Good selection, less competition, and sellers anxious to make a deal. Is early fall the best time to buy a home? Realtor.com thinks so; in fact, in 41 of 53 metropolitan areas they tracked, this week – the last week of September – may have the most favorable conditions of the entire year.

The numbers seem to bear this out: competition is down 26 percent, yet there are 6 percent more homes on the market. Moreover, 6 percent of the homes have had a price reduction and overall are 2 percent less than their peak pricing.

Many analysts agree that while it’s not a buyers market yet, it isn’t a sellers market either.