A neighbor of mine recently asked her daughter-in-law what she wanted for Christmas. Her daughter-in-law quickly replied that she didn’t want or need anything, except to find a house to buy.

The young woman and her husband are both Boston-area professionals who are currently renting in Needham. They started their search in the summer before they were married and then put it off until after their wedding.

With low mortgage interest rates and prices a lot lower then they once were, they thought they could find a property fairly quickly. But they’ve had trouble finding a decent home in their price range, and now with inventory down, they’re just plain frustrated.

The number of for-sale listings typically drops as we approach the holidays, when most folks are more focused on gift shopping, office parties and decorating than they are about cleaning their homes to make them presentable for showings.

 But this year, the number of listings is especially low.

The Massachusetts Association of Realtors reported last month that the number of single-family home listings dropped 15 percent in October compared to the same month last year.

Perhaps a flood of homes will come onto the market in February and March, just before the buyer tax credit expires.  For now, the young couple is just waiting it out.