Dive Brief:

• A slim supply of homes for sale has prompted the comeback of bidding wars and pushed prices higher in housing markets all over the country, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal.

• In six markets, including four in California, homes are selling fewer than 30 days after their owners list them, Realtor.com found. Homes in Santa Rosa remain on the market for an average of 24 days, turning over 35% quicker than they did a year ago. And the median price of a home there — $570,000, is 9.9% higher than a year ago and 7.9% higher than the national average increase in resale prices over the past year.

• Rounding out the six tightest markets are the California cities of San Jose, Vallejo and San Francisco, as well as Seattle and Denver.

Dive Insight:

Record-high prices in those areas have sparked talk of local housing bubbles.

Tight inventories result from a combination of factors: Owners of homes remain reluctant to list their properties, fearing either that they should hold out for even higher prices or that they won’t be able to find suitable replacement properties. Others might believe they won’t be able to qualify for mortgages. And some owe more on their mortgages than they could sell their homes for, forcing them to hang onto property they would rather sell.

In addition, The Wall Street Journal reported, at least 2.6 million homes for sale have been converted to rentals since 2008.