As will come as absolutely no surprise to anyone looking to buy a home under $200K, or even under $300K, there are far fewer options of houses on the market now as compared to two years ago. 

The graph above compares "beginning of the year" inventory levels today (blue bars) to two years ago (purple bars) to see how the market has shifted. 

As noted in gold, the lowest price ranges (under $200K, $200K - $300K) have seen over 60% declines in the number of homes on the market.

It is a lot tougher to find a house to buy these days if you are hoping to buy for less than $200K, or even less than $300K.  If you are planning to buy in that price range, get pre-approved, plan to see new listings the first day they come on the market, plan to make an offer immediately if it is of interest, and consider including an escalation clause to compete on price!