Learn the Metrics
Plain-English explanations of every data point we track. No jargon, no gatekeeping — just clear answers to "what does this mean for me?"
Median Sale Price
What it is: The midpoint price of all homes sold in a given period. Half sold for more, half sold for less.
Why it matters: Tracks whether homes are getting more or less expensive over time. More stable than average price because outliers (mansions, foreclosures) don't skew it.
Source: Redfin
Days on Market (DOM)
What it is: The median number of days between a home being listed and going under contract.
Why it matters: Low DOM means sellers have power (homes fly off the shelf). High DOM means buyers have time and leverage to negotiate.
Source: Redfin
Active Inventory
What it is: The total number of homes currently listed for sale in a market.
Why it matters: More inventory = more choices for buyers and less upward price pressure. Low inventory creates bidding wars.
Source: Redfin
Price Drops (% of Listings)
What it is: The percentage of active listings where the seller has reduced their asking price.
Why it matters: Rising price drops signal that sellers are overpricing and the market is correcting. A sign of shifting power toward buyers.
Source: Redfin
Sale-to-List Ratio
What it is: The final sale price divided by the original list price, expressed as a percentage.
Why it matters: Above 100% means homes sell over asking (bidding wars). Below 100% means buyers are negotiating below asking price.
Source: Redfin
30-Year Mortgage Rate
What it is: The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in the U.S.
Why it matters: Directly affects how much home buyers can afford. Every 1% rate increase reduces purchasing power by roughly 10%.
Source: FRED (Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey)
Housing Starts
What it is: The number of new residential construction projects that have begun in a given period (in thousands, annualized).
Why it matters: Indicates future supply. High starts today mean more homes on the market in 6-12 months.
Source: FRED (Census Bureau)
Mortgage Delinquency Rate
What it is: The percentage of mortgage loans that are 30+ days past due.
Why it matters: Rising delinquencies can be an early warning of foreclosures and forced selling, which would increase supply.
Source: FRED (Federal Reserve)
HomeStats Market Score
What it is: Our composite score (0-100) combining multiple market indicators to show whether conditions favor buyers or sellers.
Why it matters: Gives you a single number to quickly assess market conditions. Unlike black-box scores, we show exactly how each factor contributes.
Source: HomeStats (original calculation)
Year-over-Year Price Change
What it is: The percentage change in median sale price compared to the same period one year ago.
Why it matters: Shows the direction and speed of price movement. Positive = appreciation. Negative = depreciation. Accounts for seasonality.
Source: Redfin / FHFA
HomeStats provides this information for educational purposes. All data sourced from public datasets with required attribution.