Anyone else finding the single-family home market both slow and competitive right now?

Has anyone else noticed the single-family home market feeling really slow over the last month or so?

We’re closing on our condo June 22 and have been actively looking at homes every day for almost a week. We almost put in offers on two homes, but both got offers the same day we started seriously considering them. It feels like the market is somehow slow and competitive at the same time, not much inventory, but the good homes still move fast.

For people who bought recently within the city, how long did it take you to find the right home? Did you wait it out, or did you feel like you had to move quickly when something decent came up?

We’re also debating whether it’s worth closing, doing an Airbnb or short-term rental for a bit, and continuing to look instead of rushing into something. Our budget is up to $800K, which is the very top of what we’re comfortable spending, so we’re honestly surprised it’s been this hard to find something that feels right.

Would love to hear how others handled this, especially if you were in a similar position between selling and buying.