{"id":95892,"date":"2026-06-20T20:23:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T20:23:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testedwebsite.us\/realestatee\/agent\/gingermcgavin6\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T20:23:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T20:23:53","slug":"gingermcgavin6","status":"publish","type":"agent","link":"https:\/\/testedwebsite.us\/realestatee\/agent\/gingermcgavin6\/","title":{"rendered":"gingermcgavin6"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Biggest Myth About Homes Exposed<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a version of the housing market story that gets told over and over, and it goes like this: prices are high, rates are high, nothing is affordable, and the only people buying are the ones with cash. That version is not wrong, exactly. It is just incomplete.<\/p>\n

The arithmetic here is brutal and worth understanding<\/a> clearly. A buyer who financed a $400,000 home at three percent in 2021 pays roughly<\/a> $1,686 per month on principal<\/a> and interest. That same loan at a seven percent rate costs $2,661. The difference between those two payments explains why so many potential sellers are sitting tight. Volume collapsed<\/a>. Prices mostly did not.<\/p>\n

Affordability, by the standard measure<\/a> of what share of median household income goes toward the monthly payment on a median-priced home, is near its worst level since the early 1980s. That is a real problem, and it is not going away quickly. But affordability being stretched<\/a> does not mean prices are about to fall sharply. What it means, practically, is that the pool of qualified buyers is smaller than it was three years ago.<\/p>\n

Before you look at a single listing, get your pre-approval locked down. Not a rough estimate. Not a verbal confirmation from a loan officer you met once. A full pre-approval based on verified income, tax returns, bank statements, and a hard credit pull<\/a>. Any agent worth working with will tell you the same thing: no pre-approval, no offer.<\/p>\n

The appraisal is the lender’s check, not yours. When the appraisal<\/a> comes in below contract, the deal does not automatically die, but it does require a decision. Ask your agent how common appraisal<\/a> gaps have been in your target price range and neighborhood.<\/p>\n

The offer price is one variable among several. A longer closing window, a shorter inspection period, a larger earnest money deposit, or willingness to do a rent-back period can all tip a deal in your favor without you spending<\/a> an extra dollar on the purchase price.<\/p>\n

Real estate is illiquid. If there is a reasonable chance<\/a> you will need to move in two years, renting<\/a> is the financially rational<\/a> choice. None of that means do not buy. It means be honest about your time horizon before you commit.<\/p>\n

Buyers who take the time to prepare before they start looking tend to find that the market is more navigable than the headlines suggest. Before you commit to a direction, browsing homes for sale and market resources<\/a> can sharpen your picture<\/a> of what is actually available in your price range.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","agent_location":[44],"agent_category":[],"class_list":["post-95892","agent","type-agent","status-publish","hentry","agent_location-florida"],"cmb2":{"_agent_contact_details":{"_agent_attached_user":"","_agent_featured":"","_agent_job":"","_agent_email":"ginger.mcgavin@emailportal.site","_agent_website":"","_agent_phone":"629682192","_agent_fax":""},"_agent_socials":{"_agent_socials":[{"network":"fab fa-pinterest"}]},"_agent_location":{"_agent_address":"Lichtmattstrasse 109","_agent_map_location":{"address":"","latitude":"","longitude":""}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/testedwebsite.us\/realestatee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/agent\/95892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/testedwebsite.us\/realestatee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/agent"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/testedwebsite.us\/realestatee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/agent"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testedwebsite.us\/realestatee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/testedwebsite.us\/realestatee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"agent_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testedwebsite.us\/realestatee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/agent_location?post=95892"},{"taxonomy":"agent_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testedwebsite.us\/realestatee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/agent_category?post=95892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}