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FAAR Releases February 2026 Housing Statistics
The Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors® (FAAR) is pleased to release the latest housing market statistics to keep our community informed on local trends in home sales, prices, and inventory.
Selina Bryant, FAAR Director, provides the following comments on the current market.
“The market this year kicked off hot. Many buyers rushed to the housing market to get ahead of a more competitive spring and summer market. The month of February seemed busier than the last couple of years due to inventory increases but also new grant availability from Virginia Housing. Buyers are beginning to accept that interest rates may not improve significantly in the near term. As a result, many are choosing to move forward now to get ahead of rising home prices and the possibility of fewer seller concessions once the market reaches its peak season and shifts back toward a more seller-friendly environment.”
FAAR Releases January 2026 Housing Statistics
The Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors® (FAAR) is pleased to release the latest housing market statistics to keep our community informed on local trends in home sales, prices, and inventory.
Matthew Rathbun, FAAR President, provides the following comments on the current market.
“We’re still leaning seller-friendly, but the tide’s shifting a bit. Buyers now have a little more breathing room to make thoughtful decisions, and we’re inching closer to a more balanced market.”
Housing Resources to Complement FAAR’s Housing Market Update
The recent Reality Check: FAAR Housing Market Update brought members together for an insightful look at what 2026 holds for our local market. This free, members-only event featured a keynote from Dr. Jessica Lautz of NAR and an expert panel of respected industry voices, providing clear, actionable insights to enhance your business and serve your clients effectively.
To continue supporting you, we’ve compiled key resources that deepen your understanding of market shifts, economic trends, and advocacy efforts that will shape the year ahead. These tools are designed to keep you informed, confident, and connected to a supportive community. If you missed the event, stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to engage and learn!
Stafford County Public Schools to Host Open House for Realtors
FAAR is happy to share an invitation from Stafford County Public Schools for a Realtor® open house coming up next month. Please RSVP directly to the school division using the link or QR code provided in the following information.
Stafford County Public Schools invites you to join us for our 3rd Annual Realtor Open House on February 10, 2026, from 9:00–10:00 a.m. at Augustine Golf Club (76 Monument Drive). This event is designed specifically for realtors as a resource to provide reliable, up-to-date information about our schools to prospective families considering Stafford County.
As trusted partners and key connectors within our community, your role in sharing accurate school information is invaluable. The presentation will begin promptly at 9:15 a.m., followed by light refreshments and an opportunity to strengthen our ongoing partnership.
RSVP today to save your seat! We hope you will join us as we celebrate you and the important role you play in helping families choose to live, work, and learn in Stafford County.
Spotsylvania County reintroduces short-term rental legislation
The Spotsylvania County Planning Commission is again considering an ordinance to regulate short-term rentals around Lake Anna. The County considered a similar ordinance back in 2024, but no substantive changes were made during that consideration. The biggest change that property owners would see is the requirement that maximum occupancy of the dwelling would be based on the “permitted per person per day occupancy rating of the sewage disposal system”. This interpretation of occupancy could impact property owners who have bedrooms with multiple beds intended for small children.
FAAR will communicate the dates of any public hearings on this ordinance so that interested parties can attend and speak their mind. Read the full ordinance by clicking the button below.
FAAR Members Demonstrate Strong Community Impact Through Service and Giving
The Fredericksburg Area Association of REALTORS® (FAAR) continues its commitment to serving the Fredericksburg region through meaningful community service initiatives and charitable giving that directly support local families and organizations.
Over the past year, FAAR members and volunteers made a significant impact through several key programs:
- 28 local families were supported during the holiday season through the FAAR Secret Santa program, providing gifts and essentials to families in need.
- 7,388 boxes of cereal were collected during the annual FAAR Cereal Drive, helping local food pantries address food insecurity among children and families.
- The Fredericksburg REALTORS® Foundation awarded $17,500 in grants to local nonprofit organizations, strengthening critical services throughout the community.
- More than 100 individuals and families served at the Thurman Brisben Center through the coordination of FAAR’s Community Service Committee, providing hot meals and companionship to our region’s families in need.
