Build a Home Short List When More Homes Are Listed

How do I build a short list when more homes are for sale?
Start with your must-haves and a monthly payment you are comfortable with, then sort homes into three groups: must see, maybe, and pass. With more homes listed, you can be choosy. The type of home you pick changes how many choices you have.

The Mike Webb Team (Mike and Claudia Webb, RE/MAX Allegiance) helps homeowners in Arlington, Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC get their homes ready to sell and sold.

NVAR's September 2026 release says active listings in its Northern Virginia region were 3,477, up 30.7% from September 2025. Condo and townhome inventory rose 49.7%, while detached inventory rose just 5.7%. NVAR's region covers Fairfax and Arlington counties, the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church, and the towns of Vienna, Herndon and Clifton. Source: NVAR September 2026 market statistics.

Yes. In August 2026, NVAR counted 998 detached homes for sale, down 8.5% from a year earlier. Townhomes were at 609, up 29.9%, and condos at 1,325, up 44.8%. Source: NVAR August 2026 market statistics. If you are open to a condo or townhome, you have far more to look at than a year ago. If you want a detached home, there are fewer, so be ready to move when one fits.

Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed rate averaged 7.18% on November 5, 2026, compared with 6.22% a year earlier. Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. Here is what that rate means for the principal and interest part of a monthly payment on a 30-year loan. These are worked examples, not quotes, and they leave out taxes, insurance and any HOA or condo fee.

• A $400,000 loan: about $2,710 a month.
• A $500,000 loan: about $3,387 a month.
• A $600,000 loan: about $4,065 a month.

For comparison, the same $500,000 loan at last year's 6.22% would be about $3,069 a month. That is roughly $318 less each month. Your own rate depends on your lender, your credit and your down payment, so ask a lender for a real quote. The point is to set your monthly number first and shop inside it.

1. Write three must-haves and three nice-to-haves.
2. Set a monthly payment, not just a price.
3. Put each home in one of three groups: must see, maybe, pass.
4. Tour the "must see" group close together, so you can compare while it is fresh.
5. After each tour, rank what you saw and keep three to five homes on your short list.

Look at the full monthly cost, including taxes, insurance and any condo or HOA fee. Check the age of the roof, heating and water heater. Compare commute and Metro access, and see how long each home has been listed and whether the price has changed. For a condo or townhome, ask what the monthly fee covers and what it does not.

Pick a day and bring the same one-page score sheet to every home. Give each home a number from 1 to 5 for the things you wrote down as must-haves: the layout, the kitchen, the light, the storage, the street. Add one line for what bothered you. Take photos of the heating system, the water heater and the electrical panel. When you get home, rank the homes the same evening, while the details are fresh.

• How long has it been listed, and has the price changed?
• What are the average monthly utility costs?
• How old are the roof, the heating and cooling, and the water heater?
• For a condo or townhome, what does the monthly fee cover, and has it changed lately?
• Are there any known repairs the seller plans to make?

Write down the answers next to your score. A home with a low score and a great kitchen is still a home with a low score.

Rank what you would give up with each one: space, monthly cost, or location. We can pull recent sales for both so you can see real numbers. Read Condo, Townhouse, or House in Arlington? What the Data Says and How to Make an Offer With More Homes for Sale.

How many homes should be on my short list? Three to five is easy to compare. More than that and the homes start to blur together.

Should I wait for even more homes to be listed? No one knows what will be listed later. If a home fits your must-haves and your payment, it is worth a serious look now.

Can you set up the search for me? Yes. We build your search from your must-haves and send you homes that fit.

Call or text Claudia at 703-350-3884 or visit claudiawebb.com.

The Mike Webb Team, RE/MAX Allegiance. Arlington, Virginia. Equal Housing Opportunity.