A National Pending-Sales Low: What Redding Sellers Should Know

Fewer buyers signed contracts on existing homes in September. On October 20, 2026, the National Association of REALTORS published its pending home sales release for that month. A pending sale is a signed contract that has not closed. NAR treats the count as an early read on closings, which usually follow one or two months later.

If you own a house in Redding, Anderson, Shasta Lake, Palo Cedro, Cottonwood, or elsewhere in Shasta County, read 66.0 as a national number. It is the U.S. Pending Home Sales Index. It is not a Shasta County score and it is not a Redding score. The West, which includes California, had the largest regional decline in that same report. A regional decline is still not a county reading.

I buy houses. My name is Derek Torculas. The office is 940 Merchant St, Redding, CA 96002. This page is not financial advice and it is not legal advice.

Redding specifics are on the Redding page. Escrow and payoffs are on how we buy houses. If a move is already on the calendar, see selling before you relocate.

What NAR reported for September 2026

The release is dated Washington, October 20, 2026. Pending home sales decreased 7.3% month over month and 11.3% year over year. The infographic on the same page is titled “September 2026 Pending Home Sales Index,” and its alt text states a U.S. index of 66.0, down 7.3% from the prior month, with declines in all four regions. NAR defines an index of 100 as the average level of contract activity in 2001. A reading of 66.0 sits below that baseline.

The release reports those percent changes, and the infographic states a U.S. index of 66.0. It does not compare the index with 2008. Any mention of a low on this page refers to that national 66.0 reading only.

Month-over-month and year-over-year, pending home sales declined in every region. NAR said the West had the largest decrease, followed by the South, the Midwest, and the Northeast.

• Northeast: 4.2% decrease month over month, 9.4% decrease year over year
• Midwest: 6.5% decrease month over month, 8.7% decrease year over year
• South: 8.2% decrease month over month, 12.0% decrease year over year
• West: 9.2% decrease month over month, 15.0% decrease year over year

NAR Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun said, “Market conditions weakened in September due to fast-rising mortgage rates.” He added that job growth and income gains can support home purchases, while “housing affordability is more affected by changes in mortgage rates.” He also said buyers and sellers “may simply be holding back until mortgage rates move favorably,” and that a limited number of distressed properties is “ensuring steady home prices.”

NAR included a Realtor.com list of the 10 large metros with the smallest annual declines in pending sales. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont was down 3.5% year over year. San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara was down 4.6%. Redding is not on that list. Those metro figures are not a Shasta County index, and 66.0 is not a Redding score. The index is built from a sample that covers about 40% of multiple listing service data each month.

Source: Pending Home Sales Decreased 7.3% in September, National Association of REALTORS, October 20, 2026.

Shasta County was steadier in May 2026

Redfin's county market tracker is the local series to set beside that national index. The May 2026 row for Shasta County, all residential homes, is not seasonally adjusted. Redfin last updated that file on June 2, 2026. The download sits behind the Redfin Data Center: county market tracker. Definitions are on Redfin's metrics page.

• Pending sales: 285, up 7.1% from a year earlier. Redfin counts homes that went under contract and leaves out homes that were listed longer than 90 days.
• Homes for sale: 609, down 10.7%. This is inventory, the active listings on the last day of May.
• Median days on market: 24, compared with 30 a year earlier. That is the midpoint for homes that went under contract. Homes listed more than a year are left out.
• Median sale price: $380,000, down 0.8%.
• 36.8% of for-sale homes had a price drop below the original asking price.

The same month in Redfin's national market tracker, also all residential and not seasonally adjusted, U.S. pending sales were down 0.6% from a year earlier. The national median days on market was 42, two days slower than a year earlier. The national share of listings with a price drop was 20.0%. Pending sales and time to contract in Shasta County were steadier than those national readings. The local price-drop share was higher than the national share.

These are May figures. NAR's 66.0 is a September national index. One does not update the other. The Shasta County housing page on Redfin's consumer site is a later, separate snapshot, so this post does not mix those numbers in.

A national slowdown can still reach a local market

A signed contract is not money at the title company. NAR notes that the time from a pending contract to closing is not the same for every house. Trouble getting a mortgage, a home inspection, or an appraisal can stretch that gap. Any of those can also end the deal. When fewer buyers write offers nationally, other markets often see longer marketing times and more price conversations. Yun said buyers and sellers may hold back until mortgage rates move. That comment describes the national market in the September release.

That is the national picture. A seller in Redding or Shasta County can use the May readings above and still line up a second option in case that national pattern reaches this market later. Carrying a house costs the mortgage, insurance, property taxes, utilities, and upkeep for as long as a sale takes. A direct sale to a local buyer is one option to put beside listing.

Selling directly to a local buyer is one option

Listing can still fit if the house shows well, you can carry the payments, and you want to meet buyers who are writing offers. A direct sale is a different conversation. You sell to a local buyer. A financed offer still has to clear a lender, an inspection, and an appraisal.

We have more than one way to buy. The offer you receive is for this house, in the condition it is in, and you can turn it down. There is no charge for the number.

• You help choose a closing date that fits your move. Staying after closing is handled case by case. It is not a promise. Ask if you need to know whether a stay can be written in. It is decided one sale at a time.
• When the timing works, we can close in as little as 7 days. An open probate, title paperwork, or a lien can move the calendar. We will say so before you count on a day.
• We pay both the buyer's and the seller's closing costs. You do not pay an agent commission. Any mortgage payoff runs through escrow. The steps are on how we buy houses.

A manufactured home is something we buy when it sits on land you own, including a lot or acreage in the Redding area. We do not buy homes in parks.

If the calendar is the problem, the situation page is selling before you relocate. City details are on we buy houses in Redding.

How a sale works from here

1. Give us the address. Call or text (530) 999-7694, or use the form on this page. A few sentences about the house and your timeline are enough.
2. We look at the property as it is. Repairs, painting, and showings are not required before you hear a number.
3. The offer is free, and you may turn it down. Put it beside what a listing would require you to carry while you wait.
4. If you accept, you help choose a closing date that fits your move. Staying after closing is handled case by case. We do not promise that you can remain after closing. When the timing works, we can close in as little as 7 days.
5. We pay both the buyer's and the seller's closing costs. A mortgage payoff, when there is one, is paid in escrow.

Questions worth settling first

• If you list, can you carry the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and upkeep for as long as a sale takes?
• If a buyer anywhere is using a loan, what happens to a timeline if the appraisal or the financing falls through? NAR names those as reasons a national pending sale can miss its closing.
• Do I need a closing date that matches a move, a job, or another house? You help choose a closing date that fits your move. Staying after closing is handled case by case.
• Is a direct sale worth comparing with a listing? The offer is free. We have more than one way to buy. We pay both the buyer's and the seller's closing costs.
• Who am I dealing with? Derek Torculas, NorCal Home Offer, 940 Merchant St, Redding, CA 96002, (530) 999-7694. We are BBB A+ rated.

Common questions

If you want a price for the address

Call or text (530) 999-7694, or send the address through the form. I will look at the property and give you a number you can compare with staying on the market. There is no charge for the offer. If a direct sale fits poorly beside a listing you actually want, I will say so.

The office is 940 Merchant St, Redding, CA 96002. We are BBB A+ rated. Paperwork is on how we buy houses. Redding is on the Redding page. A move with a date attached is on selling before you relocate.

Disclaimer. This page is not financial advice and it is not legal advice. Mortgage rates, prices, and contract results depend on your facts. NAR's pending index is a national and regional series, not a Shasta County appraisal. For a contract, talk with an attorney. For taxes, talk with a tax preparer.