Traditional charm, modern simplicity and an intentional combination of the two are on-trend for 2025 based on the big winners of the just-released 2024 Best in American Living Awards.

Nationally, home sales were down 2.6% year over year and up 8.4% month over month, RE/MAX said. 

The median existing-home price was also on the upswing last month, providing homeowners a bit of refuge as the stock market undergoes a correction, Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said in the monthly report. 

The pace of new-home construction was higher than economists expected, even as homebuilders expressed concern about the impact of tariffs and supply-side challenges. 

The overall trend points to a longer-term slowdown, however, the MLS said. 

If you have a would-be seller close to getting ready to put their home on the market, now’s the time to prepare. 

Falling consumer sentiment suggests potential homebuyers are wary of the short-term economic outlook and future inflation, CoreLogic Chief Economist Selma Hepp said. 

Furthermore, 13% of homeowners said they’d take their home off the market if they learned their ex was considering buying it.

The higher down payment amount compared to last year is due to higher home prices, resulting in larger deposits for buyers.

At the same time, the median sales price for a new home hit its highest level since 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.   

In Atlanta, home prices posted a 2.35% year-over-year gain in December, while they slid 0.56% month over month.  

At the same time, builder sales expectations for the next six months posted their second-largest drop since the sentiment index started in 1985. 

Housing supply is the highest it’s been since 2020, and while there’s lots to choose from, demand is the lowest it’s been in four years.

Atlanta is No. 6 among U.S. metro areas with 2,239 units in its office-to-apartments pipeline.

The trends are in keeping with those seen at the same time a year ago, Georgia MLS noted. 

On a city basis, Chicago posted the highest annual increase among the country’s 20 largest metros, followed by Miami, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.