AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage Rates, Inventory, Forecasts After several years of high mortgage rates and hesitation from buyers, momentum is quietly building beneath the surface of the housing market. Sellers are reappearing. Buyers are re-engaging. And for the first time in what feels like forever, there’s movement happening again. No, it’s not a surge. But it is a shift – and it’s one that could set the stage for a stronger year in 2026. So, what’s driving the comeback? Here are three big trends that are slowly breathing life back into the housing market right now. 1. Mortgage Rates Have Been Coming Down Mortgage rates are always going to have their ups and downs – that’s just how rates work. Especially with the general economic uncertainty right now, some volatility is to be expected. But, if you zoom out, it’s the larger trend that really matters most. And overall, rates have been trending down for most of this year (see graph below): And in just the last few months, we’ve seen the best rates of 2025. According to Sam Khater, Chief Economist at Freddie...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, First-Time Buyers, Mortgage Rates, Affordability, Forecasts A lot of buyers are stuck in “wait and see” mode right now. They’re watching rates hover a little above 6% and thinking, I’ll buy once they hit the 5s. Because who doesn’t want a better rate? But here’s the thing: that 5.99% number might not save you as much as you think. Affordability is still a challenge. There’s no question about that. But the market has given savvy buyers a head start. Mortgage rates have already come down over the past few months. And the drop we’ve seen saves you more than you’d think. How Much You’ve Already Saved, Without Realizing It Let’s put some real numbers to it. Rates peaked for the year in May when they inched above 7%. But since then, they’ve been slowly declining. Now, they’re sitting in the low 6s. And while that may not sound like a big deal, that change translates to real dollars. According to data coming out of Redfin, the typical monthly payment on a $400,000 home is already down almost $400 since May. That means if...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, For Sellers, New Construction, Inventory If it feels like you’re seeing new construction signs pop up everywhere, you’re not wrong. Builders have been busy. And it’s left some people wondering: Are we overbuilding like we did right before the 2008 housing crash? No matter what you may hear in the news, there’s no reason for alarm. In reality, data shows builders aren’t racing ahead, they’re actually starting to tap the brakes. Builders Are Pulling Back, Not Piling On Permits (applications to start building new homes) are one of the best early indicators for what’s next for home construction. And right now, building permits are trending down, not up. Here’s why that’s so important. In the years before the housing crash of 2008, builders really ramped up their production of single-family homes (the red arrow in the graph below). And unfortunately, they built far more homes than the market actually needed. That oversupply led to falling home prices. That’s what so many people remember, and what they worry will happen again. But while construction has been picking back up since roughly 2012, we’re not...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, Buying Tips If you’ve served in the military (or if your spouse has), you have access to one of the most powerful homebuying tools out there. The chance to buy a home without having a down payment. Unfortunately, 70% of Veterans (that’s 7 out of every 10) don’t know about this benefit, according to Veterans United. And that’s a big missed opportunity for those who’ve earned this benefit through service. So, let’s break down what you really need to know about Veterans Affairs (VA) home loans right now. Why VA Home Loans Can Be a Great Option For nearly 80 years, VA loans have made homeownership possible for millions of Veterans and active-duty service members. Here are just a few of the top perks according to the Department of Veteran Affairs: Options for $0 Down Payment: Many Veterans can buy a home without spending years saving up. Fewer Upfront Costs: The VA limits which types of closing costs Veterans have to pay, helping you keep more cash on hand when you’re finalizing your purchase. No Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI): Unlike many other loan...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, For Sellers, Buying Tips, Economy, Selling Tips There’s been a lot of talk lately about how a government shutdown impacts the housing market. You might be wondering: Is it causing everything to grind to a halt? The short answer? No. The housing market doesn’t stop. It keeps moving. Homes are still being bought and sold, contracts are still being signed, and closings are still happening. The difference is that a few parts of the process may slow down a little, but overall, the market continues to function. Here’s What Typically Happens Whenever the government shuts down, some federal agencies temporarily close or scale back their operations. That can cause a few hiccups in real estate, especially when it comes to processing certain types of government loans and insurance requirements: “Applicants for FHA, VA, or USDA loans—which account for about one-quarter of all mortgage applications—may encounter significant processing delays due to agency furloughs.” – Selma Hepp, Chief Economist at Cotality “By recent estimates, more than 2,500 mortgage originations per working day are at risk of delays during a shutdown . . .”  – Zillow Flood insurance approvals...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Sellers, Home Prices, Equity If you’ve seen headlines about home prices dropping, it’s easy to wonder what that means for the value of your home too. Here’s what you really need to know. Even with small price declines in some markets, data shows you’re likely still way ahead. And that’s thanks to your home equity. The Relationship Between Home Prices and Equity Home equity moves in sync with home prices. When prices rise, equity builds. When prices cool (even just slightly), equity growth does too. Here’s how that’s played out lately. After the record-setting home price surge of 2020 and 2021, a little cooling was inevitable. Back then, the number of homes for sale hit a record low. That caused home values (and your equity) to shoot up significantly as buyers fought over limited inventory. But prices couldn’t continue to rise at that intense pace forever. The market had to moderate at some point, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing right now.  As more homes have come on the market this year, price growth slowed – so, equity gains did too. And that doesn’t...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Sellers, Selling Tips If there was one simple step that could help make your home sale a seamless process, wouldn’t you want to know about it? There’s a lot that happens from the time your house goes under contract to closing day. And a few things still have to go right for the deal to go through. But here’s what a lot of sellers may not know. There’s one part of the process where some homeowners are hitting a road bump that’s causing buyers to back out these days. But don’t worry. The majority of these snags are completely avoidable, especially when you understand what’s causing them and how to be proactive. That’s where a great agent (and a little prep) can make all the difference. What’s Causing Some Buyers To Back Out The latest data from Redfin says 15% of pending home sales are falling through. And that’s not wildly higher than the 12% norm from 2017-2019. But it is an increase. That means roughly 1 in 7 deals today don’t make it to the closing table. But, at the same time, 6 out...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, First-Time Buyers, Inventory, Buying Tips If you stepped back from your home search over the past few years, you’re not alone – and you’re definitely not out of options. In fact, now might be the ideal time to take another look. With more homes to choose from, prices leveling off in many areas, and mortgage rates easing, today’s market is offering something you haven’t had in a while: options. Experts agree, buyers are in a better spot right now than they’ve been in quite a long time. Here’s what they have to say. Affordability Is Finally Improving  Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist at Bright MLS, says affordability is finally starting to turn the corner: “Slower price growth coupled with a slight drop in mortgage rates will improve affordability and create a window for some buyers to get into the market.” Mortgage rates have eased from their recent highs, price growth has slowed, and that one-two combo is making homes more affordable than they’ve been in months. There Are More Homes on The Market And a big reason prices are easing is because there are...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, For Sellers, First-Time Buyers, Mortgage Rates, Move-Up, Buying Tips, Downsize Mortgage rates have been the monster under the bed for a while. Every time they tick up, people flinch and say, “Maybe I’ll wait.” But here’s the twist. Waiting for that perfect 5-point-something rate could end up haunting your wallet later. The Magic Number According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR): “. . . a 30-year fixed rate mortgage of 6% would make the median-priced home affordable for about 5.5 million more households—including 1.6 million renters. If rates were to hit that magic number, it’s likely that about 10%—or 550,000—of those additional households would buy a home over the next 12 or 18 months.” When the market hits that mortgage rate sweet spot, as expert forecasters are starting to say is more likely in 2026, the psychological shift to lower rates will kick in for more of today’s hopeful buyers. That will unleash some pent-up demand that’s been waiting on the sidelines, and the increase in activity will cause prices to rise. And while a 5.99% rate might sound like a big...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Sellers, Inventory, Agent Value, Selling Tips A few years ago, inventory hit a record low. Just about anything sold – and fast. But now, there are far more homes on the market. Listings are up almost 20% from this time last year. And in some areas, supply is even back to levels we last saw in 2017–2019. For sellers, that means one thing: Your house needs to stand out and grab attention from day one. That’s especially true when you consider why the number of homes for sale is up. Here’s how it works. Available inventory is a mix of:  Active Listings: homes that have been sitting on the market, but haven’t sold yet New Listings: homes that were just put on the market Data from Realtor.com shows most of the inventory growth lately is actually from active listings that are staying on the market and taking longer to sell (see the graph below). The blue bars show active listings. These are the homes that are sitting month to month and not selling. The green bars are new listings, the homes that were just...