Jim Brown, LPT Realty

05/13/2026

Some of these places make sense. Others, not so much.....

Twelve unexpected luxury real estate markets, led by Fayetteville, AR, are seeing a surge in million-dollar listings as new construction takes off.

05/09/2026

Why pay $4 million for a home in the Kentlands when you can get the former Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh's home for a cool 7 million. Call me if you are interested!

The NFL bigwig, who led the Baltimore Ravens for 18 seasons, has owned the historic mansion for more than a decade

05/09/2026

Finally, the resources generated by the media have been put to good use.

I would have like to have been Ted's agent. "When it came to buying ranches, 'price never really got in the way for Ted'”

The founder of CNN, who died Wednesday, owned roughly 2 million acres, using the land for conservation efforts and eco-tourism initiatives.

05/07/2026

I have to admit, my first thought was that the list price was a typo, but I did a drive-by and the home is definitely gorgeous and full of amazing features (but still waaaaay overpriced!)

A newly listed home in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood is setting a new bar for the community, hitting the market at $4.25 million and potentially shattering the previous record by a […]

04/30/2026

This move could unlock the housing market and create meaningful inventory.

Republican lawmakers are calling on the Treasury to index capital gains to inflation, a move that could reduce the tax burden on home equity for millions of U.S. homeowners.

04/24/2026

Good News --- 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgage Declines Further

"The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage declined again this week to 6.23%," said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's Chief Economist. "Rates currently stand at their lowest level in the last three spring homebuying seasons. This improvement, coupled with a pickup in purchase applications and refinance activity, as well as an increase in monthly pending home sales, underscores signs of improving momentum in the market."

The 30-year FRM averaged 6.23% as of April 23, 2026, down from last week when it averaged 6.30%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.81%.

The 15-year FRM averaged 5.58%, down from last week when it averaged 5.65%. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.94%.

04/16/2026

Market Update for Mid-April 2026

The Headlines Are Getting It Wrong!

If you’re following the headlines, you’re seeing phrases like “luxury market dip” and “uncertainty” getting thrown around. The problem is those takes are lazy. They’re comparing the first quarter of this year to an unusually strong first quarter last year, which was driven by a much milder winter and an early start to the market, while ignoring the fact that this year’s harsher winter simply delayed activity.

One Year Ago, the Market Broke-----

Almost exactly one year ago, the market shifted fast. What had been a competitive seller’s market right after the election and a surging stock and crypto market started moving the other way, and it didn’t take long.

The turning point came in early spring when tariff announcements hit the broader economy. Stocks dropped, interest rates jumped, and uncertainty spiked. Add in the noise around DOGE, and the housing market stalled. Buyers pulled back, sellers held onto peak expectations, and activity slowed for much of the year before gradually improving through the summer and fall.

Those Buyers Are Back!

A lot of the buyers who stepped out last year didn’t disappear. They waited and there is a direct correlation to the slow market last year and fast pace this year. You can see it in the showing activity, which is up 33% compared to last year.

Ironically, the same tariffs that helped freeze the market last year are now set to be refunded starting next week. That puts money back into the system and could add another layer of support for demand.

This Is a Normal Spring!

Last year’s mild winter and surge in markets pulled the market forward, however this year is playing out the way it usually does, with activity building around Spring Break and Easter.

As a result of a more concentrated market, activity is concentrated. Instead of 6 months to get buyers under contract, we have three, all the while with more buyers. The good news for buyers is that we have more inventory, upwards of 25% more in the DC metro market.

The continuing trend is that this is a split market. The best homes in the best locations are still moving quickly and getting multiple offers. Everything else is taking longer and seeing more price sensitivity. That’s what’s pulling the averages down.

That divide shows up clearly across local markets. Fairfax County remains the strongest by a wide margin, with even condos performing well compared to last year. Falls Church and Alexandria are also seeing solid demand and rising prices.

