Real Estate Tips

The U.S. housing market is splitting along regional lines. Prices are climbing in parts of the Midwest and Northeast while falling across many metros in the South and West. Understanding which markets are gaining, which are correcting, and why the divide exists can help buyers and sellers time their moves more intelligently.

Preparing to sell a home doesn’t always mean spending thousands on major renovations. In fact, experts say many costly upgrades rarely return their value at closing. Instead of gutting your kitchen or bathroom, small cosmetic fixes, deep cleaning, and fresh paint can do more to attract buyers without draining your budget or delaying your sale.

Mortgage rates in the U.S. remain persistently high, with 30-year fixed loans hovering around 6.7% as of July 2025. While home prices continue to rise modestly and sales volumes dip, buyers and sellers alike face new challenges. Should you buy now, or wait for potential relief? This article explores strategies and expectations in today’s market.

The U.S. housing market is showing signs of a shift toward buyers, with the number of sellers now outpacing buyers by a record 34%. This imbalance is creating more opportunities for homebuyers, especially in the condo sector and in cities like Miami, where rising inventory and longer listing times are shifting negotiating power.

Active listings topped 1.1 million in July—up 24.8% year over year—while the typical home spent 58 days on market. Inventory has risen for 21 straight months, with the South and West cooling faster than the Northeast and Midwest. Here’s how buyers and sellers can adjust pricing, negotiations, and timelines to today’s shifting conditions.

As mortgage rates remain between 6% and 7%, the real estate market in the U.S. is shifting. Investors are now driving nearly 30% of home purchases, often outpacing traditional buyers. With rates unlikely to fall soon, buyers and sellers alike must rethink their strategies to remain competitive in this increasingly investor-dominated environment.

Artificial intelligence has moved from buzzword to bottom-line booster in residential real-estate marketing. New tools—ranging from one-click virtual staging apps to vision-driven automated CMAs—let agents upgrade photos, pricing and storytelling in under an hour. Early adopters report sale-price lifts of roughly 3–5 percent and faster days-on-market, all while slashing prep costs and labor.

Getting your home ready to sell? Removing certain personal and distracting items can significantly boost buyer interest and speed up your sale. From family photos to pet accessories, each object you take away helps buyers picture their own future in the space. Here are 8 key things to remove before listing your home.