Posts by Don Fenley
MARKET PULSE: Conditions Still Tilt Toward Sellers
The Tri-Cities housing market narrative is changing. But the fundamentals haven’t flipped. Yes, buyers have more leverage than they’ve had in years. Yes, some communities are inching toward a balanced…
Read MoreMARKET PULSE: Tri-Cities Housing Hot, Cold, Just Right
The Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia housing market has decoupled into three distinct performance zones as of late 2025. Aggregate regional data no longer accurately reflects local conditions, as the…
Read MoreLocal, Regional and U.S. Oct. Home Sales, Prices
The Tri-Cities and Gatlinburg Area housing markets were the only East Tennessee housing markets posting a year-over-year median price increase last month. Gatlinburg had the largest regional increase. NETAR, Knoxville,…
Read MorePending Home Sales Signal Stronger 2025 Finish
The Tri-Cities market is signaling strength. The clearest signal of where the housing market is headed isn’t found in closed sales – it’s in pending contracts. That number just climbed…
Read MoreMARKET PULSE: Tri-Cities $1 Million-Plus Homes Market Surges Into a New Era
The Tri-Cities is quietly rewriting its price ceiling, and October’s numbers add more confirmation to a trend that’s no longer emerging but establishing. So far this year, the region has…
Read MoreMARKET PULSE: Tri-Cities Affordable Homes, How Much, How Many
Housing affordability in the Tri-Cities continues to hinge on a simple question: How much home can local incomes reasonably support? Using the region’s latest median income benchmarks and the affordability…
Read MoreMARKET PULSE – Housing Finds Its Balance In October
The region’s housing market continued to normalize in October. Price adjustments were normal, negotiations were steady, and cash buyers were active. The early count was 664 sales, up 0.9% from…
Read MoreMARKET PULSE: Mobile Home Prices Up, Sales Slip
Tri-Cities mobile home sales are holding their own in 2025. Through September, 401 units closed, 3% fewer than the 414 closings during the same period in 2024. The median sale price…
Read MoreMARKET PULSE – Million-Dollar Home Sales Have Staying Power; Top Sale in Kingsport
The Tri-Cities’ top housing market tier continued to show strength and staying power last month. Eleven properties closed at or above $1 million, up from eight a year earlier. September’s…
Read MoreSept. Pending Home Sales up 5.4%; Market Cooling, Not Stalling
Pending home sales were up 5.4% from last year on the strength of falling mortgage rates. At the same time, the pending sales index is up 8% from the Tri-Cities…
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