With surveys and polls, you really need to look at who is conducting them.
https://home-economics.us/about-2/
I found the survey results to be very surprising!
In 2025, housing demand is shifting toward the Eastern and Midwestern regions of the U.S., while softening across the South.
Interestingly, this marks a reversal from pandemic-era patterns.
In the South, housing inventory has risen 3.6% above pre-pandemic levels, driven by a wave of homebuilding activity. By contrast, the Northeast has seen inventory plunge 51%, fueling price growth.
This graphic shows where home prices are rising and falling the fastest in America, based on data from Home Economics.
Given their relative affordability and proximity to major cities, markets in the Northeast—particularly in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey—have seen double-digit increases. Ranking first overall is Rochester, NY, rising 31%, where the median home price is just $286,000. Following next in line is Hartford, CT with 29% price gains, as out-of-state buyers have flocked to the market.
Home prices in Austin boomed over the pandemic, they are now down 12% in three years.
During the pandemic, home construction surged in Texas and Florida. But now, many of those homes sit empty. In Cape Coral, FL, sellers are cutting prices to attract buyers in a sluggish market. Out West, Oakland is the only metro among the top 10 for home price declines, with values falling 3% since August 2022. Even so, median prices remain high at $906,000—driven by the city’s relative affordability compared to San Francisco
