What if you didn’t have a mortgage payment on your next house? It may sound a little unrealistic. But for a number of homeowners, it’s actually doable.
Nearly 3 in 10 homes purchased today are bought in cash, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). That’s far more than the pre-pandemic norm (see graph below):

So, how are so many buyers pulling that off? The answer is simple: home equity.
Back in 2020-2021, mortgage rates and the number of homes for sale were both at all-time lows. And that combination pushed home prices up, fast.
If you owned a home during that time, it likely gained significant value – maybe even enough to buy your next house in cash. NAR explains:


“. . . rising home equity has armed many existing homeowners with the financial leverage to make cash offers, allowing them to convert years of price appreciation into immediate purchasing power.”

Here’s why yo ...

Why Experts Say Mortgage Rates Should Ease Over the Next Year
If you’re keeping an eye on the housing market, you’ve probably noticed that mortgage rates have started to ease slightly. But will this trend continue into next year? According to industry experts, there’s a good chance we’ll see further relief ahead. Let’s break down why.

The Connection Between Mortgage Rates and the 10-Year Treasury Yield
For more than 50 years, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has closely tracked the movement of the 10-year Treasury yield — a key benchmark for long-term interest rates.
When the Treasury yield rises, mortgage rates typically follow. When it falls, mortgage rates tend to drop as well.
The relationship between these two numbers is known as the spread, which normally averages around 1.76 percentage points (or 176 basis points).

Why the Spread Matters
Over the past few years, that spread has been much wider than usual. Why? Economic uncertainty.
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There’s a new divide in housing right now. In some states, buyers are gaining ground. In others, sellers still have the upper hand. It all depends on where you live. Curious what’s happening in your state?
These 3 maps show how the split is playing out across the country. In each one:

Darker Shades of Blue = Buyer friendly

Lighter Shades of Blue = Seller strong

Inventory Sets the Stage
While the number of homes for sale has improved pretty much across the board, how much growth we’ve seen can look dramatically different based on where you live. And that impacts who has the leverage today.
This map uses data from Realtor.com to break it down:

The darker shades of blue show where inventory has risen more than in other areas of the country. Buyers here have more to choose from and should have an easier time finding a home and leveraging their negotiating power.

The lighter shades of blue are where inventory is still ; ...

For the past couple of years, it’s been tough for a lot of homebuyers to make the numbers work. Home prices shot up. Mortgage rates too. And a number of people hit pause because it just didn’t feel possible. Maybe you were one of them.
But there’s some encouraging news. If you’ve been waiting for a better time to jump back in, affordability may finally be showing signs of improvement this fall.
The latest data from Redfin shows the typical monthly mortgage payment has been coming down, and is now about $290 lower than it was just a few months ago (see graph below):
And here’s why this is happening. The cost of buying a home really comes down to three things:

Mortgage rates
Home prices
Your wages

Right now, all three are finally moving in a better direction for you. While that doesn’t mean it’s suddenly easy to buy at today’s rates and prices, it does mean it’s not as challenging.
1. Mortgage Ra ...

You may be seeing headlines about how foreclosures are rising. And if that makes you nervous that we’re headed for another crash, here’s what you should know. 
According to ATTOM, during the housing crash, over nine million people went through some sort of distressed sale (2007-2011). Last year, there were just over 300,000.
So, even with the increase lately, we’re talking about numbers that are dramatically lower. But what does the future hold? Is a wave coming? The short answer is, no.
Here’s why. Experts in the industry look at mortgage delinquencies (loans that are more than 30 days past due) as an early sign for potential foreclosures down the line. And the latest data for delinquencies is reassuring about the market overall.
Right now, delinquencies as a whole are consistent with where we ended last year, which means we’re not seeing the kind of increase that would signal widespread trouble.
But there are some key indicat ...