> Where do you live that it takes "months upon months" to close a sale? Usually the complaint is that the market moves so fast people have to make risky snap purchasing decisions.

IIRC, when I bought my home, the closing date was about two months after we'd made the deal with the seller.

But that's not as long as it seems: there's stuff you have to do in that time, like getting the inspection done, haggling over any issues found, and getting ready to move in/moving out.