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News, Insight, & Analysis


Fairfax County Housing Inventory Remains High as Weekly Buyer Activity Further Slows | Market Update August 11, 2026
Fairfax County entered August with fewer Houses coming to market. Ordinarily, a decline in New Listings could help reduce Active Inventory. That is not happening so far. The market continues to carrying forward much of the inventory that accumulated during the spring and summer rather than materially drawing it down. Let's take a look at Fairfax County housing inventory in early August 2026. Fairfax County Inventory Tracker | Active House inventory remains 17% above the same

Scott Ford
4 days ago


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | Buyer Activity is Starting to Shift More Attention to Longer Days on Market Houses | August 6, 2026
For much of the summer, Buyer activity in Fairfax County has followed a remarkably consistent pattern. This week's Northern Virginia Real Estate Market update on Buyer Activity and days on market data shows shows an apparent shift in the former, with the latter holding course for higher days on market and inventory level. Newly listed Houses received the overwhelming majority of Buyer attention while the growing inventory of longer days on market Houses remained comparativel

Scott Ford
Aug 6


Fairfax County Inventory Continues to Build in Early August to a New High Level as Buyer Activity Remains in Line with 2025 Levels | August 4, 2026 Market Update
Fairfax County's housing inventory in early August reached another milestone during the week ending August 2, 2026. Active House inventory is now 20% higher than the same week in 2025, the largest year-over-year increase recorded so far in 2026. Yet the latest contract data show that Buyer demand has changed very little compared with last year. The combination of these two trends provides important insight into today's market. Inventory continues to grow not because Buyers

Scott Ford
Aug 4


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | Is Buyer Activity Beginning to Shift Toward More Interest in Higher Days on Market Houses? | July 30, 2026
Is Buyer Activity Beginning to Shift Toward More Interest in Higher Days on Market Houses? One of the defining characteristics of the Northern Virginia housing market over the past two months has been the concentration of Buyer activity among newly listed Houses. In this weekly edition of the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update, we look at Buyer Activity measured by New Contracts and current Days on Market data for Fairfax County and the Northern Virginia Market segm

Scott Ford
Jul 30


Northern Virginia Real Estate Strategic Insight Report | Volume 2 | July 2026 | The 2–3 Week Market Tipping Point
The First Few Weeks on the Market Have Become More Important Than Ever The first two to three weeks after a House is listed have become the most important period for generating Buyer interest in today's Northern Virginia housing market. While Buyers remain active, current market data show that their attention continues to be heavily concentrated on newly listed Houses. Once a House moves beyond this initial window, Buyer activity declines while competition from other longer

Scott Ford
Jul 29


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | Mid-July 2026
One of the most important questions facing today's housing market is not whether Buyers are still purchasing Houses—it is how long they are taking to make their decisions. The data in the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update in mid-July 2026 continues to support a trend Bella Casa Partners has been tracking for several months. Buyer activity has remained relatively steady, yet inventory continues to increase because Buyers are taking longer to select a House. As more

Scott Ford
Jul 21


Where Fairfax County's Future Housing Growth Will Occur | Long Term Housing Trends Series No. 3
Where new housing is built matters just as much as how much housing is built. Long Term Housing Trends Series No. 2 examined why Fairfax County's population and housing growth are expected to remain closely aligned through 2035, suggesting today's inventory constraints are unlikely to ease meaningfully over the next decade. This report builds on that analysis by examining where Fairfax County future housing growth is projected to occur. The 2025 Fairfax County Demographic Re

Scott Ford
Jul 8


Population Growth Isn’t Solving the Housing Supply Gap in Fairfax County | Northern Virginia Real Estate Market
In early May, I shared data from Fairfax County’s Housing Needs Assessment showing that projected housing construction is not expected to meet future demand, which reinforces the long-term Fairfax County housing supply gap. The data from the Fairfax County 2025 Demographic Report (published in June 2026) adds another layer to that analysis. Even when housing is added, the underlying supply-demand imbalance is not being corrected. Fairfax County data shows population and housi

Scott Ford
Jul 1


Northern Virginia Real Estate Strategic Insight Report Vol. 1 | Are Buyer Decision Cycles Lengthening?
Northern Virginia Real Estate Strategic Insight Report | Vol. 1 One of the most common assumptions in residential real estate is that if a House remains on the market for several weeks, it must be overpriced. Current market data suggests that conclusion may no longer always be correct. Over the past several months, I have been tracking inventory levels, Buyer activity, Days on Market, and long-term market trends across Fairfax County and Northern Virginia. One pattern continu

Scott Ford
Jun 4
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Fairfax County Housing Inventory Remains High as Weekly Buyer Activity Further Slows | Market Update August 11, 2026
Fairfax County entered August with fewer Houses coming to market. Ordinarily, a decline in New Listings could help reduce Active Inventory. That is not happening so far. The market continues to carrying forward much of the inventory that accumulated during the spring and summer rather than materially drawing it down. Let's take a look at Fairfax County housing inventory in early August 2026. Fairfax County Inventory Tracker | Active House inventory remains 17% above the same

