Sellers Cut Prices on 50% of Homes

Homeowners are slashing prices more drastically and more frequently, according to recently released data from ZipRealty. The average price reduction is now 7.1 percent of list price.

List prices dipped about $19,000 in August compared with July, across the 26 markets studied. On average, sellers made two price cuts during that time.

Seven cities saw price reductions on more than half of their inventory, with Jacksonville, Phoenix and Minneapolis on top with 55 percent, 54.4 percent and 52.4 percent, respectively.

"Earlier in the year we saw sellers being aggressive with their pricing, but not reducing as much," says Leslie Tyler, vice president of marketing for ZipRealty. "What we are seeing now is that the trends are reversing."

With the seeming desperation of home sellers, and the continued drop in mortgage rates, buyers are in a very good position. But the plunging rate at which buyers are applying for mortgages tells a different story, which might explain sellers' attitudes.