- Members of FAAR’s Community Service Committee and Young Professionals Network partnered to produce 200 sandwiches for Micah Ecumenical Ministries to distribute to clients through their street outreach programs.
Members also engaged in other projects throughout the year such as assembling Easter Baskets of food, hosting a senior citizen item drive, and donating blood through the Red Cross. More than 100 FAAR members volunteered for various activities throughout the year and significant numbers of both brokerages and individuals also have their own service projects with big community impacts.
“These efforts reflect the heart of who REALTORS® are,” comments Matthew Rathbun, 2026 FAAR President. “Our members are deeply invested in the communities where they live and work, and these initiatives demonstrate our ongoing commitment to making a positive difference beyond real estate.”
FAAR members support these programs through volunteer service, fundraising, and collaboration with local nonprofit partners. Together, these initiatives reinforce the association’s mission to serve not only clients, but the broader local community.
FAAR Releases 2025 Annual and December Housing Statistics
The Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors® (FAAR) is pleased to release the latest housing market statistics from both December and full year 2025 to keep our community informed on local trends in home sales, prices, and inventory.
Denise Smith, FAAR Treasurer, provides the following comments on the current market.
“December was a busy month. Buyers were able to “shop” available inventory and negotiate some great deals, while sellers have begun adjusting to a slight shift in the market. Homes that were truly move-in ready and had major systems recently updated tended to sell more quickly than those needing improvements.
Inventory slowed toward the end of the year, but I expect that to change over the next two to three months. Overall, I believe the 2026 market will be stronger than 2025. Buyers should remain in the driver’s seat, though pricing is likely to stay stable—or even creep up slightly—as more inventory comes on the market by the end of the first quarter.”
Deceptive Advertising of Rental Properties
The Virginia Realtors® recently shared important information about rental pricing and advertising.
Important FTC Guidance: Deceptive Advertising of Rental Properties
The Legal Team at Virginia REALTORS® wants to make our property managers aware of some recent guidance from the Federal Trade Commission regarding advertising properties for rent. On December 2nd, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (or FTC) issued a statement that the current administration views predatory conduct in advertising rental properties with “special suspicion.” Following that, the FTC released guidance on December 8th directed to property managers, property management software providers, and anyone else who owns or advertises a rental property. Based on two recent settlements with nationwide property managers, the guidance advises that going forward:
- The total cost of renting a unit must be advertised clearly and conspicuously up front. This means that your monthly base rent along with any mandatory fees should be listed in your advertisements so that the consumer can see the total monthly rent before beginning an application (and definitely before signing a lease).
- You should do a compliance check of your advertising (both on your own website and on any third-party sites) to ensure that you are complying with this guidance
- The FTC is reviewing harmful practices in the rental housing market and will not hesitate to take action against landlords.
So, what should you do? For now, you should review your advertising to determine if you are clearly stating the total monthly leasing amount up front. The total monthly leasing amount is the base rent plus any regularly occurring monthly fees. For example, if the base rent was $100, but tenants had to also pay a monthly trash fee ($10), utility fee ($20), laundry fee ($10), and parking fee ($20), then the total monthly rent would be $100+10+20+10+20 = $160.
If you are listing the properties on your local MLS or any other website, we advise you to list the total monthly rent (including any mandatory recurring fees) as the “List Price,” then include a breakdown of those fees in the public comments section. You can also reference any one-time fees for which the tenant would be responsible in the comments. While this guidance currently only appears to be directed only at residential leases, those of you working with commercial leases might want to review your advertising practices as well.
It is important to note that Virginia law 54.1-1204.1 already requires an itemized list of fees starting on the first page of the lease. While you must still follow that law, based on this new FTC guidance, this information also needs to be in your advertisements. In fact, the FTC states that finding out about additional monthly fees at the time of lease is not acceptable. These fees must be disclosed earlier, allowing tenants to see the total rent amount prior to beginning the application process (including paying the application fee).
