05/28/2026
The number one reason homeowners haven’t sold in three years isn’t the market. It’s the mortgage they already have.
Trading a 3.25% rate for a 6.4% rate feels insane on paper. But here’s what the math misses: most people who sell aren’t keeping the same loan amount. They’re rightsizing — to less house, less yard, a different city, a paid-down mortgage from years of equity, or a life that fits better.
The “lock-in effect” everyone talked about for three years? It’s quietly fading. More homeowners are listing because the reasons to move (space, location, life stage) are louder than the reasons to stay (a rate that doesn’t apply to the home you actually want next).
If you’ve been telling yourself “we’ll wait until rates come back,” I’d love to actually run your numbers — your equity, your next home target, your real monthly cost. Sometimes the math says wait. Sometimes it says you’ve been sitting on more options than you realized.
