The national housing market continued to show resilience in the third quarter of 2025, even as affordability challenges remained top-of-mind for buyers. According to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ quarterly market review, home prices held steady nationwide, with notable strength in several regions including the Northeast.
Downsizing Without Debt: How More Homeowners Are Buying Their Next House in Cash
Thursday, September 25th, 2025
Gretchen Tipps
If you’ve been thinking about downsizing to lower your expenses, be closer to family, or just make life easier, here's a trend worth paying attention to:
More homeowners are buying their next house outright, without taking on a new mortgage. And, if you’ve owned your home for a while, you may be able to do the same. No mortgage. No monthly housing payments.
The Federal Reserve (the Fed) meets this week, and expectations are high that they’ll cut the Federal Funds Rate. But does that mean mortgage rates will drop? Let’s clear up the confusion.
Right now, all eyes are on the Fed. Most economists expect they'll cut the Federal Funds Rate at their mid-September meeting to try to head off a potential recession.
Waiting for the perfect buyer to fall in love with your house? In today’s market, that’s usually not what’s holding things up. And here’s why.
Let’s be real. Homes are taking a week longer to sell than they did a year ago. According to Realtor.com:
Thinking About Renting Your House Instead of Selling? Read This First.
Thursday, September 4th, 2025
Gretchen Tipps
If your house is on the market but you haven’t gotten any offers you’re comfortable with, you may be wondering: what do I do if it doesn’t sell? And for a growing number of homeowners, that’s turning into a new dilemma: should I just rent it instead?
There’s a term for this in the industry, and it’s called an accidental landlord. Here’s how Yahoo Finance defines it:
Now that the market is slowing down, homeowners who haven’t sold at the price they were hoping for are increasingly pulling their homes off the market. According to the latest data from Realtor.com, the number of homeowners taking their homes off the market is up 38% since the start of this year and 48% since the same time last June. For every 100 new listings in June, about 21 homes were taken off the market.
Believe it or not, there are clear signs buyer interest is heating up again.
Let’s talk about what’s really going on behind the scenes, and why the housing market might not be as quiet out there as it seems.
If you’ve been watching the market, you’ve likely noticed a few changes already this year. But what’s next? From home prices to mortgage rates, here’s what the latest expert forecasts suggest for the rest of 2025 – and what these shifts could mean for you.
Selling and Buying at the Same Time? Here’s What You Need To Know
Tuesday, July 15th, 2025
Gretchen Tipps
If you're a homeowner planning to move, you're probably wondering what the process is going to look like and what you should tackle first:
Ultimately, what’s right for you depends on a lot of factors. And that’s where an agent’s experience can really help make your next step clear.
Selling at the Lake? Here’s Why You Should Hire a Real Estate Agent at Smith Mountain Lake
Tuesday, July 1st, 2025
Gretchen Tipps
Selling a home at Smith Mountain Lake — whether it’s a cherished weekend retreat, a full-time residence, or an investment property—is more than just putting a listing online. Our local market is unique. The rhythm of lake life, the seasonal swings in buyer interest, and the high value of waterfront property make experience and insight essential.
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