Balance shows up locally, so there is no single date when the whole country turns "normal." Nobody can promise the timing. What helps is knowing what balance actually means and what to watch for. A common yardstick is average marketing time, meaning how long homes take to sell. Very roughly, a seller's market runs around 30 days of marketing time, while a balanced market sits closer to 90 to 120 days, with neither side holding the leverage. Months of supply is another version of the same idea. When people call a market balanced, that is usually what they mean. What moves a market toward balance is inventory rising relative to demand. As more homes come available and buyers get more selective, marketing times stretch and negotiating power evens out. That shift tends to be gradual, and it can stall or reverse if prices start accelerating again or a drop in rates pulls a wave of buyers back in. So rather than waiting for a date, track your own metro: days on market, active inventory, and how much of the asking price sellers actually get. Those tell you where your market sits far better than any national headline. And remember the regional part. One metro can be balanced while another two hours away is still tight.