Get REAL with The Main Street Team

Get the real story behind home prices, foreclosures, rates, and the 2026 housing forecast with this clear, consumer-friendly market Q&A . You would not believe how good it feels to take a scary headline about the housing market and present the actual data that makes buyers and homeowners visibly age in reverse.  Take this week, for instance. If you have family over for Thanksgiving, you know how topics can range from the best time to put the turkey in the oven to why Aunt Sally’s condo is taking forever to sell.   Well, this week brought an extra helping of questions about the housing market. And it hit me, while I was answering those questions (with real data), this could be useful information to share with you, too.  So, here’s my fourth quarter housing Q&A, complete with links to the data that backs it up.  How’s the market right now?  Let’s start with the national picture. According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) , existing home...

What’s in and what’s out for home design as we move into 2026? Discover the latest home trends buyers love and which  features are quietly falling out of favor. Back in 2020 and 2021, when we were spending almost all our time at home, design priorities changed almost overnight.  Dining rooms turned into offices. Spare bedrooms became classrooms. Backyards became sanctuaries. We saw a wave of bold upgrades and functional changes as homeowners worked to make their spaces more comfortable, more practical, and more livable. Now, as we close out 2025 and look ahead to 2026, the conversation feels different. It’s no longer about reacting to life at home. It’s about refining it.  Home design is shifting toward spaces that feel more intentional, more balanced, and more aligned with how people want to live long-term. Buyers today are paying attention not just to what a home looks like, but how it feels and functions day to day. The way spaces flow, the light, the efficiency, and ...

Even with all the negative press, 91% of sellers still worked with a real estate agent in 2025—a record high proving trust in agents is stronger than ever.      If you’ve seen the headlines lately, you might think no one trusts real estate agents anymore. Between the big National Association of Realtors (NAR) lawsuit, changes to commission rules, and endless online debates, it’s easy to assume the traditional real estate model is falling apart. But here’s what the data actually shows: according to the NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers , a record 91% of home sellers worked with a real estate agent this year.  That’s the highest share ever recorded. Even after a year of controversy, the share of sellers who go the for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) route is down to an all-time low 5%. That means nearly every home sold in 2025 had a professional guiding the process from start to finish. And there are several reasons why, starting with the bottom line: homes sold with a...

First-time home buyers are now older than ever, with a median age of 40. Discover what’s driving this shift and how to navigate today’s housing market. If you feel like everyone buying their first home these days is a little older than they used to be, you’re absolutely right. According to the 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from the National Association of REALTORS®, the median age of first-time home buyers hit 40 this year, the highest on record. That’s up from 38 last year, and way up from the late 29 back in the 1980s. So what’s behind this massive generational shift? Let’s dig in. It’s Not Just You. Buying a Home Really Is Harder. The same report shows that first-time buyers now make up only 21% of all home purchases , the lowest share ever recorded (historically, it has been around 40%). That means fewer people are managing to buy their first home, and those who do are often waiting longer, saving more, and carrying heavier financial baggage than buyers from previous gen...