Every few years the housing market rewrites the rules, and buyers who learned the last set of rules show up unprepared for the new ones. Right now, the rules have changed more than they have at any point in a generation. The buyers who understand that are finding deals. The ones who do not are making expensive mistakes. Home prices at the national level have held close to their peaks despite a sharp rise in mortgage rates. The reason is supply. A seller who bought in 2021 at a three percent rate has nowhere affordable to go if they list today, which means the correction that many analysts were expecting simply did not materialize the way the data suggested it should. Tina is a name you might hear from a lot of agents right now, because the buyers getting deals done tend to have clear budgets and stick to them. That is not a personality trait. It is a preparation habit. Shop at least three lenders before you commit to one. A 0.25 percent gap between two lenders' quotes adds up to tens of thousands of dollars over the life of most home loans. Lender fees vary too. Do not compare rate quotes without also comparing origination fees, points, and closing costs. If the report surfaces problems that go well beyond normal wear and tear, you have three options, not one, and walking away is a legitimate one of them. You can walk away if the scope of the problems makes the agreed price no longer reasonable. What you should not do is panic and waive your right to negotiate. A seller with a specific need will sometimes take less money from a buyer who gives them what they actually want. A longer closing window, a shorter inspection period, a larger earnest money deposit, or willingness to do a rent-back period can all tip a deal in your favor without you spending an extra dollar on the purchase price. Real estate is illiquid. Transaction costs, agent commissions, and closing fees mean you typically need three to five years just to break even on a purchase. None of that means do not buy. It means be honest about your time horizon before you commit. Buyers who take the time to prepare before they start looking tend to find that there are still good properties available at realistic prices. Current property listings and market tools at real estate listings and data are worth bookmarking before you make any major moves. [img]https://lindasanchez.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/lindasanchez.house.gov/files/styles/evo_featured_image/public/featured_image/issues/housing0f691f8.jpg?h\u003df5018b04\u0026itok\u003dohFezVhW[/img]