| Hi neighbors, |
| Quick note from all of us between summer showings. The theme this week, nationally and right here in the mountains: buyers have more homes to pick from, negotiation is genuinely back, and honest pricing matters more than it has in years. Here's what that means for you. |
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Buyers finally have room to breathe this summer
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2. 'Take it or leave it' is fading — asks are back on the table
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3. Higher rates are sorting markets — pricier ones feel it most
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4. Self-employed? A W-2 isn't the only way to a mortgage
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01 · MARKET SHIFT
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Buyers finally have room to breathe this summer
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| There are meaningfully more homes for sale than last summer, and asking prices have stopped sprinting. |
| Nationally, inventory is up and price growth has cooled — the two frustrations that pushed so many buyers to the sidelines are easing at the same time. We're seeing the local version too: more Asheville-area listings sitting a bit longer, and fewer bidding wars outside the truly turnkey homes. Rates are still the sticking point, but choice is back. |
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Why it matters: If you've been waiting for a market where you can tour a home twice, sleep on it, and negotiate instead of race, this is the closest we've had in years.
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via keepingcurrentmatters.com →
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02 · DEAL WATCH
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'Take it or leave it' is fading — asks are back on the table
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| More buyers are requesting repairs, credits, and rate buydowns, and more sellers are saying yes. |
| That's a real shift from the years when sellers could shrug off any request. Builders are sweetening deals too, tossing in upgrades and financing help to keep homes moving. The listings still commanding top dollar are the ones priced honestly and presented well from day one. |
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Why it matters: If you're buying, ask for what you actually need — and if you're selling, build a little negotiating room into your plan instead of taking the first ask personally.
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Read the full story →
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03 · PRICE CHECK
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Higher rates are sorting markets — pricier ones feel it most
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| New HousingWire data shows buyer demand softening fastest in expensive metros while more affordable markets hold steady. |
| Elevated mortgage rates are doing the sorting: where the typical payment still pencils, buyers keep showing up, and where it's stretched, they pause. Asheville sits on the pricey side for western North Carolina, so we feel more of that hesitation here than smaller nearby markets do. Well-priced homes are still selling — but wishful pricing gets crickets, then a price cut. |
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Why it matters: Your equity is still real, but if you're selling this year, the price you launch at will do most of the work, so lean on this month's comps, not 2022 memories.
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via housingwire.com →
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04 · MORTGAGE DESK
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Self-employed? A W-2 isn't the only way to a mortgage
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| Lenders are pushing back on the idea that non-traditional loans are 2008-style subprime, because today's versions are built for creditworthy borrowers with complicated income. |
| So-called non-QM loans qualify you on bank statements or business income instead of a standard W-2, under strict ability-to-repay rules that didn't exist before 2008. Rates typically run a touch higher than conventional, but for freelancers, small business owners, and folks with irregular income, they're a legitimate door. That's not a niche around here — Asheville runs on self-employment, from builders and therapists to artists and short-term-rental owners. |
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Why it matters: If a lender turned you down because your tax returns don't tell your full income story, that no may not be final — it's worth a second conversation before you shelve the plan.
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Read the full story →
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| QUICK HITS |
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‣ Headlines say buyers vanished; the data says they're still out there, just choosier about price and condition. →
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‣ Priced out of a single-family home? A condo or townhome can be the foothold that starts building equity now. →
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‣ Builder giant Pulte is leaning into build-to-order homes — roughly 100-day timelines and more willingness to deal if new construction is on your list. →
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TIP OF THE WEEK
Check your flood coverage in July, not October
Standard homeowners policies don't cover flood damage, and as WNC learned in 2024, mountain creeks don't read FEMA maps. Most flood policies take about 30 days to kick in, so reviewing yours now — before peak storm season — is the move. Ten minutes with your insurance agent settles it, and if you don't have one you trust, we're glad to share who our clients like.
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How was this issue?
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Until next week,
— Priya, broker-in-charge
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| P.S. Our favorite calls are still the ones that start with 'this might be a dumb question' — they never are, and there's no meter running. |