I get asked this almost every week right now. Friends, family, people I went to high school with who see me posting about real estate. “Should I buy now or wait?”
So instead of answering the same question one conversation at a time, I pulled the actual numbers from the Kenosha County MLS. Here’s what the data says. No spin, no agenda.
What’s actually happening in the market right now
There are 276 single-family homes actively listed in Kenosha County today. On the surface that sounds like options. But 100 homes are selling every month this year, and there are only 2.7 months of supply available. Real estate economists define a balanced market as 5-6 months of supply. At 2.7, sellers still have the upper hand.
The median sold price so far in 2026 is $349,900. A year ago at this same point, it was $305,500. That’s a 14.5% increase year over year. Price per square foot moved from $196 to $214 over the same stretch.
Homes that are priced right are selling fast. The median days on market for closed sales this year is 7 days. If you need two weeks to think it over, the house is gone.
The over-asking reality
43.8% of homes in Kenosha County have sold over asking price so far in 2026. Another 18.8% sold at exactly list price. That means roughly 6 in 10 sellers are getting full price or better.
If you’re writing offers $10,000 under asking because you read something about a cooling market. That’s not what’s happening here. The national narrative and the Kenosha reality are different things.
That said, 37% of homes did sell under asking. Those tend to be properties sitting longer. Overpriced listings, homes with condition issues, or the higher price ranges where there’s more inventory and more room to negotiate.
Where buyers actually have leverage
The $400,000+ segment is where the market loosens up. There are 147 active listings priced above $400k right now. That’s a lot more options at the top end, which means sellers in that range are more flexible.
Under $350k is where it gets competitive. There are only 63 active listings priced under $300k in the entire county. If that’s your budget — and for a lot of first-time buyers in Kenosha, it is — you need to be preapproved, ready to move quickly, and writing clean offers.
What about mortgage rates?
Rates are sitting around 6.48% on a 30-year fixed right now, according to Freddie Mac’s data from this week. That’s down from 6.85% a year ago. Not a huge drop, but it’s moving in the right direction.
I know 6.48% feels high compared to what your parents paid or what people refinanced into back in 2020-2021. But waiting for rates to drop significantly while prices keep climbing is a math problem worth thinking through carefully. Every month the median price goes up, you’re financing a more expensive house — even if the rate comes down slightly.
So should you buy this summer?
Here’s my honest take:
If you’re financially ready — preapproval in hand, stable income, solid emergency fund — and you’re planning to stay in the area for at least 3-5 years, waiting doesn’t make a lot of sense in this market. Prices are up 14.5% from a year ago. Inventory is tight. The homes worth buying are going in a week.
If you’re not financially ready, don’t rush it. Buying a house because you’re afraid of missing out is how people end up house-poor. Get the finances right first.
If you’re in the $400k+ range, take your time. There’s more inventory, less pressure, and more negotiating room.
A note on the data
All numbers in this post come directly from the Kenosha County MLS — 532 closed sales from January through early June 2026, 276 current active listings, and 45 pending sales as of today. I pull fresh data for every market update I write so you’re not reading something based on numbers from three months ago.
I’m a Kenosha native and I live in Pleasant Prairie. This is my market too, not just my business. If you want to talk through what any of this means for your specific situation — whether you’re thinking about buying, selling, or just trying to figure out if the timing makes sense — reach out. No pressure, no sales pitch. Just a straight conversation.
You can contact me at jovannirealty.com or find me on Instagram @jovanni_anzaldi.
