Psychological Freeze is in Full Effect 🥶

Happy Tax Week, everyone! 🤬 If you are anything like me, my official tax filing day is October 15th, and I am completely at peace with that decision. So, to all the self-employed professionals out there who actually have their returns done in April, I see you. You are the real heroes in Uncle Sam's eyes, and you deserve a round of applause!

For the rest of us, we will get there...eventually.

In the meantime, we had another wild week in the real estate world to break down, and wild might actually be an understatement. Let's goooo!

We are posting regular content to Instagram (Nick | Kreg) and Facebook (Nick | Kreg) to help you and your buyers stay informed. Be sure to follow us!

Read time: ~5 minutes

Rates ended LOWER compared to last week, and volatility was HIGH. Rates are in the mid 6% range for most loan types without paying discount points. Paying discount points can get you in the low 6's.

Psychological Freeze is in Full Effect 🥶

At 42, I genuinely cannot remember a time when this much volatility hit all at once.

Last Tuesday, news broke of a potential ceasefire between the United States and Iran. The stock market surged. Mortgage rates dropped 0.125% almost overnight. I shamelessly busted out the Crip Walk right there in the office and Nick watched in complete disbelief 😂 For one brief, beautiful moment, it felt like we might actually be heading back toward rates in the high 5s.

Then the week started to unravel.

Reports leaked that it may not have been a real ceasefire at all. Maybe just the U.S. posturing for a political win. The Strait of Hormuz wasn't fully open. Tensions were still high. And just like that, the optimism faded.

The picture is clearer now, and it's not the one we were hoping for. There is no real resolution and there is no end in sight.

This kind of whiplash takes a real toll on buyer confidence. After genuine momentum in January and February, buyers are pulling back again. Not just because of rates, but because of a deeper economic unease that's hard to shake.

This week, a buyer asked me point blank, "Should I wait?" Their rate had climbed 0.50% in just 60 days. My answer was simple: we are sitting in one of the most balanced markets we've seen in years. Inventory is up. Real negotiations between buyers and sellers are happening again. And that window of opportunity won't stay open forever, especially if rates make another dramatic move in either direction.

Nick and I are both seeing it: buyers and sellers are looking to y'all right now more than ever for guidance. They're engaged, they're watching, and they need someone to help them move with confidence. The agents and lenders who can clearly communicate "here's how to act while this window is open" are the ones who will win this season.

This is when the real pros separate themselves. And we can't wait to watch it happen!

Inflation Just Spiked = Sayonara to Fed Rate Cuts 

If you've been following along, you know the Fed's target inflation rate is 2%. So when March's inflation numbers dropped Friday and came in at 3.3%, up from 2.4% the month before, the market felt it immediately.

You can thank the war in the Middle East for that jump. Energy prices have surged since the conflict began, and it's showing up everywhere. I filled up our SUV this week and for the first time ever, it cracked $100 to top off the tank. That's not a headline. That's a random Tuesday for me.

And while the spike isn't entirely surprising given the circumstances, Realtor.com Senior Economist Jake Krimmel put it well: it "underscores the month-to-month whiplash consumers and financial markets have been experiencing" since the war began.

Here's why this matters beyond your gas bill. The Fed has made it crystal clear they will not cut rates until inflation shows meaningful progress back toward that 2% target. At 3.3%, we are moving in the absolute wrong direction. The Fed meets April 28-29, and a rate cut is essentially off the table. Some economists are even floating the possibility of a rate hike later this year if inflation doesn't cool.

Krimmel added that "the more prices rise, the more households tighten their belts, which has real consequences for spending, confidence, and big decisions like buying a home." That's the real domino effect your buyers are feeling right now. It's not just the mortgage rate on paper. It's the $100 tank of gas, the grocery bill, the general sense that everything costs more than it should.

The good news is that informed agents and buyers who understand the landscape are still finding ways to get creative and get deals done. The cream is rising to the top and it is showing 🙌

Columbus Is Having a Moment. Own It.

While markets like Austin, Phoenix, and parts of Florida are dealing with overbuilding, price softening, and shrinking buyer pools, the Midwest is quietly becoming the story of 2026. And Columbus is right at the center of it.

This week, NAR economists specifically called out Columbus alongside Indianapolis and Kansas City as markets showing outsized growth driven by three things: affordability, proximity to major universities, and accelerating tech and AI investment. That is not a local talking point. That is a national headline.

Think about what that means for your credibility right now. While agents in Sun Belt markets are navigating price cuts and stalled inventory, Central Ohio professionals are operating in one of the few markets in the country that the biggest names in real estate economics are actively pointing to as a bright spot!

We all see the growth. Columbus continues to attract high-earning professionals and corporate relocations. Anduril and Amazon expansions are bringing thousands of jobs to the region. Ohio State keeps a steady pipeline of young talent choosing to stay. And compared to coastal markets, our home prices still make sense for what buyers are getting.

The national audience is paying attention to our backyard right now. That means the content you put out this week, the market updates, the neighborhood breakdowns, the "here is why Columbus" posts, should land differently than they would have six months ago. People are looking.

This is our moment to own the narrative with local data to back it up. The agents and lenders who position themselves as the go-to voice for Central Ohio real estate right now will build an audience that lasts well beyond this news cycle.

Instagram Reels of the Week

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Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything at all. Have a wonderful week!