Brace yourself for another competitive year in the housing market. Home sales are expected to grow 6.6% in 2022, a 16-year high, according to Realtor.com. The typical winter lull isn’t even necessarily happening. Home prices actually accelerated from November to December, said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com.

While Realtor.com is forecasting prices will rise 2.9%, the pace is slower than last year. Inventory will remain limited, but is expected to rebound from 2021 lows.