When mortgage rates were at 3%, people were not getting housing deals.Here’s why: Bidding wars on every decent house. $400k homes listed for $440, and sold for $480k. Cash offers beating out financed buyers. No inspections in order to win (dangerous) You paid LESS interest but way MORE for the house.As of today (December 2025), mortgage rates have been hovering in the low 6% range (without points) for a standard 30-year fixed for buyers with good credit. This has been true for months.  This period of relative interest rate stability in the low-sixes follows a sharp increase that pushed rates above 7% about this time last year (Dec 2024)But buyers keep asking me: "Should I wait for 5% rates?"Short answer: No. Waiting for 5% is a costly mistake.The consensus from major economic institutio... 12/04/2025

2026 Housing Market Prediction | Mortgage Rates & Home PricesHousing Stagnation to Continue Through 2026 as Affordability Crisis Drags On, Realtor .com PredictsMinneapolis, MN: The U.S. housing market will remain sluggish through 2026, with only marginal improvements in sales activity and rates stubbornly +/- around 6%, according to a new forecast from Realtor .com.Mortgage Interest Rates for 2026The company projects that the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate will end 2026 at approximately 6.3%—virtually unchanged from current levels. This persistent elevation in borrowing costs will continue to suppress sales volume, with existing-home transactions expected to reach just 4.13 million, a feeble 1.7% increase from an already depressed 2025 estimate.Danielle Hale, Realtor .com’s chief e... 12/04/2025