WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK
Last week every market strengthened simultaneously. This week three of five pulled back — meaning buyer conditions improved modestly in those communities while seller leverage eased slightly.
Highland Park just hit a 50% relist rate — one in two active listings has already failed once. It is not a market problem. It is a pricing problem, and the sellers paying for it are the ones who entered above what buyers are willing to pay.
Northbrook's data signals that seller leverage may be softening. Sellers who have been waiting should understand this market opens and closes quickly.
Lake Forest quietly turned constructive again — for the second time in three weeks — with entry level absorbing three homes against one new listing. For buyers who have been watching Lake Forest, this is the data worth acting on.
Deerfield held at MAI 52 but carries a 43% relist rate and data that points toward increasing price sensitivity from buyers if the trend continues.
The practical message this week: the difference between the sellers winning and the sellers sitting comes down to one decision — the price they chose when they listed.
WHAT CHANGED FROM LAST WEEK
Last week every market strengthened simultaneously — the first time in this series. This week three of five eased back. The market is not reversing — it is oscillating around a level, which is typical of a market finding its footing in mid-summer.
The more important story is not the one-week direction but the pattern beneath it. Northbrook's seller conditions have now swung between strengthening and softening three weeks in a row. That kind of oscillation signals a market at an inflection point — not one that has clearly committed to a direction. Sellers should treat every week of strong data as an opportunity to act, not a reason to wait for more.
NORTHBROOK · IL 60062
MAI 68 · Strong Seller's Market · Inventory: 35 · Median DOM: 28 days
Northbrook remains the strongest seller's market on the North Shore — but seller leverage has eased for the second time in three weeks, with the data pointing toward potential downward price movement if demand continues to soften relative to supply. The softening is early and not yet reflected in prices, but the oscillation between strengthening and softening conditions tells sellers that the window is real and it is not permanent.
The segment data is more instructive than the headline. The $950,000 mid-tier had five new listings and only two absorbed — supply building without matching demand. The $1,650,000 upper-mid had three new and zero absorbed — stalled. The $689,500 entry had zero new and zero absorbed — no activity at the bottom. The bright spot: the $2,499,000 luxury tier absorbed two against zero new listings — buyers clearing available supply without competition at the top.
For sellers: You are still in seller's territory at MAI 68. Homes priced correctly for their tier are moving. Homes entered above what buyers will pay are sitting — and the mid-market data this week shows supply building without absorption. The seller who prices right today has a market behind them. The seller who waits to test the ceiling may find next week's data less supportive.
For buyers: Five new listings against two absorbed at $950K means inventory is accumulating quietly in Northbrook's mid-range. That is the first genuine sign of buyer breathing room in that tier in months. If Northbrook's mid-range is your target, you have more to evaluate right now than you did six weeks ago.
For first-time buyers: Zero activity at the $689,500 entry tier this week — no new listings and no absorption — likely reflects summer seasonality. When entry inventory returns to market here it will move quickly. Have your pre-approval current and your criteria clear so you can act immediately when something appears.
HIGHLAND PARK · IL 60035
MAI 53 · Strong Seller's Market · Inventory: 40 · Median DOM: 70 days
Fifty percent. One in two active listings in Highland Park has been pulled and relisted. A MAI of 53 technically places Highland Park in seller's territory — but that number sits alongside data that tells a more complicated story. Seller leverage has been softening for several weeks. Inventory is growing relative to demand. Prices are already moving lower in this market. If those trends continue, downward price pressure on sellers will intensify.
The segment data shows exactly where this market is and is not functioning. The $885,000 mid-tier absorbed three against one new — buyers winning decisively at that price point. The $529,500 entry absorbed zero against one new. The $1,694,500 upper-mid had zero new and zero absorbed — completely inactive. New listings entering at a median of $757,000 signal that sellers coming to market right now are making realistic pricing decisions. The ones already listed above that level are the 50%.
For sellers: The 50% relist rate is the market giving you its most direct feedback. If you are in that group, every additional week above buyers' price tolerance costs more than the adjustment would have on day one — in carrying costs, in negotiating leverage lost, and in buyer perception. The sellers transacting right now entered at the right price. It is not too late to make that decision, but the data says sooner is better than later.
For buyers: A 50% relist rate, 70-day median, and prices already moving lower creates real opportunity for buyers who do their homework. Roughly half of Highland Park's active listings have sellers who have now been through a full market cycle without success. That is a meaningfully different negotiating environment than existed 60 days ago. A knowledgeable agent can identify which relisted properties now represent genuine value.
For first-time buyers: One new listing and zero absorbed at the $529,500 entry tier. New listings entering at a median of $757,000 give you a realistic range to evaluate. With 40 homes available and a 70-day median, Highland Park offers more time and more choice than any seller's market we track this week. If you have been feeling pressed by the pace elsewhere, this is the community where first-time buyers currently have the most room to make a sound first decision.
DEERFIELD · IL 60015
MAI 52 · Strong Seller's Market · Inventory: 35 · Median DOM: 63 days
Deerfield is still in seller's territory, but the picture beneath it carries increasing price sensitivity from buyers. Seller leverage has been softening consistently. A 43% relist rate is the second highest in this week's report. Median days on market has climbed to 63. If the MAI continues to ease, downward pressure on prices is the likely next step.
