What 2025 Taught Us About Timing a Listing in the Adirondacks

Every Tuesday in our team meetings, my dad would start, and still does, with “Punctuality is a virtue,” when someone is a touch late to the call. In some ways, “patience is a virtue” applies even more when it comes to timing a listing in the Adirondacks.

Recently, a friend and past client sent me a link where Zillow suggested that timing the spring market correctly could result in nearly a $50,000 increase in value. They also noted that in New York, the first two weeks of May can bring about a 1.8% bump. That got me thinking about how that actually applies here.

Historically, the Champlain Valley warms up much quicker than the rest of the Adirondacks. The grass greens earlier, and even with the wind off the lake, properties start to show well sooner. In that case, early May timing tends to line up with what the broader data suggests.

Lake Placid, Upper Saranac Lake, and Upper St. Regis Lake are a bit different. Elevation plays a role, and spring simply arrives later. Trees bud later, lawns green later, and properties often do not show their best until closer to mid June. In many cases, I have found that around June 12th is when things really start to feel right from a marketability standpoint.

Looking back at 2025 performance, specifically in June, new listings increased 40.3% year over year, which brought a noticeable amount of inventory to the market at once. Inventory rose 24.1% to 701 homes, and months supply increased from 5.4 to 6.5. At the same time, pending sales were up 18.0% and closed sales rose 5.1%, which tells me demand was still there, but buyers had more choices.

Pricing data showed a bit of a split market. The median price declined 6.8% year over year, while the average price increased 4.7%, which is a reminder that different segments of the Adirondack market can behave very differently at the same time.

Affordability also remains a factor. While the monthly affordability index improved slightly, the year to date numbers were down, suggesting that buyers were still feeling pressure overall, especially in discretionary second home purchases.

Last year also did not move in a straight line. We saw a noticeable slowdown in July, followed by a strong stretch from late August through October where much of the volume occurred. Year to date through June, pending sales were only up 1.2% and closed sales were down 2.5%, which reinforces that the market had momentum shifts rather than a steady pace.

So what is the takeaway for a seller in 2026? Timing matters, but not in a one size fits all way.

If you are selling in the Champlain Valley, early May can be a real advantage. If you are selling in Lake Placid or at higher elevations, patience tends to win. You want your property hitting the market when it actually looks the part, not just when the calendar says it should.

The bigger point is that timing here is local. Elevation, property type, and how a home shows all play a role. The data helps guide decisions, but experience fills in the gaps.

Any questions please email or call my cell (518.524.7087​​​​​​​)

Nick