Ray LeBlanc - Nebraska Realty

02/12/2026

Despite lower rates driving affordability, January was a slow month for existing home sales. We'll see if things pick up for the typically busier spring season.

Freezing temperatures and high home prices snuffed out the sales momentum from previous months.

07/01/2025

Incredible custom ranch home with TONS of space! 5 beds, 3 baths, huge 3+ car garage. High-end quality throughout. Check it out!

This 3149 square feet Single Family home has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It is located at 17210 Camp St, Omaha, NE.

03/20/2025

Nationwide, home sales (unexpectedly) rose in February.

However, the numbers vary widely by region. Sales rose over 13% in the West and over 4% in the South. But the Midwest was unchanged and the Northeast actually fell.

Here in Omaha, things haven't changed much. But many buyers are done waiting for rates to come down. 6-7% mortgages still feel high, but prices have moderated, making it easier to accept.

Sales of existing homes rose 4.2%, reflecting an increase in shopping activity and in the number of homes for sale since the start of the year.

07/01/2024

Does anybody else engage in Zillow Therapy?

Make-believe real-estate hunts can transport people out of their current problems into a fantasy of a better future.

04/18/2024

💵 Interest rates are still the dominant factor in the housing market, driving demand downward.
📈 Despite the pullback from buyers, prices are still up due to continued supply shortages.
🏠 As usual, the pullback isn't as serious in the Omaha area.

Existing home sales in March posted their biggest monthly drop in more than a year, buffeted by mortgage rates that rose again.

02/22/2024

While a 7% mortgage still doesn't feel "low", it's better than where we were. Following the worst year for existing home sales since 1995, both buyers and sellers are coming back to the table.

Buyers are seizing on the recent reversal in mortgage rates below 7%.

12/19/2023

Rates have fallen for 7 consecutive weeks and now sit below 7%. Buyers have been drawn back to the market, but inventory remains tight as sellers are still staying put.

Owners are feeling too fond of the low interest rates on their existing mortgages.

10/28/2023

🎃 Fun times at the NR office! Happy Halloween!

08/01/2023

Lists are always fun to look at! Realtor.com's Emerging Housing Markets Index ranks the 300 largest metropolitan areas in the United States on a variety of factors. Midwestern towns have performed favorably in recent quarters, ranking as highly affordable with low unemployment. In the most recent edition, three Indiana towns take the top spots.

https://www.realtor.com/research/july-2023-wsj-rdc-emerging-housing-markets-index/

The Summer 2023 WSJ/realtor.com Emerging Housing Markets Index surfaces emerging housing markets--areas that are expected to see home price growth and that offer attractive lifestyle amenities.

03/07/2023

Mortgage rates increased steadily throughout February, closing last week at 6.65%.

Total listings are UP from this time last year, but that's because houses are sitting for sale longer (new listings are actually down).

What does the future hold? It will largely be dependent on the Federal Reserve's rate decisions and other macroeconomic indicators moving forward.

While this market presents unique challenges, that's par for the course in real estate! The most important thing is to make informed buying & selling decisions. I'm always available to help you, and your friends & family, navigate the market!

Rising interest rates are again squeezing affordability and driving mortgage applications to their lowest levels in decades.

12/14/2022

"What's Going On With the Housing Market?"

Seems like an appropriate title these days!

My take: Rising interest rates have decreased both supply & demand in real estate.
- Supply because sellers don't want to give up their 3% mortgage, so they're staying put.
- Demand because buyers aren't comfortable with a 7% mortgage when it was 3% a year ago.

What happens when both supply & demand decrease? If they each decrease by roughly the same amount, then prices stay flat while activity slows.

This is exactly what we've seen. The rapid price appreciation of 2020-2021 is gone, and we might see a slight downtick in price levels as rates remain high. But prices are not cratering; people are just taking a "wait and see" approach, and the market has slowed as a result.

Home buyers and sellers are trying to make sense of a downturn that’s full of contradictions: Demand has seized up but supply is still low; prices are sliding but not plummeting; and no one can agree on what comes next.

10/25/2022

The vast majority of sellers make updates or repairs before listing a home. But which ones are likely to yield the best return?
Most major improvements are cost-prohibitive or time-consuming when preparing to sell. Two exceptions relate to hardwood floors: either refinishing or installing wood flooring are good bets to net a positive ROI.
Relatively minor items can leave a lasting impact, too. Fresh (neutral) paint, refreshing the landscape, and deep cleaning are relatively minor expenses that are typically more than worth their cost to sellers.

The playbook for selling a home needs a makeover, and often so do the houses.