The Housing Market Isn't Broken. It's Just Not Cooperating.

by Glen Baker

At the end of 2025, the experts were predicting a much stronger 2026 housing market.

Lower rates.
More affordability.
More sales.

Well... reality had other plans.

Inflation stuck around longer than expected. Global uncertainty didn't help. Mortgage rates stayed higher than most economists predicted. As a result, a lot of buyers hit the pause button.

So forecasts have been adjusted.

📉 Fewer home sales than originally expected.
📈 Mortgage rates likely staying in the mid-6% range.
🏠 Home prices? Still expected to rise.

That's the part many people keep missing.

The market has slowed, but prices haven't collapsed.

Why?

Because we still don't have enough homes for sale in most markets. When supply stays tight, prices tend to hold up.

For buyers, this creates an interesting opportunity.

The crowd is sitting on the sidelines waiting for rates to drop. The problem? When rates eventually move lower, many of those buyers will come charging back into the market at the same time.

More buyers.
More competition.
Potentially higher prices.

Meanwhile, builders are feeling the pressure right now. In many areas they're offering incentives, credits, and negotiating harder than they have in years.

The lesson?

Stop trying to perfectly time the market.

Buy when you're financially ready.
Sell when it supports your goals.
Ignore the headlines and focus on the math.

The people who build wealth in real estate rarely wait for perfect conditions.

They make smart decisions based on the facts in front of them.

No surprises, ever.

#RealEstate #HousingMarket #MortgageRates #HomeBuying #HomeSelling #NJRealEstate #MorrisAgentTeam

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