In the News

If you’ve thought about buying a home in the past few years, you may have run into two frustrations: asking prices that kept climbing and too few homes to choose from. In many places, both sticking points are letting up this summer, with lower asking prices and more homes for sale. Let’s look at the trends, and what they mean for your search. Sellers Are Pricing To Attract Buyers According to Realtor.com, the national median asking price was $430,000 in June, nearly $11,000 under what it was the year before (see graph below): That’s the eighth month in a row that the typical asking price has dipped below where they were the previous year, according to the same Realtor.com report. And while falling prices can sound worrying, this isn’t a sign of an impending crash. We’re talking about asking prices, not sold prices. This is a sign that today’s sellers are meeting the market where it is and pricing to draw buyers. And that’s actually something normal we’d expect from the market. As Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com, puts it: “Sellers are reading market conditions and are pricing accordingly from the start rather than listing high and cutting later, and buyers are taking note and making bids. This is a welcome sign that we are in a functioning market.” Asking prices were never going to climb forever – now they're just settling closer to what buyers can actually pay. That signals a healthier market, and sellers re-adjusting their expectations. More Homes Are Available Now If you’ve spent the past few years watching homes disappear before you could even schedule a tour, this is for you. Supply is starting to catch up. According to Realtor.com, the number of homes listed for sale in June was the highest June number we’ve seen in three years (see graph below): This means more options for you and less competition for each one. Now, supply is not back to normal everywhere. As you can see, we’re still down from where we were back in 2017-2019. But in many places, it’s better than it’s been in a while. Here’s how that helps you. You don’t have to rush an offer just to stay in the running, and you have better odds of finding and landing the right home, not just the one that’s available. Plus, you’ll have more room to negotiate, so you’re searching from a stronger position than buyers had even a year ago. Why This Is Encouraging if You’re Buying Your First Home For first-time buyers looking for lower-priced homes, these trends line up especially well. Mischa Fisher, Chief Economist at Zillow, explains: “The lowest price tiers are exhibiting some softness in terms of price, they also had the most listing-activity growth, the first time since 2022 that’s been the case.” So, if you’re searching for your first place or your next house, there's a little more to choose from and a little more give on price. Bottom Line If a tight budget or a thin selection has kept you from buying a home, now might be the time to restart your search. Connect with a local real estate agent to see what's available where you're looking.

Quick gut reaction. Which investment do Americans trust more than stocks, gold, savings accounts, and bonds? The answer hasn't changed in 14 years. It's real estate. And this year, that answer comes with even more conviction behind it. New data shows people aren't just saying homeownership is a smart move, they're feeling better about it than they have in years. Let's dig into why. Real Estate Takes the Top Spot – Again Every year, Gallup asks Americans to name the best long-term investment. And for the 14th year in a row, real estate came out on top (see graph below): That's not a fluke or a hot streak. That's 14 straight years of beating out stocks, gold, and everything else. Think about everything that's happened in that stretch – rising rates, market swings, election years, you name it. Through all of it, Americans kept picking real estate. That kind of staying power says something about how people view homeownership – and it makes sense. Historically, it’s one of the best ways to build wealth in this country. As Michelle Egan, Head of Credit Solutions, Impact Finance at JPMorgan Chase, explains: “Owning a home has long been considered one of the most reliable ways to build wealth. Beyond providing shelter, a home is a valuable asset that can appreciate over time, build equity, and serve as a financial resource for generations.” Now, you may have seen chatter online saying home prices are falling and wondered if that changes the math. It really shouldn’t. Nationally, home prices are still rising – just at a slower pace than a few years ago. Yes, some local markets are seeing slight dips, but those dips are small compared to how much home values have grown over the past 5 years. Generally speaking, home prices almost always rise. As long as you plan to live there for a good length of time, you should still have the chance to build equity. More People Say Buying Beats Renting And while it's true homeownership has been seen as a worthwhile pursuit for years now, something interesting is happening. It may actually be gaining a bit more popularity again. According to Bank of America's latest Homebuyer Insights Report, 53% of people now say it's better to buy a home than to rent or move in with family. That's the first time buying has taken the lead since 2023 (see graph below): In that same report, here are a few other signals that confidence in homeownership is on the rise: 90% of people say a home is a valuable investment, up from 79% just last year. And 94% say owning a home provides stability, up from 83% the year prior. Those are relatively big jumps in a short amount of time. And here’s what may be driving it. It’s About More Than Money Sure, affordability is still tight and some markets are still hard to break into, but that hasn’t changed what people feel about homeownership as a goal. And the reason why is simple – it's not just a financial decision. It’s a lifestyle choice. A home pays you back in ways stocks never could. As Sheharyar Bokhari, Principal Economist at Redfin, says: "For many homeowners, a home is more than a place to sleep and store belongings—it's a reflection of who they are. Homeownership can help people put down roots, build relationships and create a space that feels uniquely their own." You can't get that from a brokerage account. A home is the one investment that grows your wealth and gives you a place to build your life. And that means something. Bottom Line For 14 years straight, Americans have called real estate the best long-term investment, and confidence in owning a home is on the rise. If you've been weighing whether buying is worth it, connect with a local real estate agent and talk through what that first step could look like for you.

