Nov. 21st, 2025 Edition | Read Online

Pittsburgh, we’ve made it to the week before Thanksgiving — that magical stretch where half the city is already emotionally checked out, the other half is panic-shopping for canned cranberries, and Downtown is stringing up 9 billion lightbulbs like we’re auditioning for Whoville: Steel City Edition.

Tomorrow is Light Up Night, which means two things are guaranteed:
1️⃣ You will accidentally end up in traffic you explicitly planned to avoid.
2️⃣ Someone’s uncle is going to say, “Wow, it gets earlier every year,” even though it happens the exact same weekend.

But honestly? It’s worth it.
The city feels alive, cozy, chaotic — a perfect preview of the holiday season that’s about to bulldoze our calendars.

And while everyone else gets distracted by twinkle lights, mashed potatoes, and the annual "Who’s hosting this year?" family battle… the real ones (that’s us) stay tapped into what’s actually happening in Pittsburgh real estate.

So before we dive into turkey, tinsel, and terrible parking…
Let’s talk about what the market did this week — because unlike your in-laws, the numbers never lie.

If you’re new here — I’m Tim Pettigrew, Pittsburgh’s Go-To Realtor, Expert in Luxury Homes & Strategic Real Estate Solutions. Every week, I give you the only real estate breakdown worth reading in the 412.

👇 Market Watch coming up next.

🏡 Market Watch — The Light Up Night Edition

“The only thing brighter than the holiday lights this weekend… is the number of price drops.”

Let’s get into it 👇

📉 Mortgage Rates: A Tiny Dip (We’ll Take It)

Rates slid just a hair this week — but hey, in November, we celebrate the small wins.

• 30-yr fixed: 6.34% (-0.02%)

• 15-yr fixed: 5.82% (-0.03%)

• FHA: 5.94% (-0.04%)

• Jumbo: 6.42% (-0.01%)

• 7/6 SOFR ARM: 5.92% (-0.13%) ← the real mover

• VA: 5.95% (-0.04%)

This is classic pre-holiday behavior:
Rates drift sideways, lenders stop pretending they’re trying, and everyone waits to see what the Fed does in December while half the country mentally checks out for the next 10 days.

📊 Listing Activity (aka: The Great Turkey Taper)

Here’s Allegheny County’s 7-day pulse:

• New Listings: 566 (down — the annual pre-Thanksgiving slowdown is officially here)

• Price Reductions: 660 (LIGHT. UP. NIGHT. indeed)

• Back on Market: 99

• Sold: 652

• Withdrawn: 114

• Expired: 176

• Under Contract: 257

• Contingent: 448

This time of year is always a tale of two markets:
Sellers start unplugging for the holidays while serious buyers get rewarded with less competition and more leverage. Classic “quiet power moves” season.

🏠 Sold Stats — Buyers Still Paying Attention

Across 658 sales this week:

• Avg List Price: $309,461

• Avg Sold Price: $302,071

• List-to-Sale Ratio: 96.98%

• Median DOM: 30 days

The key stat?
Homes are still landing at ~97% of asking, even as we head straight into stuffing-and-shopping season.

Translation:
Good homes still move.
Overpriced ones sit.
Right now, positioning matters more than perfection.

🔦 The Light Up Night Effect (Yes, It’s Real)

Every year, the Friday before Thanksgiving signals a shift in buyer psychology:

• People think the market dies after Light Up Night — but it doesn’t.

• Buyers who stay active experience the least competition of the entire year.

• Sellers who list right now often get surprisingly strong traction (less noise, fewer options).

It’s the “silent killer” season for motivated buyers — and the sweet spot for sellers who actually stay in the game instead of going into hibernation until January.

💡 Big Picture: Calm, Stable, and Sneaky-Opportunity-Filled

The market didn’t make any dramatic moves this week — and that’s exactly why it’s a good week.

• Rates are holding steady.

• Activity is cooling normally.

• Buyers who move now get leverage.

• Sellers who price right win.

• And December?
  Historically one of Pittsburgh’s quietest but highest-quality months for offers.

It’s basically the stretch of the year where the people who actually want to get deals done… do.

📚 Must-Read This Week

• Pittsburgh leads affordability, Austin invenotry surges

• Pittsburgh climbs in national real estate rankings

🔥 Yinz Gotta See This — 1202 James St (North Side)

Let’s talk about a home that has more personality than most people you know — and enough exposed brick to legally qualify as its own boutique distillery.

Welcome to 1202 James St, a beautifully unhinged blend of historic charm, industrial edge, and “holy hell I didn’t expect that bathroom” energy.