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, Home Prices Scroll through your feed and you’ll see plenty of finger-pointing about why homes cost so much. And according to a national survey, a lot of people believe big investors are to blame. Even though data shows that’s not true, nearly half of Americans surveyed (48%) think investors are the top reason housing feels so expensive (see graph below): But that theory doesn’t actually hold up once you look at the data. The Truth About Investors Investors do play a role in the housing market, especially in certain areas. But they’re not buying up all the homes like so many people on social media say. Nationwide, Realtor.com found only 2.8% of all home purchases last year were made by big investors (who own more than 50 properties). That means roughly 97% of homes were bought and sold by regular people, not corporate giants. Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com, explains: “Investors do own significant shares of the housing stock in some neighborhoods, but nationwide, the share of investor-owned housing is not a major concern.” So, if it’s not investors, why are home...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Sellers, Selling Tips You’ve got big plans for 2026. But what you do this year could be the difference between a smooth sale and a stressful one. If you’re thinking of selling next spring (the busiest season in real estate), the smartest move you can make is to start prepping now. As Realtor.com says: “If you’re aiming to sell in 2026, now is the time to start preparing, especially if you want to maximize the spring market’s higher buyer activity.”  Because the reality is, from small repairs to touch-ups and decluttering, the earlier you start, the easier it’ll be when you’re ready to list. And, the better your house will look when it’s time for it to hit the market. Why Starting Now Matters Talk to any good agent and they’ll tell you that you can’t afford to skip repairs in today’s market. There are more homes for sale right now than there have been in years. And since buyers have more to choose from, your house is going to need to look its best to stand out and get the attention it deserves....

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, For Sellers, Home Prices, Economy, Forecasts If you’ve seen headlines or social posts calling for a housing crash, it’s easy to wonder if home values are about to take a hit. But here’s the simple truth. The data doesn’t point to a crash. It points to slow, continued growth. And sure, it’s going to vary by local area. Some markets will see prices rise more than others. And some may even see small, short-term declines. But the big picture is: home prices are expected to rise nationally, not fall, over the next 5 years. The Real Story Is in the Expert Forecasts In the Home Price Expectations Survey (HPES) from Fannie Mae, each quarter over 100 leading housing market experts weigh in on where they project home prices will go from here. And in the report that was just released, the experts agree prices are projected to climb nationally through at least 2029 (see graph below): Here’s how to read this visual. Each bar in that graph shows an increase, not a loss. It’s just that the anticipated pace of that appreciation varies...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Sellers, First-Time Buyers, Mortgage Rates, Move-Up, Affordability, Buying Tips If you paused your plans to move because of high rates or prices, it may finally be time to take a second look at your numbers. Affordability is improving in 39 of the top 50 markets, according to First American. And that’s the 5th straight month where buying a home has started to get a little bit easier. Let’s break this down into real dollars, so you can see the difference this could make for you (and your move). Monthly Payments Are Coming Down One of the clearest signs of this shift is in monthly payments. The latest data from Redfin shows mortgage payments on a median-priced home are now $283 lower than they were just a few months ago (see graph below): This kind of monthly savings adds up fast, and totals nearly $3,400 over the course of a year. While this isn’t enough to completely change the affordability game overnight, think about it this way. When you’re putting together a homebuying budget, a few hundred dollars could be the difference between being comfortable...

AGENTS: Did you know you can share a personalized version of this post? Learn more! For Buyers, For Sellers, Home Prices, Mortgage Rates, Forecasts After a couple of years where the housing market felt stuck in neutral, 2026 may be the year things shift back into gear. Expert forecasts show more people are expected to move – and that could open the door for you to do the same. More Homes Will Sell With all of the affordability challenges at play over the past few years, many would-be movers pressed pause. But that pause button isn’t going to last forever. There are always people who need to move. And experts think more of them will start to act in 2026 (see graph below): What’s behind the change? Two key factors: mortgage rates and home prices. Let’s dive into the latest expert forecasts for both, so you can see why more people are expected to move next year. Mortgage Rates Could Continue To Ease The #1 thing just about every buyer has been looking for is lower mortgage rates. And after peaking near 7% earlier this year, rates have started to ease. The latest forecasts show that could continue throughout 2026,...