After a burst of home buying during the pandemic drove home prices through the roof, the US housing market is in a strange place in 2026. Mortgage rates are high, but that’s done little to help prices pull back. Amid this week’s bond market tantrum, the 30-year mortgage rate has jumped to about 6.89% on
This As They Told It essay is based on a conversation with Ben Mutz, 39, a retired Air Force officer who purchased a home that was not originally for sale in Oakwood, Ohio. Mutz used Unlisted, an app that allows prospective buyers to get on a waiting list for homes not yet on the market.
Just when I turned 30, I moved to the Washington, DC area to look for a new job. I had just gotten out of a serious relationship and was finally moving out of the small town where I had grown up. I was ready to start a new chapter of my life and eager to
