Several years of reduced home sales, pent-up demand, and much lower interest rates to start 2026 versus 2025 (they are down almost a full point from the start of 2025) were leading experts to forecast a reasonable increase in home sales in 2026. Sellers and buyers were anticipating it, as were builders and movers. It has been a rough couple of years.

Here Is the Reality

The housing market shift has broken a 13-year record. There are now over 47% more sellers than buyers in the housing market, the largest gap since 2013. Current sellers outnumber buyers by an incredible amount of almost 530,000, the largest ever recorded.

Pennsylvania home sales declined an unbelievable 35.9% in January 2026 versus January 2025. That statistic is just frightening, as home sales in January 2025 were already below normal. Sales were also down 45% from the prior month of December 2025. December is usually one of the slower off-season months. The only good news is that the median sales price went down from $290,000 to $275,000, the second consecutive month prices have declined.

Local Market Impact

In the Lehigh Valley, closed sales were down by 10.1% year over year, and inventory declined by 3.1%.

As we mentioned previously, one effect of the sales declines has been the almost complete disappearance of the “McMansions,” or large homes. In 2025 alone, sales of homes greater than 4,000 square feet declined by 11%. There are actually McMansion “ghost towns” now throughout the country.

Shift Toward Remodeling

A sign of the housing turmoil is the surge in remodeling. Remodeling businesses totaled approximately 69,000 in 2000. Today, that amount has grown by 86% to 128,000. People find remodeling and adding additions to be a much less costly expense than buying a new home.

The Weather Factor

The biggest reason for the lack of home purchases has been the extreme weather affecting much of the country, especially the eastern part. This has been the coldest and longest winter in decades, with significant snowfall and a consistent deep snowpack. Sellers do not like to show or post pictures of their homes when there is a lot of snow for visual reasons, and it really slows down buyers looking for homes.

This has been a consistent theme we have seen in our many years in the moving industry. This type of weather really affects home sales. Let’s all hope for an early start to spring this year, as we all have a lot of catching up to do!

How We Help in a Changing Market

At O’Brien’s Moving & Storage, we understand that market conditions can change quickly. Whether you are moving now or waiting for conditions to improve, our team is ready to help make your move as smooth and stress-free as possible. From local relocations to long-distance and interstate moves, we have the experience and resources to handle every step of the process with care and professionalism.