09/23/2026
**REAL TALK FROM ME TODAY AS A REALTOR. 🏡**
The real estate market is changing.
And instead of sugarcoating it, I want to talk candidly about what I’m seeing and hearing.
I’ve had conversations with **three different seller clients this week** about what’s happening in the market.
There’s uncertainty.
Buyers are nervous.
Sellers are frustrated.
And if you turn on the news or scroll social media, it can feel like the sky is falling.
So let’s break some of this down.
# # # 💰 FIRST: WHAT DOES IT COST TO BORROW MONEY?
This is probably the biggest question buyers are asking right now.
Mortgage rates are considerably higher than the historically low rates we saw during the pandemic and the years immediately following it.
As of September 17, Freddie Mac's national average for a 30-year fixed mortgage was around **6.95%**.
That is expensive compared with the 2–4% rates many buyers became accustomed to.
But here's some perspective:
The historical peak for a 30-year fixed mortgage was **18.63% in 1981.**
So while today's rates are certainly higher than many people would like, they aren't historically unprecedented.
The bigger issue is **purchasing power.**
When the cost of borrowing increases, the same monthly payment buys less house.
And that affects what buyers are willing—or able—to pay.
# # # 📈 THEN THERE'S THE FED.
The Federal Reserve recently increased its federal-funds target range by 0.25 percentage point to **3.75%–4.00%.**
That doesn't mean mortgage rates automatically increase by 0.25%.
Mortgage rates are influenced by many factors.
But it does reinforce the bigger picture:
**Money isn't cheap right now.**
# # # 🌎 THEN THERE'S THE WAR AND ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY.
The ongoing conflict involving Iran is another source of uncertainty.
Energy markets are affected by geopolitical events, and when fuel prices rise, it impacts everyone.
Think about it.
If you're spending more every month putting gas in your vehicles, heating your home, running your business, or transporting goods...
That's money that isn't available for a mortgage payment.
Which brings us to...
# # # 🛒 INFLATION.
The cost of everyday goods and services has increased significantly over the last several years.
Put all of these things together—
Higher interest rates.
Higher everyday expenses.
Fuel prices.
Inflation.
Global uncertainty.
And buyers who are already nervous...
It's easy to look at everything happening and think:
**“Is the real estate market about to crash?”**
But let's look at what's actually happening **right here in our market.**
# # # 📊 OUR LOCAL MLS TELLS A DIFFERENT STORY.
According to the latest MLS numbers I pulled today, through September 23:
**Closed sales are basically FLAT year-to-date.**
2025: 2,245 sales
2026: 2,247 sales
That's a difference of just **2 sales—or 0.1%.**
But here's what's interesting...
**The median sale price is UP 6.5%.**
2025: $200,000
2026: $213,000
And total dollar volume is up **5.7%.**
That's a pretty important distinction.
We're not looking at a market where transactions have simply fallen off a cliff.
We're looking at a market that is **changing.**
New listings are also nearly flat year-to-date, down just **0.3%** compared with the same period last year.
Meanwhile, the median list price is up **4.7%**, from $215,000 to $225,000.
So what does all of this mean?
# # # 🏠 BUYERS ARE FINALLY GETTING SOMETHING THEY HAVEN'T HAD IN YEARS:
**NEGOTIATING POWER.**
Depending on the property and the seller's situation, buyers may have opportunities to:
✅ Negotiate the purchase price
✅ Ask for repairs
✅ Negotiate closing costs
✅ Ask the seller to contribute toward an interest-rate buydown
✅ Take more time to make a decision
✅ Look at homes that may have been difficult to compete for a few years ago
That doesn't mean every seller will agree to everything.
It means the conversation has changed.
For several years, many buyers felt like they had to compete just to get an accepted offer.
Today, **terms matter again.**
# # # 🔄 SO IS THE MARKET GOOD OR BAD?
I don't think that's really the right question.
**The market is changing.**
We're coming out of a period of historically low interest rates, extremely high demand, rapidly increasing prices, and intense competition.
The market is adjusting to a different set of conditions.
And depending on which side of the transaction you're on, that adjustment can feel very different.
If you're a buyer, today's market may give you negotiating opportunities that haven't existed in years.
If you're a seller, today's market may require more strategy, realistic pricing, patience, and preparation.
# # # THE MARKET ISN'T NECESSARILY COLLAPSING.
**It's stabilizing.**
And I think that's what a lot of people are feeling right now.
Real estate has always had cycles.
There will be years when sellers have the advantage.
There will be years when buyers have the advantage.
And there will be years when neither side has a huge advantage.
**Right now, we're seeing a market where the rules of the game are changing.**
My job isn't to tell you the market is amazing when it isn't.
And it's not to tell you everything is terrible when it isn't.
My job is to help you understand **what is actually happening** so you can make informed decisions.
The headlines tell one story.
**The local numbers tell another.**
And that's why I think it's important to look beyond the headlines.
If you're thinking about buying or selling in the Joplin area, let's have a real conversation about what the numbers actually mean for YOUR situation.
No hype.
No doom and gloom.
**Just real talk about real estate.** 🏡
