Consistent Action Is Still Working

[Rob Bergeron]

Yesterday’s headlines were heavy, and they deserve to be treated that way. Ford’s EV retrenchment and the loss of 1,600 skilled Kentucky manufacturing jobs will be felt. That’s real income coming out of the local economy, real confidence shaken, and real families forced into transition.

Zooming out, the broader labor data confirms the pressure. The U.S. hiring rate has fallen to 3.2%, the lowest since the pandemic bottom and roughly in line with 2008-era levels. Private hiring has slowed to its weakest pace in more than a decade. Hiring hasn’t collapsed—but it has stalled. When hiring slows, households get cautious, and that caution ripples into housing.

That pressure is already showing up locally.

Louisville now ranks 27th nationally in mortgage delinquencies. That tells us a meaningful number of homeowners—especially those who have already listed or previously tried to sell—are feeling urgency. Rising insurance costs, taxes, and higher-rate mortgages are forcing decisions sooner than many expected.

If you’ve had something previously listed and it did not get traction, reach out to me.

Lack of traction is rarely about the property itself. More often, it’s about exposure, positioning, and whether the deal is getting in front of real, capable buyers. I’m very confident in this: very few people can get listings and opportunities in front of as many buyers as we can, both on-market and off-market.

Now, the good news to end on.

Despite weak hiring and economic pressure, mortgage applications increased 4.8% last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Buyers are still out there. Demand hasn’t disappeared—it’s been waiting. When the right property meets the right audience at the right price, deals are still happening.

This market isn’t easy.
But it is active for people who move decisively.