The Market Isn't Broken — It's Just Being Honest Again

Everyone's been waiting for the market to get "back to normal."

Here's the thing: it already is. You're just looking for the wrong normal.

People are waiting for 3% mortgage rates to return. They're waiting for inventory to flood the market. They're waiting for prices to drop 20%. And while they wait, they're convinced the market is "broken" because it doesn't look like 2020.

But 2020 was the anomaly. What we're seeing now? This is what a real market actually looks like.

The "Chaos" Was Actually Just Imbalance

For the past few years, the housing market wasn't functioning like a market at all. It was a competition where everyone showed up at the same time with too much money and nowhere near enough homes.

Bidding wars. Waived inspections. Offers $100K over asking. Buyers writing letters begging sellers to pick them.

That wasn't a healthy market — it was a pressure cooker. And what we're seeing in early 2026 isn't the market breaking. It's the market finally working the way it's supposed to.

Here's What "Normal" Actually Looks Like

Let's slow this down for a second and look at what's actually happening:

Inventory is rising. For the first time since the pandemic, there are more homes available. National inventory is up more than 10% year-over-year, and new listings surged nearly 30% in January alone. That's not a crash — that's balance.

Mortgage rates are stabilizing. Yes, they're sitting around 6% to 6.5%. That's higher than the pandemic, but it's also in line with historical averages. The 3% rates everyone's nostalgic for? Those were an emergency-level anomaly — not the baseline.

Prices are growing slowly. Most forecasts show home price growth between 1% and 3% this year. That's sustainable. That's predictable. That's what you want if you're buying a home you plan to live in for five years or more.

Sales are picking up. Pending home sales are at their highest weekly levels in years. Buyers are coming back — not in a frenzy, but with intention. That's a good thing.

This isn't a broken market. It's a market where decisions actually matter again.

Why This Is Better Than What We Had

In 2021 and 2022, buyers didn't have time to think. They had to move fast or lose. The market rewarded speed over strategy. And a lot of people ended up in homes they wouldn't have chosen if they'd had five more minutes to breathe.

Now? You can take that breath.

You can:

• Tour a home more than once
• Actually do your due diligence
• Negotiate terms that protect you
• Walk away if the numbers don't work
• Make a decision based on what's right for you, not what everyone else is doing

That's not a worse market. That's a smarter one.

The Part Most People Miss

The narrative right now is that higher rates and slower appreciation make this a "bad time to buy." But that only makes sense if you're treating your home like a stock.

If you're buying a place to live — somewhere you'll be for the next 5 to 10 years — here's what actually matters:

• Can you afford the payment comfortably?
• Does the home work for your life?
• Does the location make sense long-term?
• Are you protected if the market shifts?

If the answer to those questions is yes, the fact that rates are 6% instead of 3% doesn't change the decision. It just changes the math — and you adjust for that upfront.

The people who got burned in past markets weren't the ones who bought at higher rates. They were the ones who bought homes that didn't make sense because they felt pressured to act.

What "Normalization" Really Means for You

When economists say the market is "normalizing," they're not saying it's getting worse. They're saying it's getting predictable again. And predictability is a good thing when you're making a six-figure decision.

Here's what you should be thinking about right now:

If you've been waiting for perfect conditions: They're not coming. The market you're hoping for — ultra-low rates, rock-bottom prices, no competition — was a once-in-a-generation fluke. Waiting for it to return is like waiting for gas to be $1.50 again. It's not realistic.

If you're worried about buying at the "wrong time": The wrong time to buy is when you're buying the wrong house. The right house at 6% is still better than the wrong house at 3%. And if you're planning to stay put, short-term rate fluctuations don't matter nearly as much as you think.

If you're overwhelmed by the noise: That's fair. There's a lot of conflicting information out there. But here's the reality — this market rewards people who do the homework, ask the right questions, and don't let fear or FOMO drive the decision.

This Works Today — But Let's Talk About Five Years From Now

One of the things we focus on with every client is: does this decision still make sense if things change?

If rates drop in two years, you can refinance. If they stay steady, your payment stays predictable. If the market cools further, you're already in a home that works for your life — not stuck on the sidelines second-guessing.

The people who regret their real estate decisions aren't usually the ones who bought in an imperfect market. They're the ones who rushed in without thinking it through — or waited so long that they missed the opportunity entirely.

The Market Isn't Bad. It's Just More Honest.

For the first time in years, the market isn't lying to you. It's not pretending every home is worth $50K more than it was six months ago. It's not forcing you to decide in 48 hours. It's not rewarding bad judgment.

It's giving you space to think. To plan. To make a choice you won't regret when you look back five years from now.

That's not a broken market. That's one that's finally working the way it should.

Bottom line: If you've been waiting for the "right time," this might be it — not because conditions are perfect, but because the market is finally giving you room to make a clear, strategic decision. And that's worth more than a percentage point.

Let's map this out before everyone mistakes normalization for opportunity and competition heats up again.

Thinking about making a move in 2026? Let's talk through your specific situation — no pressure, just clarity.