Scott Ford
4 days ago


Fairfax County Inventory Continues to Build in Early August to a New High Level as Buyer Activity Remains in Line with 2025 Levels | August 4, 2026 Market Update
Fairfax County's housing inventory in early August reached another milestone during the week ending August 2, 2026. Active House inventory is now 20% higher than the same week in 2025, the largest year-over-year increase recorded so far in 2026. Yet the latest contract data show that Buyer demand has changed very little compared with last year. The combination of these two trends provides important insight into today's market. Inventory continues to grow not because Buyers

Scott Ford
Aug 4


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | Is Buyer Activity Beginning to Shift Toward More Interest in Higher Days on Market Houses? | July 30, 2026
Is Buyer Activity Beginning to Shift Toward More Interest in Higher Days on Market Houses? One of the defining characteristics of the Northern Virginia housing market over the past two months has been the concentration of Buyer activity among newly listed Houses. In this weekly edition of the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update, we look at Buyer Activity measured by New Contracts and current Days on Market data for Fairfax County and the Northern Virginia Market segm

Scott Ford
Jul 30


Fairfax County Inventory Tracker | Active Inventory Remains at Its Highest Level Above 2025 as New Listings Continue to Outpace New Contracts | July 28, 2026
For the 22nd consecutive week, New Listings exceeded New Contracts in Fairfax County, continuing the inventory trend that has characterized much of the 2026 spring and summer market. The Active House inventory in Fairfax County for late July 2026 is at the highest point yet compared to 2025. Although the most recent weekly numbers for both New Listings and New Contracts returned to levels similar to the same period in 2025, the cumulative effect of this weekly imbalance has

Scott Ford
Jul 28


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | Late July 2026 | Buyer Activity Continues to Favor New Listings While Extended-Market Inventory Builds
One of the advantages of tracking weekly market data is the ability to observe not only individual trends but also how different indicators interact. This week's Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update on Fairfax County Buyer Activity Ratio, Fairfax County Active Days on Market, and Northern Virginia Active Days on Market charts all point to the same conclusion: Buyer demand remains concentrated on newly listed Houses, while the supply of extended-market inventory continu

Scott Ford
Jul 23


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | Mid-July 2026
One of the most important questions facing today's housing market is not whether Buyers are still purchasing Houses—it is how long they are taking to make their decisions. The data in the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update in mid-July 2026 continues to support a trend Bella Casa Partners has been tracking for several months. Buyer activity has remained relatively steady, yet inventory continues to increase because Buyers are taking longer to select a House. As more

Scott Ford
Jul 21


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | July 16, 2026 | Buyer Activity Continues to Expand Beyond the First Two Weeks While the Market Tipping Point Remains Intact
The latest Fairfax County and Northern Virginia market data continue to reinforce one of the defining characteristics of the 2026 housing market: Buyer activity remains strongest during the first two to three weeks after a House is listed. At the same time, the data outlined in the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update for July 16, 2026 suggests Buyers are becoming more willing to consider Houses that have been on the market longer than Buyers did earlier this spring.

Scott Ford
Jul 16


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | Fairfax County Inventory Tracker Remains Elevated as Buyers Take Longer to Make Decisions | July 13, 2026
The Fairfax County Inventory Tracker continues to tell an important story, as shown in the Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update for July 13, 2026 For the twentieth consecutive week, New Listings exceeded New Contracts, allowing Active Inventory to remain materially above the same period in 2025. Yet the underlying data suggest something more nuanced than simply "more inventory." Both New Listings and New Contracts have generally tracked last year's levels throughout l

Scott Ford
Jul 14


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | Buyer Activity May Be Expanding Beyond Newly Listed Houses | Early July 2026
For much of Spring 2026 into the start of Summer, Fairfax County's housing market exhibited a remarkably consistent pattern: Buyers overwhelmingly concentrated their attention on Houses that had just entered the market, while extended-market listings accumulated inventory. The Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update for early July 2026 suggests that pattern may be beginning to evolve. Although newly listed Houses continue to receive the strongest Buyer interest, the lates

Scott Ford
Jul 9


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | Fairfax County Buyer Activity Remains Steady While Inventory Continues to Build | Early July 2026
Is the increase in housing inventory across Fairfax County being caused by weaker Buyer demand? The latest market data in my Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update for early July 2026 suggests the answer is no. Buyer activity during June remained slightly stronger than last year, yet Active Inventory continues to run well above 2025 levels. Looking at these two trends together provides a clearer picture of today's market than either chart can provide on its own. This we

