REALTOR Roundup

Housing affordability remains a central focus in Washington, DC, and Nashville has felt the crisis firsthand. Following significant public and industry pushback on the proposed 50-year mortgage, the administration has shifted its focus to exploring portable and assumable mortgage options. A portable mortgage would allow a homeowner to transfer their existing loan – and its lower interest rate- to a new property, potentially easing the “lock-in” effect that keeps many homeowners from selling. More than half of US homeowners currently hold rates below 4%, creating a major barrier to mobility.

As we end this fall season post-Thanksgiving, it’s a good time to pause with grateful hearts. We’re blessed to live in a country where—despite our challenges—we enjoy freedoms, opportunities, and the ability to build a life rooted deeply in the place we call home. For many families, including our veterans and active-duty service members, that dream of homeownership is one of the greatest blessings of all.

As a twenty-something Realtor in Middle Tennessee, few headlines have hit me quite like the recent report naming 40 as the new average age of a first-time homebuyer. It’s a statistic that stopped nearly everyone in our industry in their tracks, but for those of us on the ground, it only confirms the reality we've been living in since post-COVID.

That half-empty office building on your commute with a shiny “Coming Soon: Luxury Apartments” banner isn’t just another facelift—it’s part of a nationwide transformation. In 2025 alone, a record 70,700 office units are being converted to housing, reshaping urban markets and creating new opportunities for residential brokers.

When most people think of real estate investments, they think of houses. But there’s a whole other world out there—and it’s commercial.

Purchasing a home is often seen as one of life’s most meaningful milestones. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a seasoned homeowner, the journey requires thoughtful planning, research, and a clear understanding of each step along the way. It’s easy to focus on the big moments—the excitement of finding the home that feels just right, securing a contract, reaching the closing table, and finally receiving the keys before making the space your own. Yet many of the finer details are just as important and deserve careful attention.

Safety is always top of mind for Realtors, but it’s not something we often talk about out loud. The truth is, our work puts us in vulnerable positions regularly because we typically broadcast our schedules publicly through open house announcements, get calls from strangers asking us to meet at properties with little notice, and even sometimes drive clients whom we have only just met in our own vehicles. Because of these realities, it’s critical to put safety measures in place and stick to them.

As a Realtor at a small-town brokerage, I spend every day helping people make some of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s the fact that local elections matter—big time—especially for the housing market.