NOVEMBER 13, 2025, EDITION

September’s Pending Home Sales index of signed contracts on pre-owned homes held for the month, and was off just a smidge, year-over-year. Inventory hit a five-year high, giving buyers more options and room to negotiate.

Home price increases continue to slow. August’s Case-Shiller Home Price Index rose just over 1% annually, the weakest gain in more than two years. Slowing price increases are improving the potential for greater affordability for buyers.

Last week, applications for purchase mortgages declined slightly compared with the previous week, but mortgage applications were more than 25% higher than the same week a year ago.

Mortgage giant Freddie Mac noted that in the current market, on a median-priced home, a homebuyer could “save thousands annually compared to earlier this year, showing that affordability is slowly improving.”

The Mortgage Bankers Association found that homebuyer purchasing power rose in September. The median monthly payment applied for by buyers slid lower for the fourth straight month.

Plus, a national online real estate database reports that during the four weeks ending October 26, median monthly housing payments saw their sharpest drop in almost a year.

DID YOU KNOW?… A new survey reports sellers who used an agent earned an average net profit of $138,477, about $6,200 more than sellers who went it alone. No wonder that the share of those sellers has fallen to a record low 5%.

In Freddie Mac’s weekly survey, the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate remained near its low for the year. Remember, mortgage rates can be extremely volatile, so check with your mortgage professional for up-to-the-minute information. 

If you’ve taken a break from your home search, now might be the right time to get back to it. With more inventory, prices leveling off in many areas, and mortgage rates easing, today’s real estate market offers something your haven’t enjoyed in a while—options!

Today, deals go south most often for inspection and repair issues. We’re happy to advise you about whether it makes sense to spend just a few hundred dollars on a pre-listing inspection. If it does, we’ll help you decide what to fix—so you can hit the market prepared, confident, and in control.