Understanding the Real Estate Market and How to Make Informed Decisions

Most people spend their whole life waiting for a “break” that’s never coming. I was the same way. A few years ago, I was taking 18 units and paying my way through college. Serving tables while doing my homework in the back room in between reservations will be a memory I'll never forget. I thought that was the American Dream. Or that's the lie I was told. I thought if I outworked everyone and went to college to get a good job, the life I yearned for would eventually find me. Then 2020 hit. The world went quiet. And for the first time, I actually had space to look at the life I was building. I realized I wasn’t building a future… I was just running in the rat race that everyone glorified. I wanted out of the matrix. I wanted a rich, slow, lived-in life. A life so abundant that I could give rest to my loved ones. I didn't want more money, I wanted more peace. I wanted to learn how money actually moves, so I could buy back my time. I knew my mindset shifted, and there was no going back. I decided I was going to get my real estate license. I was done being a spectator. I started learning. I started crafting my skillset and funding my business with the tips I was making from bartending. When you’re starting from zero, the only thing that saves you is: Skill + Repetition + Strategy. You should have seen my face after seeing my first check… I became obsessed. I started learning the logistics and trends of the market. I started learning the habits and mindsets of people who were living life similar to what I wanted. I stayed consistent. But consistency without systems won't get you far. It’s January. The New Year noise is at an all-time high. Everyone swears they’re going to lock in. But most people will play it safe. And that's just the truth. They’ll keep their money in a bank account. They’ll stay comfortable. They’ll wait for a perfect market that doesn’t exist. But the market doesn’t reward comfort. It rewards movement. Let’s Talk About “Affordability” Since That’s the Word of the Year The word “affordability” keeps getting thrown around like it's some giant wall no one can climb. Currently (Jan. 23rd, 2026) Wages are up. Home prices are leveled. Rates are down. Buyers have negotiation room and time. Sellers stand out with a good strategy and low inventory. Mortgage rates are at 6.09% — about a full point lower than this time last year. If you don't know what that means, it’s ok.. Basically, you are able to save 10’s of THOUSANDS of dollars in the life span of a loan, and monthly mortgages are more affordable. ( Back to normal 2019 levels) If this pandemic taught me anything. It is how fast inflation can eat your money. This past December 2025, CPI (inflation) was at 2.7%. In 2022, it was above 6%. So if your cash is sitting still, it’s melting. Maybe at a slower pace, but it’s still melting… You aren’t “saving” as much as you thought. You’re losing buying power. That’s the gap where the slow wealth gets built, and if all three of those factors are stabilizing or improving, affordability might not be as far off as it feels. People aren’t buying because it’s impossible, but because it’s unfamiliar. And unfamiliarity makes people freeze. But if we’re being honest, this market is more affordable than it was last spring. And most people are missing it. But here’s the part most people aren’t paying attention to yet: A lot of homeowners are still sitting on 3% and 4% interest rates from the last few years. And they don’t want to sell… because they don’t want to trade that for a 6%. That’s one of the biggest reasons inventory has been tight. And it’s also why there’s been more serious conversation around financing options that can unlock movement again. Assumable loans are already real. That’s when a buyer can take over a seller’s existing mortgage rate instead of starting from scratch with today’s rate. FHA and VA loans are the most common examples. And then there’s the bigger concept people keep whispering about: Portable mortgages. The idea that a homeowner could bring their low rate with them to the next home instead of losing it. If that ever becomes widely available, it changes everything. Because the second people stop feeling trapped by their current rate… inventory moves. And when inventory moves… the market speeds up. I’m not saying you need to buy a house tomorrow. I’m saying your money needs to be doing something . Real estate is a lane. Stocks is a lane. Gold is a lane. I’m telling you this because I want you to have a life that’s actually lived. There 100% is a strategy to this madness, and it works. This market feels steady and quiet right now because it’s balanced. That quietness is an opportunity. The conditions (improving rates, stable prices, rising income, inflation closer to target, and financing innovation) are all indicators of an actionable market, not a stalled one. Real estate still remains one of the few asset classes that lets you: Use leverage, build equity, hedge inflation, and benefit from long-term appreciation simultaneously. If you want hyper-local data for Placer, Sacramento, or El Dorado counties (single‑family homes), I’ve got trend reports with the real numbers behind inventory shifts, concessions, list-to-close pacing, affordability, inflation, and even future model changes... Want a city/town report built to your goals? I’ll run it. Want a CMA on your current equity position? I’ll run it. Want a personalized strategy for buying, selling, or investing? I’ll connect you with my CPA, CFO, 1031 exchange strategist, lender partners, and tax pros… sharp people who help structure real moves. If you want to be notified every time I drop my monthly market recap, the actual movement I’m seeing day in, day out, and the real forecast, fill out the connect card below. You’ll get it directly to your inbox. As a legend once said “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” -Dolly Parton Let’s get to work. — Davin Hawes Sources • Freddie Mac – Current mortgage rates vs last year’s peak. • FHFA & Realtor.com – Home price trends and equilibrium movement. • BLS/AP – Inflation trajectory and CPI data. • Bankrate – Assumable mortgage mechanics. • Mortgage Underwriters – Industry discussion on portable loan concepts. • Reuters – Inventory pressure from low‑rate lock‑ins.

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