10/28/2026
Thinking about selling this fall? Here are 7 reasons it might actually make sense right now, with the numbers behind each one.
27% of existing-home purchases in September 2026 were all cash, per NAR. That is a lot of buyers who are not sitting around waiting for rates to move.
The average homeowner with a mortgage is sitting on $310,000 in equity right now, according to Cotality, Q2 2026. That is real money for whatever comes next.
And there is actually somewhere to go. Active listings are up 5.4% year over year as of September 2026, per Realtor.com. About 105 homes for sale for every 100 a year ago.
Here is something people overlook. Selling for a little less than you hoped and buying at a discount can still leave you ahead across the full move.
On top of that, 44.7% of purchases in the three months ending August 2026 included seller concessions, per Redfin. Closing costs, repairs, rate buydowns, buyers are getting help out there.
And if a move lowers your monthly costs, every month you wait is money you are not saving yet.
The prep side is also more manageable than most people expect. The most common things agents recommend are decluttering, at 91%, cleaning, at 88%, and curb appeal improvements, at 77%, per the NAR Profile of Home Staging, 2025.
One more thing worth knowing: non-mortgage homeownership costs average $15,979 per year, per Zillow and Thumbtack, November 2025. That number follows you either way, so it is worth factoring in.
Want me to put the numbers together for your specific situation? DM me
