10/12/2026
A lower rate sounds better on paper.
But buyers don’t shop in a vacuum.
When rates fall, the same thing that improves your monthly payment can also pull a whole group of buyers off the sidelines. Suddenly the house you could’ve negotiated on has five, eight, ten offers and the seller has zero reason to give you anything.
That’s why I don’t tell buyers to build their entire plan around waiting for one magic interest rate.
I’d rather look at the whole deal: purchase price, competition, seller concessions, inspection leverage, monthly payment, cash needed to close, and how long you actually plan to own the home.
Sometimes the better opportunity shows up when everyone else is still waiting.
And if rates eventually improve enough to make refinancing worthwhile, we can talk about that then. There are no guarantees, but there’s also no guarantee the house you want will still cost the same when rates come down.
Buy when the numbers and the opportunity make sense for you. Not when a headline tells you it’s finally safe.
