This chart shows the median number of months that a newly completed home spent on the sales market before being bought. The median is the midpoint of the dataset — exactly half of homes sold faster, and half sold slower. During recessions, and often shortly before or after one, this number tends to rise sharply as buyer demand weakens. A rising trend signals cooling housing demand, while a falling trend indicates a competitive market with tight inventory. Data sourced from FRED (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis) / US Census Bureau.