The Pate Realty Group, Wake Forest, NC Area

09/21/2026

If you are a home buyer, you should study the difference between new construction prices/payments vs resale.

It is a tale of two transactions.

https://blog.paterealty.com/same-monthly-payment-different-house-what-a-mortgage-rate-really-costs-you/

09/18/2026

The median sale price of a home in North Carolina is down to $375,000.
Unfortunately, higher interest rates eat up the price difference.

Ultimately, if you want to buy a home, don’t try to time the market. Over the long term, there are benefits to owning a home if you can afford to buy.

If rates go down, you can always refinance, but if rates go up, the bank is stuck with it for the long term.

09/17/2026

Open House this Saturday from 12noon-2pm. 35 River Rock Way, Franklinton, NC

List Price: 625,000

4BR/3BA/3,140 sqft, 3-car garage, 1.15 acre lot, single story living, fenced back yard with covered patio and terrace, whole house generator

Take a virtual tour at this link on my YouTube channel.

Single-story living, no city taxes, and a whole house Generac gener...

09/16/2026

Brian’s response to the Fed raising rates today.

What a Rate Hike Actually Cannot Do

People keep waiting on rate hikes to fix a housing market that was never a rate problem. Let me explain what a rate hike actually cannot do.

A rate hike cannot drill oil.
A rate hike cannot end a war.
A rate hike cannot manifest a house.

If you live in a supply-constrained market that isn't building, a rate hike doesn't help. It usually makes things worse.

We just watched this happen, 2022 to 2025

Higher rates locked existing homeowners into their old mortgage. Fewer of them sold. Buyers with real capital kept bidding on the few listings that came up, because a rate hike doesn't touch them the way it touches everyone else. They adjust their portfolios to the new yields and keep collecting passive income on what they've already invested.

This isn't new

From 1978 to 1984, mortgage rates hit 18%. The country rolled through multiple recessions in that stretch. Home prices kept rising in nominal terms the whole time.

Home prices don't respond to mortgage rates. They don't reliably respond to recessions either.

They respond to supply and demand.

If you want lower home prices, you build more homes. Everything else is noise.

Unfortunately, every time a tract of land is purchased in order to do that very thing, NIMBYism comes into play and people say they don’t want new home communities.

I think we are in for interest rates at 7% or above for the long term. It would not surprise me if they were above 7.25% by the end of 2026 and likely remain there through 2026. There is even the possibility of mortgage rates going even higher in 2027 if the war in Iran continues.

09/15/2026

Open House Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 12 noon until 2pm.
35 River Rock Way, Franklinton, NC 27525
List Price: $625,000

4BR/3BA all on 1st floor. No city taxes. 3-car garage. HUGE bonus room that could be office, game room or theater. Over 3,100 square feet on a lot that is 1.15 acres.

For more details, contact Brian Pate at https://www.paterealty.com/contact

09/11/2026

There is a ton of talk about interest rate today. Here is the reality of higher rates and what they cost.

09/10/2026

Check out this amazing listing in the Leesville school district.
Many unique touches with this home including a recording studio!

8824 Woodhill Road, Raleigh, NC 27613
List Price: $700,000

8824 Woodyhill Road, Raleigh, NC 27613 access_timeJuly 29, [email protected] Home Some homes make their first impression with flash. Others win you over with the quitter luxuries that matter every day: generous rooms, mature trees, thoughtful updates and enough space for everyon...

09/09/2026

What is my favorite advertisement we have ever done?

Here's the story...

Creative marketing is what separates average real estate agents fro...

09/04/2026

How does Brian use social media to market your home?

Social media is now one of the most powerful tools home sellers can...

08/31/2026

Why Your Home Might Not Sell In 17 Days

See the stats and learn how they impact you in my latest blog.

Why Your Home Might Not Sell In 17 Days access_timeAugust 31, [email protected] Home by Brian Pate, Owner, Pate Realty Group, August 31, 2026 In Short: The headline days-on-market number is skewed: Triangle-wide median days on market sits at 17 days, but that count includes ever...