Should Coach DeBoer List This Week? Alabama 48, East Carolina 10 Edition

This is the first post in a new weekly series called Should Coach DeBoer List This Week. Every week during football season, we take Alabama’s most recent game and use it as a fun way to start a real conversation about the Tuscaloosa housing market. The football score is just for fun. It is not a comment on Coach Kalen DeBoer’s real home or his real plans of any kind. Each week, we will bring you fresh numbers on home prices, how many homes are selling, and how fast the market is moving, so you always know what is really happening if you are thinking about buying or selling in Tuscaloosa.

How Did Alabama Do in the Season Opener?

Alabama beat East Carolina 48 to 10 on September 5. It was a strong way to start the year. Quarterback Keelon Russell made his first career start and gained 342 total yards, the second-most ever for an Alabama quarterback in a first start. The offense scored on every trip to the end zone in the first half and finished with 487 total yards. The defense was just as strong. East Carolina managed only 162 total yards and a mere two rushing yards, the fewest Alabama has allowed on the ground since 2021. Linebacker Yhonzae Pierre returned an interception 27 yards for his first career touchdown. Running back Daniel Hill scored twice, freshman EJ Crowell scored in his very first game, and receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams caught for 130 yards. The win pushed Alabama’s home winning streak to 25 games in a row, the second-longest active streak in the country. Next up, Alabama plays at Kentucky on Saturday, September 12. Alabama has won eight straight games in that series.

What Is Our Call This Week?

Get Ready

This is not a Talk to Our Team week. That call is for when homes are piling up fast and prices are dropping across the board, and that is not happening yet. But it is not a simple Stay Put week either, because too many numbers are moving at once. Across Tuscaloosa County, homes are taking about 30 percent longer to sell than last year. There are 14 percent more homes for sale. And 8 percent fewer homes sold last month compared to a year ago. Inside the city of Tuscaloosa, the shift is even bigger. Homes sold dropped 14 percent, and the typical price dropped about 7 percent, down to $280,000. The one number that has barely moved is how close homes are selling to their asking price. Sellers are still getting about 100 percent of their asking price in both the county and the city. That tells us buyers do not have the upper hand yet. But sellers do not have as much control as they did a year ago either. That in-between spot is exactly what Get Ready means. Homeowners who get ready now, instead of waiting, will be in the best position no matter what happens next.

What Is Happening Across Tuscaloosa County?

Here is what the county’s own home sales records show for August 2026, compared to the same month last year:

Most experts say a market is balanced between buyers and sellers when there are about six months of homes for sale. Tuscaloosa County is still under that number, so it still favors sellers a little. But every one of these numbers is moving the same way at once: more homes for sale, more time to sell them, and fewer homes actually selling. That is a real change from the last few years.

What Is Happening in the City of Tuscaloosa?

Now here is the same picture, but only for homes inside the city of Tuscaloosa:

The shift shows up even more inside the city. Prices actually dropped a little, sales dropped more, and there are a lot more homes for sale than a year ago. Homes are still selling for close to full price on average, so buyers have not taken over. But the days of homes flying off the market the moment they are listed are fading.

How Does Birmingham Compare?

This series is not just for Tuscaloosa. Any of our agents across West Alabama and Greater Birmingham can use it, so here is how Jefferson and Shelby Counties, combined, looked in August 2026, using the same kind of records:

Birmingham is a much bigger market, so the raw numbers will always look different from Tuscaloosa. Homes there are also selling a little faster, in about 15 days instead of 30. But Birmingham is seeing some of the same shift we are seeing here at home. Compared to a year ago, homes sold there dropped about 9 percent, even as the typical price rose about 8 percent. Sellers are still getting close to full asking price, at about 99 percent on average. So whether you work in Tuscaloosa or Birmingham, the pattern looks the same: sales are slowing down a little, but prices and negotiating power are holding steady. That is exactly the kind of moment where getting ready early pays off, no matter which market you serve.

Who Does This Market Favor Right Now?

Not every buyer or seller feels this market the same way. Here is how it may look depending on where you stand.

What Should This Mean for You?

Put the county and city numbers together, and the story is the same. Sales are slowing down in both. Homes for sale are going up in both. And the city, which had held up better on price earlier this year, is now the one showing the bigger drop. None of this means the market is in trouble. Sellers are still getting close to full asking price, which tells us buyers have not taken control. It means the market is returning to something closer to normal after a few unusually busy years, and a normal market rewards people who prepare early. If you have been putting off the idea of selling, or you assumed you could list any time and still get top dollar, now is the moment to get your home looked at, fix the small things, and know your real number before things shift further. That is what Get Ready means. Not rushing, just preparing, so whenever you do decide to sell or buy, you are ready instead of playing catch-up.

Sources: West Alabama MLS (WAMLS); Greater Alabama MLS (GALMLS); ESPN; Alabama Athletics (rolltide.com).