Let me be honest with you about something I’m hearing a lot right now.
A lot of buyers are waiting. Waiting for prices to drop. Waiting for a crash. Waiting for the “right time” — which basically means they’re waiting for a deal that the data says probably isn’t coming.
I get it. If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve seen the headlines. “Prices dropping.” “Housing bubble about to burst.” And yes, there are a handful of markets where prices have pulled back a little.
But that’s not the whole story. Not even close.
Realtor.com data shows home prices are still rising in 71% of housing markets across the country. The negative headlines get more clicks, so they get more coverage — but that doesn’t make them the majority experience.
So what are the actual experts saying?
Every quarter, Fannie Mae surveys more than 100 economists, housing analysts, and market experts through their Home Price Expectations Survey. People who study this for a living. And here’s what they agreed on: they don’t think a crash is coming.
Not the optimists. Not the pessimists. Not even the most bearish voices on the panel.
The debate isn’t whether prices will fall. It’s how much they’ll rise. Optimists are projecting around 4% a year. Pessimists are closer to 1%. The full five-year forecast still points up for every single year ahead.
Think about what that means practically. A buyer who purchased a $400,000 home this January could gain nearly $40,000 in equity over the next five years — just from appreciation — even in this slower, more moderate market.
So if you’re waiting for prices to drop before you buy, you may end up paying more for the same house in five years. Or missing out on equity you could have been building this whole time.
Now — every market is different, and this is a national average. What’s happening in Fort Worth or Cleburne or Weatherford may look different than what’s happening in Phoenix or Portland. That’s exactly why talking to a local agent matters.
If you’re trying to figure out whether waiting still makes sense for your situation, I’d love to have that conversation with you. Call or text me at 817-487-2499 — let’s look at the numbers together and make a plan that actually works.
It matters who you work with.™
Debby Miller, REALTOR® Broker Associate | Christie’s International Real Estate – Lone Star 817-487-2499