Jake Hoevenaar, Realtor at Keller Williams

04/22/2026

Mortgage rates have settled in despite the recent uncertainty. Most areas are still posting price increases as the average home price in Cincinnati continues to rise. Motivated sellers with larger more expensive homes have had to come to terms with the fact that many buyers cannot afford to purchase at current asking prices. Buyers have also come to terms with the idea that they might have to look outside of their desired area to find a home that they can afford.

There is a large amount of pent up demand for areas like Warren County. More affordable homes are being snatched up quickly and leaving the more expensive homes to sit longer. This has resulted in the median home price to be about 4.8% lower year over year. The easing of prices has allowed for more activity in Warren County with total sales increasing 23% compared to last year.

Butler County is one area that is seeing growth in prices but reduced activity. The current average home price is ~$70,000 under what you see in Warren county. Activity is actually lower as a result of the increased pricing and Butler county experience a 7% reduction in homes sold.

View today's current mortgage rates with our national average index, calculated daily to bring you the most accurate data when purchasing or refinancing your home. Follow our daily market analysis with Mortgage Rate Watch and we'll tell you where and why rates are moving.

04/21/2026

March saw a drop in pending home sales for Midwest regions. Despite the reduced activity it kept pace with the national average. The reduction is pending sales is, very likely, because of the sharp increase in interest rates following the conflict in Iran.

More inventory is slowly becoming available and it is likely that pending home sales will continue to rise. Pent up demand is hard to measure accurately but inventory is still at much lower levels compared to a “balanced” market like 2019. This tells me that buyers are still looking for homes and those that are priced correctly will sell without any issues.

04/08/2026

There is a very common misconception that 20% of the purchase price is required to purchase a home. This statement is often presented as fact but there are many variables that can help determine your downpayment. Each scenario is unique depending on your personal goals, finances and employment.

A repeat homebuyer is more likely to have more maturity in their finances and equity in their current home that allows them to make a larger downpayment.

A first time buyer is more likely to have a smaller downpayment due to their overall age and the fact that they have had less time to build their finances. For these reasons they often have access to specific first time homebuyer programs and discounts.

To determine your downpayment you should discuss your goals with a mortgage professional AND your personal finance professional. It is important to make your goals clear to ensure that you are doing what you are comfortable with financially. Once you have determined this you can share it with your real estate agent so they know how to best draft offers that fit your financial goals.

03/31/2026

Everyone is feeling the lock in effect of the current market.

Renters and homeowners are locked in by rising rents, increased home prices and mortgage rates that continue to rise.

03/25/2026

Turns out the best week to list your home is April 12-18 according to data from 2018-2024.

The data showed that, on average, a listing got 16.7% more views than a standard week. Additionally sellers received offers 1.6% higher than average and 6.6% higher than if they listed at the beginning of the year.

The data doesn’t account for rates which have been creeping higher and higher. Overall rates have still improved year over year.

https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/best-week-to-sell-2026?

The week of April 12-18 is the national window to list a home for higher profit and fewer price cuts.

03/24/2026

Mortgage rates are the highest they have been since last summer.

This is a great example of why waiting to purchase/sell is not always the answer. Buying or selling should be on your personal timeline. Focus on the controllable variables and don’t get paralyzed by the “what if”

View today's current mortgage rates with our national average index, calculated daily to bring you the most accurate data when purchasing or refinancing your home. Follow our daily market analysis with Mortgage Rate Watch and we'll tell you where and why rates are moving.

03/24/2026

Foreclosure filings rose 20% year over year in February, marking the 12th straight month of annual increases, with 38,840 properties nationwide receiving filings, according to ATTOM. Indiana had the worst rate in the country at one in every 1,597 housing units, twice the national average of one in every 3,701, followed by South Carolina and Florida.

03/17/2026

The Federal Reserve begins its two-day meeting Tuesday, with policymakers expected to hold the benchmark rate steady at 3.5% to 3.75% as the Iran conflict clouds the path for future cuts. Fed Chair Powell will face questions Wednesday about the war's impact on inflation and jobs. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack has warned the next move could actually be a rate hike if an oil shock triggers rapid inflation.

03/16/2026

Pending home sales fell nationally but the Midwest posted a 5% month over month gain. It seems like the Midwest areas might be gearing up for a more active spring market.