christi-beca-realty

How Do I Buy a Home When Interest Rates Are High?

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 15:03:39 GMT

Yes, you can buy with rates this high — because high rates give buyers tools and negotiating power that low rates never did.

Right now, the average 30-year fixed mortgage is sitting at about 7.3% (Freddie Mac, week of Oct 22, 2026). A mortgage is just the loan you use to buy a home, and the interest rate is the extra percentage you pay the lender each year for borrowing the money. Higher rate, higher monthly payment. That's the bad news. Here's the good news.

Strategy 1: Ask for a temporary rate buydown . A buydown is when someone pays the lender upfront to lower your interest rate for the first year or two of the loan. In this market, that "someone" can be the seller. Instead of lowering the price, the seller puts money toward buying your rate down — and you keep more cash in your pocket each month while you settle in.

Strategy 2: Ask for seller concessions. A concession is money the seller agrees to put toward your closing costs — the fees you pay when the home officially becomes yours. Buyers almost never got these in 2021. Now they're back on the table, because sellers know you have other options.

Strategy 3: Buy now, refinance later. A refinance means swapping your mortgage for a new one when rates drop — and you don't need the seller's permission or a move. Here's the math on a $400,000 loan: at 7.3%, the monthly payment (principal and interest) is roughly $2,740 ; at 6.3% it would be about $2,475 — a difference of roughly $265 a month. That difference is real money, but it's also temporary money if you refinance later. Christi Beca's message to qualified buyers across Flower Mound, Southlake, Colleyville, Westlake, Argyle, Highland Village, Grapevine, and Bartonville is simple: buy the home that fits your life now, and refinance when rates cooperate.

Strategy 4: Use the leverage. With fewer buyers competing, you can ask for repairs, negotiate the price, and take your time on inspections. In the bidding-war years, asking for anything got your offer tossed. Today it gets you a better deal.

High rates hurt — that's honest. But they also bring back negotiation, seller help, and breathing room. Get pre-approved (that's when a lender confirms how much you can borrow before you shop), and go look at homes. The market you buy in matters less than the home and the plan.

Why sellers are giving more right now: Why Are DFW Homes Sitting Longer Before They Sell? — it explains the longer days on market behind your negotiating power.

— Christi Beca, Top 1% Luxury REALTOR® in DFW. Call or text 214-566-2196.

Why Are DFW Homes Sitting Longer Before They Sell?

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 21:11:30 GMT

"Exploring the trends and factors behind today's DFW home selling delays with Christi Beca Realty."

DFW homes are taking about two months to sell right now — and if you’re selling, that changes how you price, market, and plan.

Let’s start with the phrase you’ll hear a lot: “ days on market,” or DOM. It just means how many days pass between your home going live for sale and going under contract with a buyer. The longer that number gets, the more buyers start to wonder why nobody has bought it yet.

Here are the real numbers. In Denton County, homes sold for a median price of $418,390 in September 2026 and spent 59 days on market (realtor.com). Across the wider DFW area, August 2026 numbers from the MetroTex/NTREIS local MLS data show a $390,000 median price, 58 days on market, and a 94.8% sold-to-list ratio — meaning sellers got about 95 cents on the dollar of their asking price.

That's not a bad market. It's a normal market. The 2021–2022 years — when homes sold in a weekend with ten offers — were the unusual ones. We're back to the kind of market where buyers take a breath, compare options, and negotiate.

So what does a seller do about it? Three things.

First, price it right the first time . Christi Beca tells her Flower Mound, Southlake, Colleyville, Westlake, Argyle, Highland Village, Grapevine, and Bartonville sellers the same thing: an overpriced home doesn't just sit — it loses value while it sits, because every month without an offer makes buyers braver with lowball offers. The homes selling in ~59 days are the ones priced where the market actually is, not where the seller wishes it were.

Second, market it like it matters — because now it does. Professional photos, staging, and real exposure decide which home a buyer clicks on when they have ten to choose from. In a slow market, marketing isn't decoration. It's the difference between 30 days on market and 90.

Third, be patient — with a plan. Pat ience doesn't mean “list it and hope.” It means having a pricing strategy, a marketing plan, and a timeline you're comfortable with from day one, instead of panicking at week three and slashing the price.

The bottom line: DFW sellers are still getting strong prices. The ones winning right now are the ones who price smart, market hard, and hire the right agent for a market that rewards all three.

— Christi Beca, Top 1% Realtor in DFW. Call or text 214-566-2196.

New Listing Luxury Home with Pool

christibeca@gmail.com (Christi Beca) — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 15:59:13 GMT

A home like this comes on the market once in a decade. It’s spacious, fully renovated and designed to the highest standards.

Pace of prices is cooling down

christibeca@gmail.com (Christi Beca) — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 15:57:40 GMT

It’s been a rough ride for homebuyers lately, as prices have hit the roof with little respite. All of that looks to change soon.

Warm welcome to Andrew Stevens

christibeca@gmail.com (Christi Beca) — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 15:56:26 GMT

We’re pleased to announce the addition of a real estate veteran to our team. Andrew Stevens joins us in our main office after 10 years in our northern branch.