Peter not really a trick. Back in our super hot market 04 to 06 we had only about 5500 homes on the market for the entire Phoenix metro area.  That practically meant zero availablity. Super glad those days are long, long gone, Now our average is about 22,000 +.

This much too much of a general question. That's precisely the thing about analyzing numbers for market reports... you really need to analyze them and determine the story they are telling... good, bad or indifferent.

Depending on the cicumstances, negatives can be quite positive.  

A short Average Days on Market is a beautiful thing Peter Mohylsky .

Well, the best 'negative' (not really negative but, LOW number) is fewer days on the market. 

Sellers want two things - to sell for the highest price possible in the fewest number of days!

I knew this one!  Because I mentioned it in my essay on my market reports and my color coding where a negative number was good.

Peter,

I think that it depends on the circumstances and the market place.  A

The numbers are the numbers. No tricks intended!

I'd love to be in a hot market again....

I like to compare numbers not just month to month but quarter to quarter and take into consideration the season. Take NH, here in winter the amount of homes for sale goes down, sales go down and days on market can go up or down depending on weather. I like looking at average sales price, sales price vs list price ratio and days on market

Use the wording that is accurate.

There is always an ongoing process of adjustment and change. Flow with it

Days on market in our area was about 14 early last year. It was a very strong sellers market. I don't know if you define that as "healthy". I know buyers were very challenged in that market.

Now that DOM is up, buyers are happier. Sellers...not so much. So...is the market healthy? 

Yes, it would mean your market is hot - hot - hot. 

I cannot think straight right now after reading the comments on the Obedience question.  Sit. UBO. Sit. 

Negative price increase is good news for buyers and not so good for sellers.

Concept not that tricky. The tricky part is the wording - a negative number is with a minus in front of it, not when it's a lower number. 

It is whatever you make it out to be

Miss the super hot market

What's good for buyers isn't necessarily good for sellers and vice versa. Good and bad are relative terms.

I agree with you Peter.

thanks for sharing.

Less days on market means sellers are moving on and buyers are moving in Peter!

My first thought was fewer days on the market.

There are times where our sales are down over year ago, and we do need to relay that info also.

OK, Peter, some condos are on the market for a long time. 

Is it negative number? To me - the owner does not want to sell. 

With condos it is a different game...

The determination of "good" or "bad" will depend on what side of the numbers you want to be on.  Good for one person is not necessarily good for another. 

My preference is a neg in the calculation of 'disount rate.'

(typically the difference between list price and sold price.) A negative suggest a low-ball will receive absolute silence.