We have seen some unusual (for this area) winter weather over the past few weeks and it seems it may have slowed down the real estate market, temporarily.

With had about six inches of snow, then roughly three inches of sleet, and then temperatures well below freezing, many of us have been dealing with ice rinks in our yards. It was tough for plows to clear streets, for homeowners to clear driveways, and many sidewalks and yards are still iced over.  Not surprisingly, we haven't seen many new listings come on the market during this recent stretch.

The past two days of warmer temperatures have helped, and I'm finally seeing patches of grass here and there, though plenty of snow and ice is still hanging on. Looking ahead, the next seven days are forecast to be somewhat warmer as well, with highs of 40, 44, 55, 44, 63, 62, and 69. If that forecast holds, it's possible that most of the snow and ice will be gone by the end of next week.

So... will we see a "flurry" of new listings once the melt happens?  ;-)

Possibly.  Some homeowners likely have been waiting to list until they can take better exterior photos and until the property simply looks more inviting. But since this is a slower time of year for new listings anyway, the weather may have just amplified the usual winter slowdown.

If you're trying to buy right now and seeing limited options in your price range, I'm hopeful we'll start to see more homes popping up in late February and early March as all of this snow and ice finally melts and more sellers are ready to get their homes on the market for sale.