Source: Pikes Peak REALTOR® Services Corp. (RSC), Sept 1-30, 2026, as reported by greatcoloradohomes.com. Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac PMMS, Oct 15, 2026. RSC does not guarantee accuracy.

The October question I hear at every kitchen table

Every fall the same sentence comes up: “Les, we’re ready to move, but should we just wait until spring?” It sounds like a scheduling question. Usually it is really three questions wearing a scheduling costume: money, energy, and feelings. So let’s take them one at a time, starting with the numbers.

What the Colorado Springs numbers say right now

According to Pikes Peak REALTOR® Services Corp. data for September 2026, the median sale price was $479,000, essentially flat from $479,450 a year ago. Average days on market was 53. There were 4,253 active listings, about 4.6 months of supply, and new listings were down 2% from last year. Meanwhile, Freddie Mac’s 30-year average sat at 7.40% on October 15, compared with 6.27% a year ago.

Here is how I read that. Prices are holding, but buyers are watching every dollar of payment. At 7.40%, each $10,000 of purchase price adds roughly $69 a month in principal and interest for your buyer. That is why a home priced a little sharp gets showings and a home priced on last spring’s hopes sits. At 4.6 months of supply, the market is balanced enough that price does most of the talking.

Three questions that settle “list now or wait”

1. What does waiting actually buy you?

Spring brings more buyers, yes. It also brings more sellers, and your neighbors are usually in that wave. Nobody can promise rates will be lower in April, and I will not pretend to. If they do fall, buyers come back. If they do not, you will have spent the winter in a house you were ready to leave.

Many of my rightsizing clients buy their next home largely with the equity from this one, so the 7.40% matters more to the person buying your house than it does to you. And the buyers who tour in November and December tend to need to move: a relocation, a lease ending, a military transfer (I hold the MRP designation for exactly that reason). They are not browsing.

2. What does the move look like in January versus May?

Do the calendar math. With an average of 53 days on market and roughly 30 days to close, a home listed the first week of November typically closes in late January. That is an average, not a promise, but it tells you the move itself would land after the holidays.

Now picture move day. Icy driveway, narrow basement stairs, a dining table that has not left the room since 1994. I have watched plenty of husbands decide they will just carry the heavy stuff themselves, and a frozen driveway is where a good move turns into an urgent care visit. Hire the movers. I have names, and I will happily share them.

3. What does your emotional calendar look like?

The holidays are when you notice who is on your street: the neighbor who plows your walk, the couple who trades cookies every December. Some of my clients want one more Thanksgiving in the house. Others want to start the new year settled somewhere easier. Both are right, and neither is a mistake. Tell me which one sounds like you, and we will build the plan around it, including blackout dates so showings never land on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Eve.

List this winter or wait for spring: side by side

The sorting clock: a plan that does not ruin your holidays

The biggest reason people wait is not the market. It is the stuff. Decades of belongings do not sort themselves, and the guilt of deciding what stays, what sells, and what goes to donation is real. As an SRES, I coach clients to work one room at a time, starting with the least sentimental spaces: the garage, the hall closet, the guest room that became storage. Photos, china, and the rocking chair come last, when you have momentum.

A few rules that help. Set donation pickup dates early, because charities book out. Keep a “maybe” box and revisit it in a week. And give yourself permission to keep the things that matter. You are rightsizing, not erasing your history.

Where I land

There is no single right answer, but there is a right answer for you. If you can be ready by Thanksgiving, winter buyers are real and the competition is thin. If you need more time, waiting is not failure, as long as you use the time. Either way, price to the market you have, not the one you remember. If you want to talk it through, reach out here and let’s set up a no-pressure walkthrough. I will bring a calendar and a very patient attitude.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it a bad idea to list a Westside Colorado Springs home in the winter?

Not at all. Fewer homes are listed over the holidays, and the buyers who tour in cold weather usually have a real reason to move. The trade-offs are shorter daylight for photos, possible snow, and a smaller buyer pool. Good photography, a cleared walkway, and a warm house make a bigger difference in winter than any other season.

How long will it take to sell if I list in November?

September 2026 data from Pikes Peak REALTOR Services Corp. shows an average of 53 days on market, and closing typically takes about 30 days after that. A first-week-of-November listing therefore averages out to a late January closing. Your home could be faster or slower, and price is the biggest lever.

Should I wait for mortgage rates to drop before I list?

Freddie Mac reported 7.40% on October 15, up from 6.27% a year ago, and no one can reliably predict where rates go next. If you are rightsizing and buying with equity, the rate may matter less to you than to your buyer. Price your home to today’s payments rather than waiting on a forecast.

How do I handle showings during the holidays?

We set blackout dates up front, such as Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and any day you have family in town. You can also ask for more notice on showings. Most serious buyers are flexible, and a clear schedule reduces stress for everyone.

What if I cannot finish sorting and clearing before the holidays?

Then do not force it. Start with the rooms buyers see first, schedule donation pickups, and consider listing in the second week of January. As an SRES, I help clients build a room-by-room calendar so the work feels manageable instead of endless.