Baxter Robinson

09/25/2026

FRIDAY MARKET REPORT

Mortgage rates moved back above 7%, with the average 30-year fixed mortgage reaching 7.12% as of September 18.

So, what does that mean if you’re thinking about buying a home?

Higher rates mean higher monthly payments, so knowing your budget before you start shopping is more important than ever. Getting pre-approved can help you understand not just how much home you can buy, but what the monthly payment will actually look like.

Why are rates going up?
The economy continues to show signs of strength, inflation remains a concern, and financial markets are expecting the Federal Reserve may raise its key interest rate again. All of that can put upward pressure on mortgage rates.

There is some encouraging news for buyers, though.

New-home sales increased 6.4% in August. Builders have been using price reductions and other incentives to attract buyers.

The median price of a new home fell 5.8% from a year ago to $393,700. That could create opportunities, especially when builder incentives are added into the equation.

The takeaway: A higher-rate market doesn’t necessarily mean you should stop looking. It means you need to understand the numbers before making a decision.

Know your payment. Know your budget. Know your options.

If buying a home is somewhere on your radar—even if you’re months away—I’d be happy to help you understand the process and put together a plan. No pressure. Just good information so you can make the decision that’s right for you.


Baxter Robinson
HARDY REALTY & DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
Cell: 706-252-4255
Office: 706-291-4321

09/24/2026

Price cuts are a normal part of today’s housing market, and both buyers and sellers can use them to their advantage. Let's look at what's actually happening with prices in your neighborhood, so you know exactly where you stand before you list or make an offer.

Price cuts are turning up everywhere right now, and they read very differently depending on which side of the deal you’re on.

09/24/2026

THURSDAY GOOD VIBES

Sometimes the deal that falls apart is making room for something you never saw coming.

After a devastating house fire, a Georgia family found themselves starting over.

They lost their home. They spent months moving between hotels, Airbnbs and family members’ homes. Eventually, they began looking for another house and trying to put their lives back together.

Then came another disappointment.

A deal fell through.

Then another.

You can imagine how frustrating that must have felt. After everything this family had already been through, even finding another place to call home seemed to keep slipping away.

But this story didn’t end with a failed real estate transaction.

In fact, what happened next makes those disappointments look very different in hindsight.

And here’s something that makes the story even better: while dealing with her own struggles, the mother of this family continued giving her time to help feed people experiencing homelessness.

Sometimes good finds its way back around. ❤️

I won’t spoil the ending.

Read what happened to this Georgia family here:

https://www.wtvm.com/video/2026/06/20/columbus-family-receives-mortgage-free-home-after-fire-displacement/

Have a little faith in the road ahead. Sometimes a closed door really is just part of the journey.

Have a great Thursday, friends. There is still a lot of good out there.

Baxter Robinson
HARDY REALTY & DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
Cell: 706-252-4255
Office: 706-291-4321

09/23/2026

Four different housing markets are running at once: cash buyers, financed buyers, locked-in owners, and builders. Each one plays by its own rules, and the right move for one is exactly the wrong move for another.

Let's figure out which one you're actually in and build your next move from there.

Today’s housing market splits into four distinct types. You’ve got cash buyers, buyers financing a purchase, owners who feel locked into a low rate, and builders with homes to sell.

09/23/2026

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Imagine this…

You’ve sold your home.

You spend the weekend packing, moving furniture, emptying the house and getting ready for closing Monday morning.

Then the phone rings.

The buyer isn’t closing.

Now what?

That situation recently happened to a Georgia seller. And in this particular case, there was another problem involving the earnest money that was supposed to go to the seller after the deal terminated.

So here’s this week’s question:

If you were the seller, what would you do next?

A) Put the house immediately back on the market
B)Talk with your agent and attorney first and determine what options you have under the contract
C) Take a few days, regroup and then relist
D) Something else entirely

This is one of those situations that reminds us that UNDER CONTRACT and SOLD are not the same thing.

Inspections, financing, appraisals, contingencies and sometimes unexpected circumstances can change a transaction before everyone reaches the closing table.

A good real estate strategy isn’t about pretending those things can’t happen. It’s about preparing for them, understanding the contract, evaluating the strength of an offer before accepting it, and knowing what options may be available if something goes wrong.

So put yourself in the seller’s shoes.

Your house is empty. Your plans are already in motion. And the buyer just backed out.

I’m curious. What would you do?


Baxter Robinson
HARDY REALTY & DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
Cell: 706-252-4255
Office: 706-291-4321

09/22/2026

GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD.

Sometimes the hardest part of buying or selling a home isn’t the market, the paperwork, the inspection, or even the money.

Sometimes it’s everything happening between our ears.

“What if my house doesn’t sell?”

“What if I buy and regret it?”

“What if the inspection finds something?”

“What if interest rates change?”

“What if I wait six months?”

“What if I make the wrong decision?”

Those are fair questions. Buying or selling a home is a big deal, and you should think carefully about it.

But there comes a point when careful thinking turns into overthinking.

We start trying to solve problems that haven’t happened yet. We imagine every possible outcome. We gather more information, ask more people, run the numbers one more time…and eventually we can think ourselves into a complete standstill.

You don’t need to know exactly how the entire journey is going to unfold before you take the first step.