It's very good news that Poolesville and Montgomery County are relatively flat, while Washington, DC and Prince George’s County are softer, with prices trending down and weaker overall demand.

Overall, the market remains challenging for buyers in high demand areas, while plenty of opportunity exists if you’re willing to be flexible on location, property type, or condition. The gap between those two realities is where most of today’s "deals" are being made.

04/14/2026

The good news is that our area builders, specifically the three newest developments in Poolesville, as well as our recent neighborhood builds (specifically Brightwell Crossing) have maintained high quality build standards, including mandated authentic finishes (Hardie Plank siding, real stone edifices) in our Village Overlay zone.

I'll take top-level, long lasting, scratch and water resistant LVP floors over cheap hardwoods any day!

Builders are pinching pennies to maintain profits in a stagnant housing market, choosing lower-end fixtures and synthetic over natural materials.

03/21/2026

Mortgage and Market Update --- Week Ending 3/20/26

No Surprises from Fed!

Most of the movement in mortgage rates this week again was guided by changes in oil prices. The U.S. Fed meeting was relatively uneventful, and stronger than expected inflation data had just a minor impact. Increased speculation that central banks in Europe may raise rates due to higher oil prices was negative for mortgage markets late in the week, and rates ended a little highe

As expected, the Fed left the federal funds rate unchanged at a range of 3.50 to 3.75% on Wednesday, and the meeting statement revealed no significant surprises. The challenge for officials remains how to balance persistently elevated inflation levels and a weakening labor market.

Higher oil prices increase the difficulty of satisfying the dual goals, since they raise inflationary pressures and are negative for the labor market. The dot plot projections from officials indicated that they forecast just one more 25 basis point rate cut this year and one additional reduction in 2027, similar to their last set of forecasts three months ago. During the press conference following the meeting, Chair Powell said that the conflict in the Middle East increases the level of uncertainty and that it is too soon to determine its impact on the U.S. economy.

On Thursday, the European Central Bank (ECB) held benchmark interest rates unchanged at 2.0%, down from a record high of 4.0% in the middle of 2023. This was widely anticipated, and the initial reaction was minor. In its meeting statement, the ECB said that the outlook is "significantly more uncertain" due to the conflict in Iran. However, on Friday investors began to speculate that the ECB may need to raise rates later in the year due to higher oil prices, causing global bond yields to rise.

An inflation report which measures wholesale costs for producers came in far above the expected levels for the second straight month. The February core Producer Price Index (PPI) was 3.9% higher than a year ago, up sharply from an annual rate of 3.6% last month and the highest level since January 2025. Its impact was minor, however, as investors tend to place a lot more weight each month on the Consumer Price Index report, which better reflects overall inflation levels in the economy.

Delayed data released this week revealed that sales of new homes in January plunged 18% from December, far more than expected and the largest monthly percentage decline since 2013. They were down 11% from one year ago, at the lowest level since 2022. The median price of $400,500 was down 7% from last year at this time. While severe winter weather depressed sales activity to some degree, this was still a disappointing report for the housing market.

Week Ahead

Looking ahead, attention will remain fixed on the conflict in the Middle East. Investors also will monitor comments from Fed officials about future monetary policy and from government officials about tariffs. Fed Chair Powell has a speech scheduled for Saturday. It will be a light week for economic data. New Home Sales for February will be released on Tuesday. Import Prices and Durable Orders will come out on Wednesday.

Text from Matt Ziegert from Cross Country Mortgage. Chart from Bob Bonitz from Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group

03/19/2026

Careful planning, including the advice of a trusted real estate professional with strong regional knowledge, can help reduce the variables and provide direction when family members inherit property.

A house can be a bridge to generational wealth—but only if heirs can access its value before repairs, delays, debt, and distance eat into it.

03/18/2026

It was only a matter of time. Good for the commercial retail space real estate world to keep chugging along!

Landlords leased more space last year to service-oriented tenants than those selling products with wellness and fitness leading the charge.