All month, buyers have been asking me the same thing: should we wait for mortgage rates to drop before we buy this fall? So I went to the latest numbers from Georgia MLS and the National Association of Realtors. Metro Atlanta has more homes for sale than it did a year ago, fewer of them are selling, and prices have barely moved.
Waiting for lower rates sounds safe, but it's really a bet. When rates come down, the buyers on the sidelines are likely to come back, and the leverage you have today could go with them. Start with a payment that works at today's rate, talk to a lender, and make the call based on your budget, not on a headline.
- 01Atlanta buyers have more homes to choose from Georgia MLS counted 28,259 active listings in metro Atlanta in September, up 4.78% from a year ago. Homes sold were down 11.44% over the same stretch.
- 02Prices are holding flat, not running away The metro median sales price was $387,602 in September, down just 0.02% from last year. Months of inventory rose to 4.94 from 4.72 a year ago.
- 03Buy on your budget, not a headline Find a payment that works at today's rate and get preapproved. Ask a lender whether refinancing makes sense later, but know you can't renegotiate the price you paid.
“Do not wait for perfect, because perfect usually costs more.”
If you're weighing a move and want to talk through your real numbers, I'm a call away. No pressure, just a straight conversation.