https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee/news/2026/03/31/johnson-state-of-the-city-

LA CROSSE (WKBT) -- Housing affordability in Wisconsin could be improving despite continued price increases and low inventory, according to a new real estate report from the Wisconsin Realtors Association.

The report shows home sales decreased 1.2% in February while prices continued to climb. According to the WRA, the median home price in western Wisconsin was $317,000.

In February, mortgage rates were lower and the number of listings increased, suggesting conditions may be shifting in favor of buyers.

"With the inventory low, you typically see competing offers and the competing offers tend to push prices higher. Whereas if we have more houses and less competition for those houses, obviously the prices will stabilize," said Mike Pietrek, former president of the La Crosse Area Realtors Association...

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Leo's notes: Even with a shift toward more listings and potential reduction in bidding pressure and slow price escalation, this "market relief” still isn’t helping with the needed structural change. Improved inventory may help buyers at the margins, but affordability will remain constrained until supply meaningfully expands — particularly in entry-level and workforce price ranges where demand continues to far outpace available homes...