Is this housing market affordable for the average shopper? Four strategies agents have used successfully

Didier Malagies • June 23, 2021


Crazy. Horrible. Grueling. These are the words real estate agents use when asked to describe the current state of the market and what it’s like to buy a home today. Buyers are facing unprecedented challenges, they say, due to a confluence of housing market conditions:


  • PricingRedfin reported earlier this month that the national median home-sale price hit a record high of $377,200 in May, up a record 26% year over year. Over half of homes — 54% — sold above their list price in May for the first time on record.

  • Bidding warsRedfin also reported this month that seven in 10 buyers — 70.4% — faced bidding wars in May. That’s down slightly from the prior month, but it still indicates that house hunters are facing unprecedented levels of competition as demand skyrockets.

  • Lack of inventory. Real estate agents cited a lack of inventory as the main hurdle preventing their clients from completing a transaction, according to the National Association of Realtors. Due to the pandemic, homeowners have been reluctant to list their homes, so available homes — in any condition — get snapped up quickly.
  • 

Donna Deaton, managing vice president of Re/Max Victory + Affiliates in Cincinnati, who has 19 years of experience, sums up the current buyers’ market as follows: “It’s absolutely horrible,” she said. “We don’t have any inventory. If you’re an FHA or VA buyer, you don’t stand a chance. If it’s a new property on the housing market in an ideal location and move-in ready, it’s a cash buyer or a minimum 20% down buyer. Most of the buyers in this area are putting offers in with no appraisal gap — willing to take care of anything that doesn’t appraise — and no inspections, which makes me cringe.”

So, what does this mean for buyers? Should they give up?





Start Your Loan with DDA today
Your local Mortgage Broker

Mortgage Broker Largo
See our Reviews

Looking for more details? Listen to our extended podcast! 

Check out our other helpful videos to learn more about credit and residential mortgages.

By Didier Malagies December 11, 2025
If the **Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by 0.25% and simultaneously restarts a form of quantitative easing (QE) by buying about $40 billion per month of securities, the overall monetary policy stance becomes very accommodative. Here’s what that generally means for interest rates and the broader economy: 📉 1. Short-Term Interest Rates The Fed’s benchmark rate (federal funds rate) directly sets the cost of overnight borrowing between banks. A 0.25% cut lowers that rate, which usually leads to lower short-term borrowing costs throughout the economy — for example on credit cards, variable-rate loans, and some business financing. Yahoo Finance +1 In most markets, short-term yields fall first, because they track the federal funds rate most closely. Reuters 📉 2. Long-Term Interest Rates Purchasing bonds (QE) puts downward pressure on long-term yields. When the Fed buys large amounts of Treasury bills or bonds, it increases demand for them, pushing prices up and yields down. SIEPR This tends to lower mortgage rates, corporate borrowing costs, and yields on long-dated government bonds, though not always as quickly or as much as short-term rates. Bankrate 🤝 3. Combined Effect Rate cuts + QE = dual easing. Rate cuts reduce the cost of short-term credit, and QE often helps bring down long-term rates too. Together, they usually flatten the yield curve (short and long rates both lower). SIEPR Lower rates overall tend to stimulate spending by households and investment by businesses because borrowing is cheaper. Cleveland Federal Reserve 💡 4. Market and Economic Responses Financial markets often interpret such easing as a cue that the Fed wants to support the economy. Stocks may rise and bond yields may fall. Reuters However, if inflation is already above target (as it has been), this accommodative stance could keep long-term inflation elevated or slow the pace of inflation decline. That’s one reason why Fed policymakers are sometimes divided over aggressive easing. Reuters 🔁 5. What This Doesn’t Mean The Fed buying $40 billion in bills right now may technically be labeled something like “reserve management purchases,” and some market analysts argue this may not be classic QE. But whether it’s traditional QE or not, the effect on liquidity and longer-term rates is similar: more Fed demand for government paper equals lower yields. Reuters In simple terms: ✅ Short-term rates will be lower because of the rate cut. ✅ Long-term rates are likely to decline too if the asset purchases are sustained. ➡️ Overall borrowing costs fall across the economy, boosting credit, investment, and spending. ⚠️ But this also risks higher inflation if demand strengthens too much while supply remains constrained. tune in and learn https://www.ddamortgage.com/blog didier malagies nmls#212566 dda mortgage nmls#324329
By Didier Malagies December 9, 2025
How will AI reshape the mortgage industry
By Didier Malagies December 8, 2025
This is a subtitle for your new post
Show More