As we continue to receive updates, we will provide additional information, so please stay tuned to your email and our social media channels. If you have any questions, you can always contact us on our Legal Hotline. Thanks, and happy holidays to all.
November sees a housing market in transition
The regional housing market demonstrated significant softness this November with falling sales and total sold volume along with stagnant price appreciation. Median price didn’t budge from last year, again coming in at $465,000 across the region. Units sold dropped nearly 13% with 451 sales in November of 2024, compared to 393 this year. That translated into a more than 17% decline in total sold dollar volume with approximately $201.4 million in sales in November of this year compared to nearly $244 million last year.
“‘The month of November started off strong for buyers, with sellers gradually adjusting to the shifting market—namely, buyers requesting concessions such as closing costs, repairs, and more,” states FAAR Board of Director Member Denise Smith. “Sellers are beginning to recognize that buyers are now in the driver’s seat, something we haven’t seen in several years. In our area, the market is still active, especially for homes that are updated and show-ready.”
Days on market, the time it takes from when a listing enters the market until it receives a ratified contract and is removed from active status on the multiple listing service, increased 19% up to 37 days this November compared to 31 days last year.
Inventory continued to grow in November, finishing out the month with 1,202 active listings compared to 943 last year, a 27% increase. New listings were down 8% from last year with 425 homes coming on the market in November of 2024 compared to 391 this past month. New pending sales were a bright spot this month, posting a more than 18% increase, with 434 pending contracts compared to 367 last year.
King George Planning Commission rejects downzoning amendment
The King George Planning Commission met on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, to conduct a public hearing on changes proposed by the Board of Supervisors that would increase minimum lot sizes in the county’s largest zoning category. These changes would impact all agriculturally zoned parcels, which make up more than 90% of the land mass in the County, and would increase minimum lot sizes from 10 acres to 20 acres in A-1, 2 acres to 5 acres in A-2, and 1 acre to 3 acres in A-3. The proposed amendment would also make changes to access and connectivity requirements within subdivisions.
The Planning Commission heard from 5 individuals during the public comment part of the hearing with 4 of those speakers strongly opposed to any changes and one that was very focused on preserving the current lot sizes for family subdivisions. Commissioners did confirm that the current lot sizes would remain for divisions that meet the family subdivision criteria.
After much discussion among the Commissioners, a consensus emerged that everyone is opposed to changing the minimum lot sizes and supportive of the access requirement changes. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to report the amendment unfavorably to the Board of Supervisors with a note that they are in favor of isolating the piece on access requirements and moving that forward. The amendment is now forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for its consideration as the actions of the Planning Commission are recommendations to the Board, not binding votes.
A public hearing should be set for this issue to be discussed at the Board level. FAAR is actively campaigning against any changes to the minimum lot sizes as a taking of private property rights. If you’d like to send a letter of concern to the Board of Supervisors, visit FAAR’s action site at https://www.protectkinggeorgepropertyrights.com/.
Press Releases
November sees a housing market in transition
The regional housing market demonstrated significant softness this November with falling sales and total sold volume along with stagnant price appreciation. Median price didn’t budge from last year, again coming in at $465,000 across the region. Units sold dropped...
Median home prices back up in October
Median housing price increases rebounded again in October after just one month of year-over-year decreases in September. Median price was up over 3% in October 2025, coming in at $469,900 compared to $455,000 last October. Units sold were also up over last year with...
Blue Wave Hits Virginia, Lots of New Faces in Local Politics
There was a blue wave in the Commonwealth of Virginia on Election Night 2025 with Democrats coasting to victory all across the state, a strong shift after last year’s swing to the right with the election of Donald Trump. Abigail Spanberger easily defeated Winsome...
REALTORS® Raise Nearly $13,000 for Local Housing Assistance Through Back-to-Back Fundraisers
The Fredericksburg REALTORS® Foundation and Young Professionals Network (YPN) of the Fredericksburg Area Association of REALTORS® (FAAR) turned two fun-filled fall events into meaningful community impact, raising nearly $13,000 in one weekend to be granted out to...