Buying Power Just Jumped — Here’s What That Means

[Rob Bergeron]

The 30-year fixed rate today is 5.77%.
This time last year it was 6.87%.

That 1.1% drop translates into roughly $35,000–$40,000 more purchasing power for a buyer with a $3,000/month principal and interest budget.

Same income.
Same credit.
More house.

That’s a meaningful shift in leverage.

When affordability expands, opportunity expands with it. The math improves first. The activity follows.

Now layer in what else is happening.

Nearly 1 in 7 home sales are falling through.

Job numbers have been revised down over the last few years. Employment uncertainty creates hesitation. And hesitation creates friction in transactions.

When that happens, sellers start thinking differently.

They don’t just want a price.

They want certainty.
They want timing.
They want a safe exit.

This is where structure matters.

Right now, the advantage goes to people who understand options:

– Creative financing paths
– The most investor exposure possible
– Buyers who can close faster with fewer contingencies
– Flexible timelines

This isn’t chaos.

It’s a sorting phase.

Buyers have more power than they did a year ago.

Sellers sitting 60+ days on market feel that pressure.

And the professionals who can connect math, motivation, and structure are going to create the most wins over the next 12 months.

If you’re buying, your leverage improved.

If you’re selling and feeling uncertainty in your business or employment, now is the time to plan — not react.