Home Buyers Guide Winter 2026

If you are thinking of buying a home in Vero Beach this winter season, this special edition of the Winter 2026 Buyers Guide, includes tips and answers to your questions such as Why a Newly Built Home Might Be a Smart Move Right Now, Housing Market Forecasts for 2026, How Changing Mortgage Rates Affect Your Future Monthly Payment, The Top 2 Buyer Mistakes Today, and much more.

Take a look at what is inside in the Home Buyers Guide Winter 2026 and get it for FREE today!

What is inside the Home Buyers Guide Winter 2026

WHY A NEWLY BUILT HOME MIGHT BE A SMART MOVE RIGHT NOW

There are more brand-new homes available right now than there has been in years. And as a buyer, that can help you in two big ways. It gives you more options to choose from, and it motivates builders to sell their inventory before they build more. That’s exactly why so many homebuilders are offering serious incentives like price cuts, mortgage rate buydowns, and help with closing costs.

And perks like that are hard to ignore. That’s why, in the fall of 2025, new home sales hit their highest level in over 2 years. Buyers saw the opportunity, and they jumped on it. Maybe it’s time for you to do the same.

1. Builders Are Cutting Prices

Data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows 65% of builders offered special perks to buyers. That’s the highest percentage we’ve seen in 5 years.



2. Builders Are Offering Lower Mortgage Rates

Here’s something most people don’t know. Right now, buyers of brand-new homes often get better mortgage rates than buyers of existing homes. That’s because many builders are also offering rate incentives to make their homes more attractive and keep sales moving. These rate buydowns can shrink the monthly payment you’d have.

Data from Realtor.com shows, in 2023 and 2024, buyers of newly built homes got a mortgage rate around half a percent lower compared to those who bought existing homes (see graph below):

HOUSING MARKET FORECASTS FOR 2026

After a couple of years where the housing market felt stuck in neutral, 2026 may be the year things shift back into gear. Expert forecasts show more people are expected to move – and that could open the door for you to do the same.

1. More Homes Will Sell

With all of the affordability challenges at play over the past few years, many would-be movers pressed pause. But that pause button isn’t going to last forever. There are always people who need to move. And experts think more of them will start to act in 2026 (see graph below):



2. Mortgage Rates Could Continue To Ease

The #1 thing just about every buyer has been looking for is lower mortgage rates. And after peaking around 7% in early 2025, rates have been trending down overall. The latest forecasts show that could continue throughout 2026, but experts aren’t expecting a big change (see graph below):



3. Home Price Growth Will Be Moderate

What about prices? On a national scale, forecasts say they’re going to rise, just not by a lot. With rates down from their peak in early 2025, more buyers will re-enter the market. And that increased demand will keep some upward pressure on prices – and prevent prices from tumbling down.

So, even though some markets are already seeing slight price declines, you can rest easy that a big crash just isn’t in the cards. Thanks to how much prices rose over the last 5 years, even the markets seeing declines right now are still up compared to just a few years ago.

Of course, price trends will depend on where you are and what’s happening in your local market. Inventory is a big driver in why some places are going to see varying levels of appreciation going forward. But experts agree we’ll see prices grow at the national level (see graph below):

HOW CHANGING MORTGAGE RATES AFFECT YOUR FUTURE MONTHLY PAYMENT </

Experts say rates will come down slightly – but some volatility is expected. So, you shouldn’t try to time the market. It’s better to focus on how any small change impacts your future mortgage payment.

THE TOP 2 BUYER MISTAKES TODAY 

In today’s complex market, you’ll want to be sure you have advice from a team of professionals. Here are the top 2 other buyers are making right now and how your agent and lender can help you avoid each one..

1. Putting Off Pre-Approval

As part of the homebuying process, a lender will look at your finances to figure out what they’re willing to loan you for your mortgage. This gives you a good idea of what you can borrow so you can really wrap your head around the financial side of things before you start looking at homes..

2. Buying More House Than You Can Afford

With today’s mortgage rates and home prices, it’s even more important to avoid stretching your budget too far. This is especially true because other housing expenses like home insurance and taxes are on the rise.

Be sure to factor these expenses into your budget so you don’t overextend