Days on the market are up nationwide. The median number of days houses were on the market in May was 49, according to Redfin. That’s a year-over-year increase of three days.
Sellers’ initial listing prices are too high. Many sellers do act like it’s still 2022, when you could sell your home at a sky-high price. These homeowners often have to cut their listing price to appeal to buyers. People have started to set more realistic prices, according to Realtor.com, but homes that have been on the market for months may have fallen victim to high prices before sellers caught on that their expectations were unrealistic.

“So, nothing that’s necessarily a dealbreaker, or even anything that’s wrong with the home itself. If there’s a real issue, a thorough inspection will surface it,” Berkshire Hathaway writes. “And that’s information you can use to negotiate. Not a reason to assume it’s a house worth skipping over.”

A home that has been on the market for a few months could be an opportunity for buyers.

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Berkshire Hathaway says buying older listings helps affordability

You may be searching for houses online, through an app, or with a real estate agent. Regardless of your strategy, Berkshire Hathaway recommends filtering your search from the oldest to newest listings.

Why? Because this could be the key to finding a house within your budget.

A Realtor.com study found that the longer a home sits on the market, the lower its prices drops. Once a property listing has sat for more than four weeks, the seller starts to lose power.

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Not only could the seller have already cut their listing price, but you have more room to negotiate. Consult with your Realtor and decide whether it’s a good idea to make an offer under the current listing price.

You could also ask for seller concessions in your negotiation. In May, 46% of home sellers gave concessions to homebuyers, according to Redfin. This was the highest percentage on Redfin’s records.

Seller concessions could include cash to put toward closing costs, discount points for a lower mortgage rate, or home repairs.

Housing affordability is a huge issue for Americans, but buying a home that has been on the market for a long time just might be your key to homeownership.