🧱 The Vibe: Industrial. Historic. Sexy as hell.

This place leans HARD into its 1900s roots — original hardwood floors, brick for days, tall ceilings, fireplaces, stained glass, and the kind of architectural detail that makes you angry at new construction.

And yes…
That bathroom?
It deserves its own Netflix special.

Clawfoot tub.
Hand-painted vintage flour mural.
Stained glass.
Raw brick.
Massive vanity.
Warm lighting.
It’s giving Irish bakery from 1907 meets artisanal tattoo parlor — and somehow it works flawlessly.

🏡 Quick Hits

• Price: $474,900

• 3 bedrooms + finished 3rd floor flex space

• 2 full baths (one on each level — elite convenience)

• 2,592 sq ft of character

• Updated kitchen with butcher block + great storage

• Metal roof (aka: Pittsburgh winter-proof)

• Central A/C + tankless water heater

• 2 OFF-STREET PARKING SPOTS behind the house

• Cute back patio for grilling, sipping, judging your neighbors, etc.

🚶 Location: Peak North Side Energy

You can walk to:

• Federal Galley

• AGH

• CCAC

• The Aviary

• PNC Park

• Allegheny Commons

• Every coffee shop within a 0.4-mile radius

• And the hospital, for when the Steelers blow a 4th quarter lead again

🏷️ Why This One Slaps

This is one of those rare homes that feels:

• Unique

• Thoughtful

• Authentic

• And refreshingly not beige

If you want a house with character — like actual character, not “they put shiplap on one wall” character — this is the one.

🏙️ Pittsburgh Life (aka: My Notes App Had a Fever This Week)

Alright buckle up, because Pittsburgh has officially entered that half-festive, half-feral phase of November where the city is glowing, traffic is snarling, and everyone is one Penn Ave merge away from throwing their Primanti’s through a windshield. I love it here.

🎄 Highmark Light Up Night: Tomorrow = Downtown Madness (and joy)

This Saturday marks the 64th edition of the holiday spectacle when Downtown turns into a sparkly obstacle course of families, trombones, Santas, and people who haven’t parallel-parked since last year. Check the full schedule to plan your “accidentally take the wrong bridge” escape route. Axios+3WTAE+3Downtown Neighbors Alliance+3

🚦 Penn Ave & Market Square: Construction + Festival Vibes = Trouble

Your normal commute is now a three-part obstacle course. Construction cones + holiday traffic + people driving like they just discovered turn signals. Market Square is still under heavy modernization ahead of the ’26 NFL Draft, so expect bonus detours. WTAE+1

🦪 Wholey’s Oyster Bar: Sea-Chic in the Strip District

Yes, you read that right — fresh oysters are back at Wholey’s Oyster Bar this weekend. The Strip District, already though bursting with pre-holiday energy, is now adding brine-soaked elegance to the chaos. If that doesn’t scream “I’m adulting in Pittsburgh,” I don’t know what does.

🏭 Strip District Development: Warehouse → 500 Apartments

Remember the old “Consumer Fresh Produce” warehouse on the corner of 21st & Railroad? It’s officially being redeveloped into two residential buildings, nearly 500 units plus retail space. The Strip continues its evolution: industrial roots meet modern urban living. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette+2TribLIVE+2

🎯 Rankings & Big Moves

• Upper St. Clair just got ranked #1 in PA and #7 in the nation. Big deal.

• Pittsburgh jumped to #29 on the “Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2026” list. Growth. Not just Steelers hype.

• Also: the city is talking about raising taxes. Yup. Thought about it. Possibly happening. Good reminder for you clients: “Don’t just consider today. Think what happens 6-12 months down the line.” TribLIVE

🔍 Bottom Line

Pittsburgh is behaving badly in the best possible way right now: traffic snarls, bright lights, new apartments, oyster bars, and maybe even higher taxes. All of it adds up to momentum (and you should be ready to ride it).

🏈 Speaking of Chaos… Let’s Talk Football

Because nothing pairs better with holiday gridlock and Light Up Night mayhem than Pittsburgh football-induced emotional turbulence.

🔵 Pitt: Publicly Humiliated, Emotionally Unbothered

Pitt got absolutely clobbered by Notre Dame last weekend — embarrassed in a way that should’ve required an after-action wellness check — but honestly? It didn’t matter.
Out-of-conference.
Zero stakes.
A glorified scrimmage in a bigger stadium.

