The market still rewards strong positioning, but it does not reward testing the edge.
If you are debating whether to list high and negotiate down in West Lafayette, IN, I would be careful with that approach. The market still leans toward sellers, but recent offers averaged 97.8% of asking and a typical home took 37 days to sell. To me, that says pricing still matters more than posturing, especially if your goal is a cleaner sale instead of a longer wait.
Last month, the typical asking price for active homes was $464,900, while the typical sold price was $405,000. That spread does not automatically mean homes are overpriced across the board, but it does tell me buyers in West Lafayette, IN are making distinctions. They are not treating every list price as final, and sellers who miss the market can lose valuable time.
I also pay attention to the broader backdrop. Typical home values were $380,000 recently, up 0.5% from the prior month and 3.2% from 12 months earlier. That supports confidence in value, but it is not a license to ignore the current buyer response. A seller's market helps you most when the home is well presented, well timed, and aligned with what buyers are already accepting.
Price from evidence, not emotion. Tighten presentation before launch so buyers can justify your number the moment they walk in. Use the 97.8% recent offer-to-asking result as your negotiating frame, and build your plan around a realistic 37-day timeline instead of a best-case fantasy.
