Week of February 3, 2026
(Data sourced from Altos Research, updated every Tuesday)
📊 Big Picture
This week’s data continues to reinforce a key theme across the North Shore and North Suburbs: there is no longer one market — there are many micro-markets moving at different speeds.
Mid-priced suburbs are still showing the strongest seller leverage, while upper-tier and luxury markets remain selective and deliberate. Inventory remains historically low overall, which is supporting prices, but buyers are no longer rushing. They are strategic, price-aware, and selective.
This is firmly a strategy market, not a momentum market.
📈 Suburban Trends
Mid-Priced Suburbs — Still the Most Competitive
Buffalo Grove
• MAI: 55
• Inventory: 9 homes
• Median List Price: $540K
Buffalo Grove remains a strong seller’s market. Inventory is extremely tight, and homes under $600K continue to attract quick activity when priced correctly. Even with a slight MAI pullback, buyer demand remains strong. the MAI (Market Action Index) compares the rate of sales versus inventory. A number over 30 puts the MAI in a sellers' market.
Deerfield
• MAI: 46
• Inventory: 14 homes
• Median List Price: $849K
Deerfield strengthened again this week. Rising MAI confirms improving buyer demand, while inventory remains constrained. This continues to be one of the most reliable seller-advantaged markets in the North Suburbs.
📌 Takeaway:
Buffalo Grove and Deerfield remain the most competitive environments for buyers, with sellers holding clear leverage.
Balanced Markets — Seller-Leaning but Price-Sensitive
Glenview
• MAI: 44
• Inventory: 22 homes
• Median List Price: $1.066M
Glenview remains seller-leaning, but momentum has cooled slightly. Buyer demand is still present, though pricing discipline is increasingly important, particularly above $1M.
Highland Park
• MAI: 43
• Inventory: 22 homes
• Median List Price: $1.199M
Highland Park showed modest strengthening in demand this week. Inventory remains tight, but pricing has reached a plateau. Homes that are well-positioned continue to draw interest.
Northbrook
• MAI: 39
• Inventory: 23 homes
• Median List Price: $1.650M
Northbrook saw improved buyer activity paired with declining inventory. This remains a slight seller’s market, though buyers still have more leverage here than in Buffalo Grove or Deerfield.
📌 Takeaway:
These markets reward realistic pricing and strong presentation. Overpricing leads to longer days on market.
Upper-Tier & Luxury — Slow, Stable, and Selective
Glencoe
• MAI: 31
• Inventory: 13 homes
• Median List Price: $3.199M
Glencoe remains a slower-moving luxury market. Demand improved modestly this week, but buyers remain patient and highly selective. Longer days on market are still common.
Lake Forest
• MAI: 34
• Inventory: 25 homes
• Median List Price: $2.395M
Lake Forest continues to operate in a steady, seller-leaning environment. Inventory is tightening slightly, but buyers remain deliberate, particularly above $2M.
Luxury Standouts — Wilmette and Winnetka
Wilmette
• MAI: 55
• Inventory: 14 homes
• Median List Price: $2.247M
Wilmette remains a strong seller’s market, even as inventory has increased slightly. Demand remains healthy, but buyers are more selective than earlier in the year.
Winnetka
• MAI: 51
• Inventory: 11 homes
• Median List Price: $1.650M
Winnetka strengthened this week. Rising MAI and falling inventory confirm renewed buyer activity, even as prices show some softness. Despite longer days on market, this remains a seller-leaning luxury market due to extremely limited supply.
📌 Takeaway:
Wilmette and Winnetka continue to be two of the tightest luxury markets on the North Shore, with demand outpacing inventory.
💡 Key Insights This Week
• Strongest seller leverage: Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Wilmette, Winnetka
• Most balanced conditions: Glenview, Highland Park, Northbrook
• Luxury buyers have the most leverage: Glencoe, Lake Forest
• Inventory remains historically low across nearly all suburbs
• Pricing accuracy matters more than timing
💰 Mortgage Rate Update
Mortgage rates remained relatively stable this week, with 30-year fixed rates generally ranging from the low-6% to mid-6% range, depending on credit profile and lender. Rate stability is keeping buyers engaged, but affordability remains a key factor — reinforcing the importance of strategic pricing.
🧠Final Thoughts
This week made one thing very clear:
there is no “average” North Suburban market anymore.
Some suburbs reward speed. Others reward patience.
Understanding which market you’re in — and how buyers are behaving there — is the real advantage right now.
As always, stay informed, stay strategic, and Be Wise About the Market.