Within that context, specific tiers are functioning very differently. The $839,900 mid absorbed three against one new — buyers clearly prevailing at that price point. The $1,180,595 upper-mid had zero new and one absorbed — a buyer finding a seller without competition. The $580,000 entry had one absorbed against two new — more supply than demand at the bottom for the first time in weeks.
For sellers: MAI 52 is seller territory — but the 43% relist rate tells you what happens when sellers enter above what buyers will actually pay. The homes transacting right now are doing so because they were priced where buyers are engaging. The homes sitting at 63 days are not. That distinction is the only meaningful variable in this market right now. Price with the data, not with what you hope the market will support.
For buyers: Deerfield is the most genuinely balanced seller's market this week. The mid-range competition is real — three absorbed against one new at $839,900 — but 35 homes available and a 63-day median gives you context that the headline MAI alone does not convey. The upper segments have stalled. Know which tier you are in and calibrate your expectations — and your pace — accordingly.
For first-time buyers: More supply than demand at the $580,000 entry tier this week — two new against one absorbed — is the most accessible first-time buyer environment Deerfield has offered all summer. You have slightly more room to evaluate and slightly less competition than existed here six weeks ago. If Deerfield has been your target community, this week's data is the most favorable signal the entry level has sent this cycle.
GLENCOE · IL 60022
MAI 43 · Slight Seller's Advantage · Inventory: 21 · Median DOM: 42 days
Glencoe eased from 45 to 43 with data pointing toward continued downward price pressure for sellers if the trend persists. The 38% relist rate remains elevated. Despite the softening headline, the lower and mid tiers showed quiet activity — one absorbed at $1,899,000 in 56 days and one at $2,490,000 in 35 days with zero new competition. The top remains inactive. New listings entering at a median of $2,449,000 — below the $2,950,000 market median — reflect the pricing realism that has driven what lower-tier activity exists.
For sellers: Seller conditions are softening here and downward price pressure on sellers is building if demand does not rebound. The sellers finding buyers right now are pricing at or below the market median. Sellers testing above it are sitting in an elevated relist rate that has been consistent for months. Realistic pricing is not a concession in this market — it is the only path to a transaction.
For buyers: One mid-tier absorption this week — zero competition, 35 days — is the kind of transaction only available when sellers have become realistic and buyers are not yet competing in volume. If Glencoe has been your goal, three consecutive weeks of easing seller conditions means the negotiating environment favors you more now than it has at any point this cycle at the mid and lower levels.
For first-time buyers: Glencoe's entry at approximately $1,899,000 continues to offer the most accessible entry point this community has offered in recent memory. For buyers with the financial foundation to reach this level, the combination of easing seller conditions, a 38% relist rate indicating motivated sellers, and limited buyer competition creates a genuine window that may not persist into fall.
LAKE FOREST · IL 60045
MAI 39 · Slight Seller's Advantage · Inventory: 41 · Median DOM: 56 days
Lake Forest's data turned constructive again this week — sales outstripping supply, seller conditions strengthening, upward price pressure described as possible if the trend continues. The MAI held at 39, and inventory dropped slightly to 41. New listings entering at a median of $2,132,500 — below the $2,595,000 market median — reflect realistic seller pricing. The 22% relist rate is the lowest of any market this week.
The segment data confirms genuine activity. The $852,500 entry absorbed three against one new — buyers outnumbering supply three to one at the accessible end. The $2,842,500 mid absorbed one against one new in 35 days. The $1,944,500 upper-mid absorbed three against zero new — buyers clearing supply without any competition. The $3,495,000 top had zero absorption.
For sellers: Two constructive weeks in the past three is a meaningful trend for Lake Forest after a difficult spring and early summer. Sellers pricing at or below the market median have a functioning market behind them. Entry and upper-mid tiers are both showing buyers outnumbering supply — the most favorable data this market has produced for sellers in months at those levels.
For buyers: The window of maximum buyer leverage in Lake Forest — which was wide open in May and June — has been narrowing. Entry absorbed three to one. Upper-mid absorbed three against zero competition. Buyers who positioned themselves for aggressive negotiation two months ago are now competing in some tiers. If Lake Forest has been on your list, the data increasingly supports moving from evaluation to action.
For first-time buyers: Three absorbed against one new at $852,500 — the most competitive first-time buyer environment Lake Forest has seen all summer. For buyers at this price range, the improving seller conditions mean that waiting for further easing may produce the opposite of the desired result. When something comes to market in this tier right now, move with conviction.
MORTGAGE UPDATE
The 30-year fixed rate continues to hold in the mid-6% range — nine consecutive weeks of stability. For buyers, that predictability has removed rate uncertainty from the decision entirely. For sellers, it sustains the buyer pool that has been active at entry and mid levels all summer. The rate is not low. But it is known. And known is something buyers can plan around, which is why the activity we track at entry and mid levels has persisted even as upper tiers remain challenged.
Be Wise About the Market. 🏡 The Lyn Wise Group is here — reach out directly.
Lyn Wise Group | www.lynwisegroup.com | (312) 860-7294
Data sourced from Altos Research. Updated every Tuesday.