Scott Ford
Jul 7


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | The Market Tipping Point Is the First 2–3 Weeks | July 2, 2026
Buyer behavior across Fairfax County continues to reinforce one of the clearest trends of the 2026 housing market. This week's Northern Virginia real estate market update for early July 2026 focuses on Buyer behavior shown in the Under Contract activity and looking at Active House time on market numbers. The latest Under Contract data show that nearly two-thirds of New Contracts are still occurring during the first two weeks on the market, while Active Listing data demonstra

Scott Ford
Jul 2


Fairfax County Inventory Tracker | Late June 2026 | Inventory Appears to Be Shifting to a New Market Plateau
The latest Fairfax County Inventory Tracker for late June 2026 continues to show a market in transition. While New Listings have now exceeded New Contracts for 18 consecutive weeks, the more important development may be what has occurred over the past three weeks. Rather than continuing a steady climb, Active Listings have established what appears to be a new, materially higher inventory plateau than was present throughout most of the spring market. If this pattern continues,

Scott Ford
Jun 30


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | Late June 2026 | Buyer Activity Continues to Focus on Newly Listed Houses While Extended Market Inventory Builds
The latest Fairfax County and Northern Virginia real estate market update in Late June 2026 continues to reinforce one of the clearest themes of the 2026 spring market: Buyers remain highly focused on newly listed Houses, while a growing share of available inventory is remaining on the market beyond three weeks. Viewed together, this week's Under Contract Ratio and Active Days on Market analyses show not only where Buyers are purchasing Houses today, but also where inventory

Scott Ford
Jun 26


Fairfax County Inventory Tracker | Active Inventory Reaches Highest Level of 2026 | Week Ending June 21, 2026
One of the most common misconceptions about the housing market is that rising inventory automatically means Buyer demand has weakened. This week's Fairfax County Inventory Tracker for the Week Ending June 21, 2026 continues to suggest something different. Buyer demand, measured by New Contracts, remained essentially unchanged from both the prior week and the same week in 2025. Buyer demand has been in line with 2025 during Spring 2026. However, New Listings have now exceeded

Scott Ford
Jun 23


What Does the Current Fairfax County Real Estate Market Mean for Sellers? | Mid-June 2026
The latest Fairfax County and Northern Virginia real estate market data in June 2026 continue to reveal an increasingly segmented market. Buyer demand remains healthy, but Buyers continue to focus on newly listed Houses while extended-market inventory continues to expand. What Is the Most Important Signal in the Current Fairfax County Real Estate Market in June 2026? The strongest market signal this week is the widening difference between where inventory is accumulating and w

Scott Ford
Jun 11


Fairfax County Inventory Tracker | Early June 2026: Why Inventory Continues to Build Even When Buyer Demand Remains Healthy
The Fairfax County housing market continues to illustrate an important principle that every homeowner considering a sale should understand: When New Listings consistently exceed New Contracts, inventory builds over time. Although the relationship between supply and demand appears straightforward, its impact on market conditions—and ultimately Seller strategy—is significant. For the 15th consecutive week, New Listings exceeded New Contracts in Fairfax County, continuing a tren

Scott Ford
Jun 9


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update (Early June 2026) | Buyer Activity Remains Stable While Inventory Continues to Build
Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | Fairfax County Micro-Market Analysis | June 2, 2026 The Northern Virginia real estate market continues to present an interesting contrast as we move beyond the peak of the Spring market. Inventory levels remain slightly above the already elevated 2025 levels, yet Buyer activity has not shown a corresponding decline. While many market observers assume rising inventory automatically signals weakening demand, the latest Fairfax Coun

Scott Ford
Jun 2


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update (May 2026): Extended Market Inventory Continues to Expand
Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update | Fairfax County Micro-Market Analysis | May 28, 2026 The Fairfax County and broader Northern Virginia housing markets continue to show an increasingly important trend: Buyer demand remains active, but Buyers are becoming more selective as inventory expands across the market. Recent market data indicates that more Active Houses are now moving beyond the critical early listing window, creating a growing divide between Houses that cap

Scott Ford
May 28


Mid-May 2026 Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update
My monthly Northern Virginia real estate market update for mid-May 206 summarizes current data and potential trends as the market continues to shift as Spring progresses towards early Summer. Buyer demand remains active, but the market is increasingly segmenting between Houses that capture immediate Buyer attention and Houses that remain on the market for extended periods. At the same time: Inventory continues to build across Fairfax County and the broader Northern Virginia

Scott Ford
May 21


Northern Virginia Real Estate Market Update (May 2026) | Inventory Continues to Build as Buyers Remain Highly Selective
The Northern Virginia real estate market continues to send a clear message: inventory is building while Buyer demand remains concentrated on newly listed Houses. Recent Fairfax County and Northern Virginia market data show that Buyers are still moving quickly on well-positioned new listings, while the number of Houses remaining on the market for three weeks or longer continues to expand. For Sellers, this reinforces an important reality: Early Buyer engagement is no longer as

Scott Ford
May 14
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