New home construction is giving buyers something they have not seen much of lately. It offers a real chance to get both the home they want and the deal they need. More newly built properties are hitting the market, and builders are offering incentives that make these homes more affordable than many people realize. This combination does not come around often, and it is putting buyers in a surprisingly...
After years of high mortgage rates and cautious buyers, the housing market is finally showing signs of renewed activity. More homeowners are listing their properties, and buyers are starting to engage again. For the first time in a long while, there is noticeable movement in real estate. It is not a dramatic surge, but it is a clear shift that could set the stage for a stronger housing market in...
If you’ve noticed headlines about falling home prices, you might be concerned about what it means for your home’s value. The reality is that even with minor declines in some markets, most homeowners are still in a strong position because of the equity they’ve built in their homes. The Relationship Between Home Prices and Equity Home equity generally follows the movement of home prices. When prices...
You’ve got big goals for 2026, and if selling your home is one of them, the work starts this year. What you do today could be the difference between a smooth sale and a stressful one. If you’re thinking of listing your home next spring, which is typically the busiest season in real estate, the smartest move is to begin your prep now. As Realtor.com explains: “If you’re aiming to sell in 2026,...
If you’ve been keeping up with real estate news, you may have noticed reports claiming that home prices are staying flat. At first, that might seem easy to understand. However, the truth is a bit more complex. In many markets, home prices are actually far from flat and continue to show movement. What the Data Really Shows While home prices have certainly cooled from the rapid, unsustainable surge seen...
You’ve likely been waiting what feels like forever for mortgage rates to finally shift, and last week they did in a major way. On Friday, September 5th, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped to its lowest level since October 2024. It marked the largest single-day decline in more than a year. What Caused the Drop? Mortgage News Daily reports the decline was sparked by the August jobs...
Powell Hints at Change At the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium on August 22, 2025, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested that a Federal Reserve rate cut may be coming in September. He acknowledged that while inflation in 2025 remains above the Fed’s 2% target, slowing job growth is raising concerns. Powell stressed that the Fed will remain data-driven and independent from politics, leaving...
Mortgage rates are still a hot topic, and for good reason. After the most recent jobs report came in weaker than expected, the bond market reacted almost instantly. As a result, in early August mortgage rates dropped to their lowest point so far this year at 6.55%. While that may not seem like a huge shift, many buyers have been waiting for rates to ease. Even a modest drop like this gives hope that we...
Buyer activity is picking up again and the signs are hard to miss. Let’s take a closer look at what’s happening behind the scenes and why the housing market may be more active than it appears. Buyers Are Looking, and Search Trends Prove It One of the best ways to gauge what’s on people’s minds is to look at what they’re searching for online. According to Google Trends, interest in phrases...
According to Fannie Mae, 90% of buyers either don’t know what credit score lenders are actually looking for or assume it needs to be higher than it really is. That’s a big deal, because it means many potential homebuyers may be holding back unnecessarily, thinking they don’t qualify. You might even be one of them. But the truth is, the requirements may be more accessible than you think. Let’s...