You just need to know the next right step.

Maybe that’s talking with a lender. Maybe it’s finding out what your current home could realistically sell for. Maybe it’s touring a few houses. Maybe it’s sitting down with a real estate professional and simply saying, “Here’s where I am. What are my options?”

Good decisions usually come from good information—not fear, pressure, or endless “what ifs.”

If buying or selling has been sitting in the back of your mind and you’re not sure what to do next, reach out. No pressure and no expectation. I’m always happy to sit down, talk through your situation, answer some questions, and help you figure out what your next step might look like.

Sometimes getting out of your head starts with a simple conversation.


Baxter Robinson
HARDY REALTY & DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
Cell: 706-252-4255
Office: 706-291-4321

09/21/2026

You can't control where mortgage rates go, but you can control your credit, your loan, and the kind of home you buy. Working with a trusted lender can help you lock in the best rate you qualify for. And when you’re ready to make a move that fits your budget, let’s connect.

If you're trying to buy a home, affordability is probably what keeps you up at night.

09/21/2026

BEHIND THE CONTRACT

“Everybody’s ready. So why can’t we close tomorrow?”

You found the house.
The offer was accepted.
The inspection and appraisal are finished.
The lender says everything looks good.

Then someone says…

“We still have to wait three business days.”

Wait. What? 😳

For most home loans, buyers must receive their Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing.

And there’s a good reason for that.

The Closing Disclosure is one of the most important documents you’ll receive during the entire home-buying process. It lays out the final details of your loan—including your interest rate, monthly payment, closing costs and how much money you’ll need to bring to closing.

Those three days give you time to slow down and look at the numbers before you sign.

It’s your opportunity to ask questions.

Does the interest rate look right?
Is the loan amount correct?
Does the monthly payment match what you expected?
How much cash will you actually need at closing?

Buying a home is exciting, and by this point most buyers are ready to grab the keys and get moving.

But this is one part of the process where slowing down is a good thing.

Behind The Contract Tip: When your Closing Disclosure arrives, don’t just glance at it and move on. Read it. Compare the numbers to what you were expecting. And if something doesn’t make sense, ask your lender or real estate professional.

You’re not expected to understand every part of a real estate transaction on your own.

That’s why you have a team.

Thinking about buying a home—or just trying to understand how the process works before you begin? I’m always happy to answer questions and help make the process a little less confusing.

Next week on Behind The Contract:
Your Closing Disclosure just arrived. What should you actually be looking for?


Baxter Robinson
HARDY REALTY & DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
Cell: 706-252-4255
Office: 706-291-4321

09/20/2026

SUNDAY REALTOR PRO TIP:
TRUST THE PROCESS

Real estate can be a roller coaster.

Most buyers start out excited. You find a house you love, make plans to see it…and find out it just went under contract.

That’s part of the process.

A seller puts their home on the market expecting immediate interest. There are several showings, but no offers. Or maybe there aren’t as many showings as expected.

That’s part of the process too.

Then there are the good days.

You find the house. Your offer is accepted.
The inspection goes well.
The appraisal comes back.
The loan moves forward.

Or, as a seller, the right buyer finally walks through the door, writes a solid offer, and everything starts coming together.

That’s all part of the process.

Some transactions move incredibly fast. Others take time. There can be excitement, disappointment, negotiations, inspections, repairs, paperwork, delays, compromises—and sometimes a few surprises along the way.

And there are people on the other side of every transaction, too. Buyers, sellers, lenders, attorneys, inspectors and agents are all working through their own part of the deal.

The key is not expecting every step to be perfect.

Stay informed. Ask questions. Keep perspective. And trust the process.

My job as your Realtor isn’t to promise that there won’t be bumps in the road. It’s to help you understand what’s happening, prepare you for what may come next, and help you navigate those bumps when they happen.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling and you’re wondering what the process actually looks like, let’s talk. Sometimes knowing what to expect makes the whole journey a little easier.


Baxter Robinson
HARDY REALTY & DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
Cell: 706-252-4255
Office: 706-291-4321

09/18/2026

FRIDAY MARKET REPORT
What’s Happening With Mortgage Rates?

If you’re thinking about buying a home, here’s the big picture in simple terms:

The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by 0.25% this week as it continues trying to control inflation.

Does that automatically mean mortgage rates went up 0.25%? No. Mortgage rates are influenced more closely by things like the 10-year Treasury and expectations about where the economy is headed.

Right now, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate in this report has moved close to 7% — about 6.97%.

There are a couple of interesting things happening because of these higher rates:

📌Fewer people are applying for mortgages.
📌Home builders are feeling less confident about the market.
📌Some builders are cutting prices or offering incentives to attract buyers.

So, is this a terrible time to buy?

Not necessarily.

Higher rates can make monthly payments more expensive, but a slower market can sometimes give buyers more negotiating power, incentives, or choices. Every buyer’s situation is different.

The important thing is to understand the numbers before deciding you’re priced out of the market.

Curious what buying a home would actually look like for you? Reach out. I’m always happy to help you understand the process and connect you with a trusted lender who can run the real numbers — no pressure, just information.


Baxter Robinson
HARDY REALTY & DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
Cell: 706-252-4255
Office: 706-291-4321