08/16/2026
Our local market continues to show remarkable resilience,holding up far better than most of the country.
While much of the nation has felt the squeeze of higher borrowing costs, the Reno–Sparks region has proven durable. Nationally, affordability remains the biggest challenge in housing; here, buyers are still competing, prices are still climbing, and sellers remain firmly in the driver's seat.
The rate picture. Mortgage rates have pushed meaningfully higher this year, climbing from 5.9% on February 28th to 6.71% as of August 14th, 2026. That jump would normally cool a market quickly. But our data tells a different story, and that's the headline: transaction volume and prices have absorbed the rate shock with surprising strength.
What This Means For Our Market:
We are still a sellers' market, clearly. In both cities, active inventory fell sharply (Reno down 24.2%, Sparks down 20%), which means homebuyers continue to face limited choices. When supply is this tight, well-priced homes still attract serious attention, and sellers retain negotiating power on price and terms.
Buyers shouldn't wait. Two forces are pushing in the same direction: prices are appreciating (Reno up 13.1%) and the interest-rate window to buy down to a lower payment is as good as it's been refinancing down the road is often the play for buyers who lock in now while prices still have room to run compared to longer-term trend.
The bottom line: Higher rates haven't broken our market, they've confirmed how fundamentally undersupplied it is. For sellers, this is an excellent moment to capitalize on low inventory and active demand. For buyers, the longer you wait, the more both price and the rate landscape are likely to work against you.
Justin Rossi
BS.145859
Ferrari Lund Real Estate
