Midwestern metros dominated Realtor.com’s ranking of the hottest real estate markets for September, with Fort Wayne, Ind., holding on to the top spot for the third month in a row. Meanwhile homes in the country's biggest and most expensive metros are taking longer to sell.
Affordability continued to be a common theme among the top 20 metros, after years of skyrocketing prices. Most of them (13) have a lower median listing price than the national median; the top five have median list prices that average 32% less than the U.S. overall. The realtor.com ranking reflects the places whose listings get the most views on realtor.com, and where homes sell the fastest—both indications of buyer demand.
With price-conscious buyers moving the market, it's no surprise that the Midwest—peppered with smaller metros boasting reasonably priced homes—claims almost half the markets in the top 20. Seven are in the West, and the South and Northeast have two each.
