Contract Activity Weakens in Omaha, Huntsville and Tulsa

Financing costs and monthly payments

A lower asking price does not necessarily mean a lower monthly payment, according to a HousingWire analysis published Oct. 21. In its illustrative example, a $450,000 home bought with 20% down at a 5.98% 30-year fixed mortgage rate carried an estimated monthly principal-and-interest payment of $2,154.

The analysis compared that with a $395,000 home, also with 20% down, at a 7.40% rate. Despite costing $55,000 less, the latter example produced an estimated monthly principal-and-interest payment of $2,188. The calculations exclude taxes, insurance and other ownership expenses.

Pending activity trails new listings

HousingWire Data reported weakening new pending contracts relative to new listings in Omaha, Nebraska; Huntsville, Alabama; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Each metro’s median active asking price was below the national median of $434,900 for the week ending Oct. 16.

• Omaha: Its eight-week average was about 122 new pending contracts per 100 new listings in 2024, 109 in 2025 and 94 in 2026. The median active asking price was $388,375, up 1.7% year over year, and 31.8% of active listings had a price reduction.
• Huntsville: The ratio was about 98 in 2024, 105 in 2025 and 84 in 2026. Its median active asking price was $361,900, down 3.5% year over year; 40.9% of active listings had reductions, while median active days on market reached 82.
• Tulsa: Its comparable eight-week average declined from about 103 in 2024 to 97 in 2025 and 87 in 2026. The median active asking price was $334,900, down 1.5% year over year, and 47.6% of active listings had price reductions.

National figures and factors to watch

For the week ending Oct. 16, HousingWire reported 905,166 active single-family listings nationally, up 5.3% from a year earlier. New listings increased 1% to 61,402, while new pending contracts fell 13.1% to 51,947.

HousingWire said mortgage rates are not the sole influence on local conditions, citing incomes, employment, supply and the mix of homes available. Its metro comparisons cover corresponding eight-week periods from late August through mid-October in 2024, 2025 and 2026, using single-family properties across price quartiles.

The analysis identified pending activity, inventory and asking-price changes as signals to follow. It also noted that the pending-to-new-listing ratio is an average of weekly ratios, rather than a measure of homes listed and sold in the same week.