2026

For most first-time buyers, the hardest part of buying a home is making the numbers work. You budget, you save, and the finish line still feels far away.  But your salary is only half the equation. Where you live shapes what you can afford just as much. And if you can work remotely, you have an advantage a lot of buyers don't.  You're not tied to living where the jobs are, so you can look where...

You've been waiting for something to change before you buy. It just might not be the thing you expected… While everyone’s paying attention to mortgage rates, only the savviest buyers know that the changing season can start tipping things in their favor.  Because every fall, buyers tend to get more to choose from, better prices, and more room to negotiate. And that’s why Hannah Jones, Senior...

Most people think a newly built home costs more than an existing one. But right now, that’s actually backwards. Newly built homes are more affordable than existing ones in a lot of markets. And that’s because builders are cutting prices and stacking on incentives to try to keep their inventory moving. Here’s why that’s really important for any would-be homebuyer to know. Newly Built Homes...

Lately, headlines have floated an eye-catching idea about tapping into your 401(k) to cover a down payment on a home. Maybe you've caught the buzz and wondered whether that money could get you into a home faster, especially with affordability as tough as it is.  Here’s what you need to remember. Pulling from your retirement savings is a big decision, so take time to weigh all your options first and...

It’s one of the biggest hold ups some buyers have right now: “What if I buy, and home prices go down?” With everything in the news, that concern makes some sense. No one wants to make a big financial decision at the wrong time. But here’s what’s important to know. You don’t want to get hung up on the few places seeing slight declines right now. When you zoom out and look at the full...

You're scrolling through listings on your phone and everything looks good until you see the price (or the estimated monthly payment). Then you close the app.  Because even if you love the house, the numbers feel impossible. But here's the thing. Nationally, there are more homes sitting on the market than there are people out there looking. And when sellers need buyers more than buyers need...

A recent survey from Talker Research asked Americans to pick one word to describe how 2026 has felt so far. The winner? Stressful. And honestly, there’s been a lot going on. So, it’s understandable if you've been putting off buying or selling a home until things settle down. But you may be waiting on something that's already happened. While everything else has felt shaky, the housing market has...

Few things are as rattling as the thought of your home sale falling through at the last minute, right before closing. All that waiting, all that progress, out the window. But if you’re getting ready to sell, here’s what you should know. Even in today’s market, it rarely comes to that. Buyers who are moving at today’s rates and prices are generally moving because of some big life change. That...

When's the last time someone told you what your house is worth? Not what some online valuation tool guessed. Not what your neighbor's house sold for. What yours is actually worth right now. For a lot of homeowners, it's been years. And if you've been thinking about moving, but higher home prices or mortgage rates have made you hesitate, here’s why it’s time to take a second look at that...

You may have heard the number of homes for sale isn’t growing like it was. And maybe that has you worried you won’t find a home you love when it’s time to make your move. But that may be about to change. Here’s why your pool of options may actually start ticking back up again. Growth Has Slowed, But It Hasn’t Stopped Active listings were up 2.1% year-over-year in July, according to...