Jesse Hlubik - Berkshire Hathaway

11/09/2026

🌿 Pull up a chair, take in the view, and enjoy the simple joys of home. Who wouldn’t love a porch like this? 🌳🌟

DRE # 01801928

11/09/2026

Low Rates or Lots of Leverage? Buyers Rarely Get Both.

Higher mortgage rates come with a perk most buyers miss: negotiating power.

Back in 2022, after two years of rates near 3%, 95 of the top 100 metros favored sellers, according to Realtor.com. Bidding wars and offers over asking were everywhere.

Now rates are above 7%, and the picture has flipped. Today, 66 of those 100 metros lean toward buyers.

And sellers are making deals to prove it. Redfin reports nearly half of buyers now get a concession from the seller, like help with closing costs, money for repairs, or even paying to buy down the mortgage rate.

That’s the trade-off: buyers rarely get low rates and leverage at the same time. If rates dropped in a big way, more buyers would jump back in, and that leverage would likely shrink.

That doesn’t mean you have to move right now. The right time to buy is when the numbers work for you. But if you’re ready to move, today’s leverage could help make the math more doable than you think.

Just remember, every local market is different.

Want to see how much negotiating power you’d have in this area? Let’s look at homes where sellers may be open to a rate buydown or closing cost help.

11/08/2026

Are price cuts a winning strategy for sellers today? It depends.

Say your house is listed but you’re not getting any offers, and you’re thinking about your options to try to draw buyers back in. Here are two routes you can take:

Option 1 (the most common): You drop your price by $10k and your buyer saves about $70 a month on the median priced home.

Option 2: You put that same $10k to work and pay for a 2-1 rate buydown. That could save your buyer roughly $500 a month the first year they own the home.

Same money, bigger immediate impact. And since buyers shop by monthly payment, it’s something at least worth considering.

Want to learn more about which concessions actually move the needle for buyers today? Let's talk.

And if you’re interested in a buydown, have a quick conversation with a lender about whether it makes sense for you.

11/08/2026

Fresh herbs, homegrown veggies, and a backyard you'll love.

DRE # 01801928

11/07/2026

Did the latest climb in mortgage rates take a bite out of your home budget and have you rethinking your move?

If you’re aiming for a $2,000 monthly payment, that rise in rates cut about $22,000 from what you can spend. That’s a lot.

But what if you could close the gap?While headlines focus on lost buying power, they’re not calling enough attention to how seller concessions can offset that blow.

More than 40% of homes for sale have had a price cut, and the typical cut on a median-priced home is around $18,000. That alone could win back most of what rates took.

And you could get back even more by asking for repair credits or closing cost help, too.

How much a seller will negotiate depends on the house and the area. Send a DM to find out how much of that $22,000 you could get back around here.

11/07/2026

Selling Your Home? What You Should Know About Price Cuts vs. Rate Buydowns.

What if you could make your house more attractive to buyers without lowering your asking price?

With 43% of sellers cutting prices right now, according to HousingWire, it's a question worth asking – especially because there's another way to give buyers what they really want: a lower monthly payment.

It's called a mortgage rate buydown. And the difference can be pretty remarkable.
Here's an example.

Let's say you're willing to offer a buyer $10,000 to help get your house sold.

A $10,000 price reduction could save that buyer about $70 a month.

But putting that same $10,000 toward a temporary mortgage rate buydown could save them roughly $500 a month in the first year.

Same amount from you. A much bigger impact on their immediate budget.

Now, those savings won't last forever with a temporary buydown. But for the right buyer, that upfront relief could be exactly what makes your house stand out.

Thinking about selling? Send me a message. Let's explore which incentives could attract buyers while protecting your bottom line.

11/06/2026

If you’re seeing headlines about the “silver tsunami” in housing, you should know it’ll be more of a slow tide than a sudden flood.

About 13.9 million homes owned by older Americans are expected to change hands by 2036 – that’s true. But that works out to roughly 1.3 to 1.5 million a year, spread over the next decade.

And since the country hasn’t built enough homes to keep up with demand in the years following the housing crash, those sales will help close a gap that’s already there. Not overwhelm the market.

So don't let a dramatic national headline scare you - especially if you’re thinking of selling.

What matters far more is what's happening in your local market. How many houses are for sale nearby? What are buyers looking for? And what are similar houses actually selling for?

Those are the numbers that should shape your selling strategy.

Curious what the market looks like in your neighborhood? Let's take a look.

11/06/2026

Toward the end of the year, the number of homes for sale usually starts to level off or dip as we enter the slower season in the market. But so far this year, it’s still going up.

And that break in the usual seasonal trend could be good for some buyers.

Part of the reason is that fewer people are shopping right now with mortgage rates where they are. But that gives anyone who can make the numbers work an opportunity.

If you’re able to buy at today’s rates, you have more options than you’d normally have. And that means more chances to find a home in budget – and less competition from other buyers.

You’ll likely even see sellers more willing to strike a deal.

What you’ll find depends on where you’re looking. Send a DM to see what’s on the market near you.

11/06/2026

Home trends come and go, but it's functionality that wins in the end. Because smart functionality almost always adds some intrinsic value to your home. These six products will make your home more functional and more fun!

DRE # 01801928

Smart home products like a video doorbell and smart mirror can be smart home upgrades. Here’s a list of smart home products that make life easier and safer and can actually be fun, too. Find out about video doorbells and other smart home products.

11/05/2026

What the Silver Tsunami Means if You’re Planning To Sell

The term “silver tsunami” makes it sound like a wave of houses is about to hit the market all at once. The research says otherwise.

According to Realtor.com, about 13.9 million homes owned by older Americans are expected to change hands by 2036. That's a big number. But it's spread across a decade, at roughly 1.3 to 1.5 million homes a year.

The pace is important. After the 2008 housing crash, builders spent years not building enough homes to keep up with demand, and the country still hasn't caught up. As longtime homeowners sell over time, their houses will help ease a shortage that's already there.

For buyers, that can mean more options. For sellers, it means there's no reason to put your plans on hold because of a trend that’s expected to play out over the next 10 years.

What matters more is what's happening in your area right now: how many homes are for sale nearby, what similar houses are selling for, and what buyers want.

Planning a move in the next year or so? Let's talk about what the local numbers mean for your house.