Overpricing costs time, and time changes your leverage.
If you're deciding whether to test a high price first, be careful the longer you sit, the more negotiating power you hand away. In Valparaiso, IN, I would rather launch correctly than chase the market with reductions.
If you only remember one data point from January 2026, make it this a typical sale took 44 days, and buyers typically paid 97.8% of asking. January 2026 also shows a typical asking price of $399,900 and a typical sale price of $387,174.
This changes your plan because the market is already signaling a negotiation gap, and it is doing it on a timeline that is long enough for buyers to notice when a home has been sitting. Some metrics were not reported for this period. Even so, the January 2026 pace and the typical sale-to-ask relationship are enough to guide a smart launch.
Price to earn early showings by acknowledging that January 2026 buyers typically landed below asking. Set your first two weeks to be airtight clean availability for showings and quick responses to feedback, because you are competing for attention over a typical multi-week timeline. Decide in advance what concession or adjustment you would consider if you are tracking behind the January 2026 typical pace, so you stay decisive instead of reactive.
