10/03/2026
On Saturday mornings I try and set aside time to read on a subject matter that I enjoy. This week, I stumbled across an article on Realtor . com that really reinforced something I talk about all the time — the importance of working with a Realtor who is knowledgeable, experienced, and hyper-local… if “hyper-local” is actually a real term.
We all hear the national headlines and talking heads telling us about the doom and gloom in the housing market. Sometimes it almost feels like the scarier the headline, the more attention it gets.
I recently read a Daily Press article that had a similar tone.
But when you actually slow down, look at the facts, and dig into the DATA, it can paint a very different picture — especially here.
Real estate has always been local and always will be local.
That’s why the local numbers matter.
According to the Realtor . com article
Nationally, the median list price was actually down 1.4% compared to last year. But when you dig a little deeper, only 8 of the 50 largest metro areas had higher asking prices.
Virginia Beach was one of them — and actually had the biggest increase in the country at 4.9%.
https://www.realtor.com/research/september-2026-data?utm_source=chatgpt.com
So - I guess the point is to this is talk to someone that knows your situation and how to take advantage of what is going on in the market that actually impacts your day to day life.
Mortgage rates jumped to 7.03% in September, the highest since January 2025. Price cuts hit a four-year high of 20.8% and inventory grew, as sellers adjust to softer demand.