If you've been thinking about selling, you've probably seen plenty of headlines suggesting buyers have just about disappeared. But there's a big difference between a slow market and a stalled one. Yes, mortgage rates are still higher than most people would like. Homes aren’t selling as fast as they were. And every week seems to bring another headline about buyers sitting on the sidelines. But here's what you haven't heard. Despite everything going on, buyer demand has been remarkably resilient. In fact, more sellers are getting to put up the “pending sale” sign now than during the last two years. What's even more surprising is that they're doing it at a time of year when activity usually starts to slow down. And if you're thinking about selling, that's a trend worth paying attention to. Buyers Are More Active Than You Think One of the best ways to measure buyer demand is by looking at pending home sales. Those are homes that have gone under contract but haven't closed yet. Think of them as a real-time pulse check on the market and whether buyers are still buying. HousingWire Data shows more homes are going under contract than at the same time the past 2 years (see graph below): While it may come as a surprise, the numbers speak for themselves. It doesn’t mean buyers are everywhere, but it does mean they’re still active right now. And even if this ebbs and flows a bit in the weeks ahead, right now we’re still ahead of where we’ve been lately. That's encouraging news if you're thinking about selling because it tells us something important… People haven't stopped buying homes. Serious buyers are still making moves. And a lot of these people are buying because they decided they can't keep waiting. Whether it's a growing family, a new job, retirement, or simply wanting a different home, life keeps moving… even when mortgage rates stay higher than we'd like. As Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), explains: “A late spring buyer rush—even with mortgage rates not budging—is an indication of pent-up housing demand and consumers’ acceptance of above-6% mortgage rates as the new normal." So, if you've been worried no one’s buying, this data should give you some confidence. Today’s buyers aren't just casually browsing open houses on a Sunday afternoon, they've spent months waiting for rates to improve and now they realize they can’t wait anymore. That means they have a purposeand a timeline. And that's exactly the kind of motivated buyer you want to work with. What This Means for Your Sale Does that mean every house will sell instantly? No. Today's market is more balanced than it was a few years ago. So, you can’t just price your house however you want or skip preparing it for the market. Now buyers have choices, and they're willing to wait for the right home at the right price. But sellers who understand today's market (and price and position their homes right) are still finding success. Because the idea that "no one's buying right now" just isn't supported by the data. The buyers are there. The opportunity is there. The key is having the right strategy to capture it. Bottom Line This year's housing market may be moving slower than many of us hoped. But, buyer demand is more resilient than the headlines suggest. If you're wondering whether there are enough buyers for your house, connect with a local agent. They can show you what's happening in your local market and build a strategy that helps you take advantage of the momentum that's already here.

Negotiations are back. More buyers are asking for better deals, and more sellers are giving them. Builders are throwing in extras, too. That’s why whether you’re buying or selling today, there are two terms you’ll hear a lot: concession and incentive. A concession is something a seller agrees to during negotiations to get a deal done. An incentive is a perk a builder (or a seller) advertises upfront to attract buyers. Let’s run through what you need to know about both and how they could play a role in your move. More Sellers Are Agreeing to Concessions Almost half (46%) of homeowners who sold recently gave the buyer a concession, according to Redfin. That’s the highest share on record for this time of year. And roughly 1 in 7 (16%) sellers went a step further, cutting their asking price and offering a concession on top (see chart below): So, what kind of concessions are we talking about? A seller might cover part of your closing costs, take care of a repair, or offer a credit that trims your upfront costs. It’s how they keep a deal on track when buyers have more options to choose from – and homeowners aren’t the only ones compromising. Builders Are Cutting Prices, Too Newly built homes are seeing the same push and pull. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), 62% of builders are offering incentives right now. And about 35% are cutting prices outright (see chart below): Those incentives often look like: Price adjustments Mortgage rate buydowns Free upgrades, like nicer finishes or appliances Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com, explains why: "New construction has been one of the steadiest parts of the housing market over the past few years, but builders are clearly responding to today's affordability pressures and higher levels of existing-home inventory." Even builders, who many people think rarely negotiate, are competing on price and perks. They have been for over a year now. The same data shows this is the 15th straight month where more than 60% of builders have offered incentives to sweeten the deal. And that’s significant. What This Means for Your Move If you're buying, this is a good time to ask. Whether you have your eye on an existing house or a newly built home, there's a chance the seller or builder will meet you partway on price, terms, or both. If you're selling, expect buyers to ask. Even builders of brand-new homes are making concessions more often than not right now. Holding firm on every term could mean more time on the market, or a lost sale altogether. Bottom Line Sellers and builders are both giving buyers more to work with this year. A local agent can tell you what to expect in concessions and incentives based on inventory and competition in your local market.