05/31/2026
🚨 PSA for Home Buyers: Waiting for rates to hit 6% may not be the advantage you think it is.
Yes, lower rates can improve affordability. But there’s another side to the story that doesn’t get talked about enough.
When rates drop, more buyers jump back into the market.
That often means:• More multiple-offer situations• More bidding wars• Higher sale prices• Less negotiating power• Fewer seller-paid concessions
Right now, many buyers have something that’s been hard to find in recent years: leverage.
Today’s market may offer opportunities to negotiate:
✔ Seller-paid closing costs
✔ Repair credits
✔ Rate buy downs
✔ Price reductions
One of the most overlooked strategies? Having the seller contribute toward a rate buydown.
Instead of competing against a dozen buyers for a lower rate environment, you may be able to negotiate a seller-paid buydown that gets your payment closer to where you want it today—while still keeping all the negotiating power that often disappears when rates fall.
My Realtor perspective: Don’t focus solely on the interest rate. Focus on the overall deal.
A lower rate doesn’t always mean a lower cost to buy.
And remember: you can refinance a mortgage later, but you can’t go back and buy the house you lost in a bidding war.
