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July gave us a measured, patient market — the kind that rewards preparation on both sides of the table. Summer usually brings a wave of new listings, but this year sellers who planned to list have largely already done it, and the pace of everything slowed a step. Mortgage rates climbed to roughly 6.7 percent by late July, their highest in about a year, and you can see that in the numbers: buyers are still out looking, they are just taking their time and being deliberate about it. Inventory keeps rebuilding, prices are holding steady against last year, and homes are taking a little longer to find the right person. That is not a market in trouble. That is a market where both buyers and sellers finally have room to think.
Market Overview – July 2026:
Median Sale Price: $605,000 — down 1.54% from June, but up 2.95% from July 2025
New Listings: 5,447 — down 5.32% from June, up 1.60% from a year ago
Days in MLS (Median): 21 days — up from 18 days in June, but still faster than last July’s 24 days
Close-Price-to-List-Price Ratio: 99.00% — essentially unchanged from June (99.05%) and up slightly from 98.67% a year ago
Current Conditions
Active listings ended July at 13,115, up 2.91 percent from June but still about 6 percent below where we stood last summer. What matters is the reason behind that number. New listings pulled back month-over-month, which is a normal summer cooling — the homeowners who intended to sell in 2026 have mostly already come to market. So inventory is growing gradually, not because of a rush of sellers, but because homes are simply spending more time available. At 3.58 months of supply, we are sitting right at the edge of a balanced market.
Buyers are moving more slowly and sellers are adjusting to longer timelines. Here is the detail I find most telling: even with homes taking a few days longer, sellers are still capturing 99 cents on every dollar they ask. Patience on timing is not translating into deep price cuts. Buyers are waiting for the right home — not necessarily holding out for a discount. That is a real distinction, and it changes how you should approach both sides of a deal.
The balance also depends a lot on what you are buying. Detached homes — the single-family houses across Lakewood, Arvada, Golden, Littleton and Wheat Ridge — carry just under three months of supply with a median of 17 days in the MLS, and a median close price of $660,000, up 1.54 percent year-over-year. Well-priced single-family homes are still finding buyers at a pace that leans toward the seller. Condos and townhomes are a different market entirely: a median of 40 days on market, nearly 5.7 months of supply, and a median price of $380,000, down 2.56 percent from last year. That segment is squarely buyer’s territory right now.
For Sellers
Pricing to July 2026 — not to what your neighbor got in 2022 — is the single most important decision you will make. The good news is that the close-to-list ratio proves accurate pricing still holds its value. What has changed is patience: if your home sits past the median 21 days, buyers start expecting concessions as part of the offer. So get ahead of it. Address the deferred maintenance buyers scrutinize — roof, HVAC, water heater, windows — and present the home clean, neutral and genuinely move-in ready. If your home is going to be vacant for a stretch, arrange regular property checks. Preparation is what keeps you in control of the negotiation.
For Buyers
You have more choice than buyers had at this time last year, and more time to make a decision without feeling rushed. Sellers who have been on the market past the median are far more open to conversations about concessions, rate buydowns and repairs — and rate buydowns matter a great deal at 6.7 percent. If you are shopping in the condo or townhome market, your leverage is real. And nationally, starter homes are making a comeback, with roughly 220,000 more entry-level homes on the market than four years ago. Waiting for a perfect moment usually costs more than building the right strategy for the moment you are in. Let’s figure out what your actual numbers look like.
Looking Ahead
August and September typically bring a seasonal slowdown in new listings and a more serious pool of buyers, and I expect this year to follow that pattern. Year-to-date, 24,958 homes have closed in 2026 — down just two percent from the same stretch of 2025 — and the year-to-date median price of $600,000 is essentially flat against last year. That is a steady market, not a fragile one. Over the next 30 to 60 days I will be watching whether mortgage rates ease back from that late-July peak and whether inventory levels off as we move toward fall. For perspective: today’s 13,115 active listings remain well below the 20,000-plus this market routinely carried between 2008 and 2012. Denver is no longer scarce, but it is not oversupplied either.
Need Help Navigating This Market?
Whether you are thinking about buying, selling, or just trying to make sense of what this market means for your next chapter, I would love to have a real conversation. Moves are rarely just about the money — they are about a growing family, a job change, a downsize, a new season of life. That is the part I care about most. Making good things happen for good people is what I do, and I am here whenever you are ready.
