A report from the Boston Globe in Masschusetts. "Anyone who’s bought a home in Greater Boston during the last few years might describe the experience as brutal. Unrelenting demand and a tight supply have made buying options scarce and competition ruthless, driving prices into record-high territory. But as the summer housing market starts to give way to fall, there are signs that the pressure might be easing — if ever so slightly."

"The number of homes newly listed for sale has climbed four months in a row, suggesting that homeowners are more willing to test the market and give would-be buyers something to look at. Meanwhile, some of those prospective buyers are heading for the sidelines — perhaps because they can no longer afford to stay in the hunt — which means less competition for those still looking for a home."

"Demand has dipped ever so slightly, said Eamon Kearney, a Redfin agent on the South Shore, in part because some buyers are worried about buying at the market’s peak. 'There’s some fear that we might have hit a ceiling,' he said. 'We have customers looking at stories coming out of California and Seattle and [they’re] worried it might come here next. That’s probably part of it.'"

"Other scorching-hot markets like Seattle and Denver — regions similar in size to Boston — have also seen a surge in tech jobs and a relatively tight housing stock. But in those cities, there have been signs lately that a top has been reached. Price growth has slowed, and inventory is starting to pile up as buyers simply can’t, or won’t, pay what sellers are asking."

"'Is this the beginning of the end? I don’t think so,' said Dana Bull, an agent with Sagan Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty in Marblehead. 'Barring some catastrophe, I don’t see us heading toward a crash. I think it’ll be more like a plateau.'"