But this weekend?
Georgia Tech.
In conference.
Actually important.
No more “it’s fine, it doesn’t count” energy.

Time to show up, hydrate, and attempt football again.

🟡 Steelers: A Win, A Crisis, and the Ghost of Christmas Rudolph

The Steelers won — which is adorable — but looking ahead, Aaron Rodgers is suddenly questionable, and now everyone in Pittsburgh is staring at the QB depth chart like it’s a holiday spin-the-bottle game.

So who steps in?
Mason Rudolph.
Right in time for Christmas.

The irony is so loud it should have its own Terrible Towel.

But here’s the plot twist:
We’re on the road this weekend… against the Bears.
A Bears team that is 7-3.
Playing actual, elite-level football.
Like… coordinated, consistent football.
You know, that thing we sometimes flirt with but rarely commit to.

So the question becomes:

Are we playing elite football right now?
Or are we just writing inspirational fan fiction about Mason Rudolph saving December?

Either way, buckle up — the holiday chaos isn’t just on Penn Ave. It’s on the field too.

💬 Prediction: Pitt pulls the upset. Steelers pull the upset (somehow). And Pittsburgh collectively rides that high into Thanksgiving week.

📅 Weekend Radar – What to Do When the City’s Glowing & You’re Trying Not to Get Parallel-Parked into a Dumpster

This weekend in Pittsburgh is equal parts vibe and vehicular mayhem — but in the best way. If you’re going out, mark your calendar. If you’re showing homes, plan for clients who might show up late because “Light Up Night traffic turned me into a bumper-car.”

🔥 Big Event: Highmark Light Up Night (Saturday)

Downtown blows up (figuratively, and maybe literally) with tree lightings, live music stages, roof-top fireworks and lots of “oops I took the wrong ramp” moments. The first tree lighting hits at 5 p.m. at the City-County Building, followed by successive lightings at PPG Plaza and Penn Ave/Stanwix. Axios+2Downtown Neighbors Alliance+2
Holiday-market lovers: The Peoples Gas Holiday Market opens Friday at its new digs in the Cultural District (7th Street & Penn) thanks to Market Square renovations. Kidsburgh+1
Pro-tips:

• Dress warm (it’s outside, it’s Pittsburgh, hoodies + hot cocoa recommended). Axios

• Use transit or park far away. Downtown roads will resemble a live test of patience.

• Bring earplugs if you care about your eardrums. Fireworks echo off buildings. Axios

🎤 Other Noteworthy Events

• Friday, Nov 21: SouthSide Works hosts the first annual “Holiday Glow” — tree lighting + Santa + free/all-ages fun. Visit Pittsburgh
• All weekend: Browse the “What to Do in Pittsburgh This Weekend” roundup on Visit Pittsburgh for concerts, pop-ups, and weird Pittsburgh experiences. Visit Pittsburgh+1

🕒 Schedule Snapshot

• 4:00 p.m. – Festivities begin Downtown on Penn Ave & Stanwix. Axios+1

• 5:00 p.m. – Tree lighting at City-County Building + fireworks show. Table Magazine+1

• 6:00 p.m. – UPMC Tree at PPG Plaza lights up; ice-skating opens. Table Magazine+1

• 7:00 p.m. – Highmark Christmas Tree lighting at Penn Ave/Stanwix + Zambelli rooftop fireworks. Table Magazine+1

• 9:30 p.m. – Final fireworks finale across Downtown skyline. Table Magazine+1

✅ Why You Should Be There

• It’s essentially the holiday kickoff for Pittsburgh — missing it means missing the energy. Downtown Neighbors Alliance+1

• Great backdrop for making listings shine (you know, “Holiday-lights-blocked, but within walking distance of everything” vibe).

• Traffic = high, entertainment = higher, btw you’ll meet clients stuck in “why is this car not moving?” mode.

🚧 What to Watch Out For

• Parking near Downtown = nightmares. Surface lots will be full, streets closed, directions unclear.

• If you’re showing homes, expect a bit of delay for any drive-time based meetups.

• Cold + standing = bring layers + comfy shoes.

• Expect crowds + energy that’s part “holiday cheer” part “someone forgot to take the brakes off.”

✨ Still want more?
See the full lineup here →

🧾 TL;DR

Big holiday blow-out downtown with Highmark Light Up Night on Saturday — lights, fireworks, traffic chaos, and a bunch of “I should’ve taken the T” moments. Dress warm, arrive early (or walk), and expect the commute to feel like a scavenger hunt.
Need-to-knows: tree lightings at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m.; huge fireworks at 9:30 p.m.