BREAKING: Mortgage Rates PLUMMET – What This Means For Home Prices!

Go to or use code GRAHAM at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! | Let's discuss the 2026 housing market, falling mortgage rates, and what this means for home prices – Enjoy! Add me on Instagram: GPStephan

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THE 2026 HOUSING MARKET
Trump’s plan to inject hundreds of billions into housing is being framed as a way to lower monthly payments, but historically, cheaper money often pushes demand up faster than supply can respond, fueling higher prices and “bubble” fears instead of real affordability.

FALLING MORTGAGE RATES
Trump said he’d lower mortgage rates by buying $200B of mortgage-backed securities (MBS). Mortgages are bundled into MBS and sold to investors. A huge buyer pushing into that market raises MBS prices, lowers yields, and that typically translates into lower mortgage rates.

WHY LOWER RATES CAN HELP SELLERS MORE THAN BUYERS
Lower rates improve monthly affordability, but if inventory is still tight, the initial benefit often gets absorbed into higher prices. Buyers suddenly qualify for more, then bid more, so the market finds a new payment “equilibrium,” without solving the root shortage problem.

THE REAL PROBLEM: INVENTORY
Today’s scarcity traces back to the 2005–2007 building boom and crash. After that, construction never fully returned to prior levels. Then COVID-era rates locked people into ultra-low mortgages, and as rates rose, they stopped moving, crushing resale supply. Now, inventory is finally creeping back toward 2019 levels, and sellers recently outnumbered buyers by a record margin—though that gap could change quickly.

AFFORDABILITY IS STILL BROKEN
Home prices ran far ahead of incomes over the last two decades, pushing the price-to-income ratio near all-time highs (worse than 2006 by some measures). If rates fall, millions more buyers could qualify, and rising incomes may help, but the typical home still requires a much higher income than just a few years ago.

THE COSTS NO ONE EXPECTED: TAXES + INSURANCE
Even if mortgage rates fall, ownership costs are rising fast, property taxes, insurance, utilities, repairs. In some cases, people now pay more for taxes and insurance than for the mortgage itself. That squeezes affordability even in “improving” rate environments.

THE $200B REALITY CHECK
$200B sounds massive, but in context it’s small versus an ~$11T MBS market. It’s also described like a one-time intervention, not ongoing stimulus like 2020, so any benefits may fade once the buying stops, without changing long-term building behavior.

WHAT EXPERTS SAY ABOUT 2026 PRICES
Most forecasts expect modest nominal price growth nationally in 2026 (roughly ~1% to ~2%+ depending on the source). Some markets may outperform (parts of the Midwest/Northeast), while others may keep declining (some Florida markets, Nashville, San Antonio). But once adjusted for inflation, even “growth” can be a real purchasing-power loss.

WHY I’M SELLING: RETURNS AREN’T WORTH THE HEADACHE ANYMORE
I’ve run the numbers property-by-property: equity has grown so much that return-on-equity has compressed. Overhead is up sharply since 2020 (insurance, water, repairs), and rent growth caps in LA make it harder to keep pace with inflation. With rates potentially falling and values getting a short-term boost, selling becomes the cleanest move for the same return with less risk and hassle.

THE 2026 HOUSING MARKET
This isn’t “don’t buy.” It’s: do the math and don’t panic. More listings are sitting, some sellers are overpriced, and negotiation leverage is starting to return in certain markets. Buy only what you can afford long-term, avoid FOMO, and treat 2026 as a different rulebook than the last decade, where almost anything, anywhere worked.

THE BOTTOM LINE: THE PLAYBOOK CHANGED
Real estate isn't "over," but it’s no longer automatic. Higher carrying costs, slower appreciation, and shifting inventory dynamics mean you need scrutiny and discipline. Don’t assume yesterday’s strategy works tomorrow, and make sure to ONLY buy long term!

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Mano Kamgang
 

  • @GrahamStephan says:

    -Here is a link containing the source material for each piece of research cited. I do my best to make my videos as accurate as I can, and the additional resources should help anyone who wants to look into them further – enjoy! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13y3HOv1pax22P5jl2kxYvbP778lxC3eCfRyLoE_ak8I/edit?usp=sharing
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  • @gdangeldth says:

    Can a pleb like me do an MBS?

  • @dillonb9648 says:

    Graham, we need a watch collection video!

    • @GrahamStephan says:

      For sure!

    • @BillSmith-zn9xr says:

      Graham is definitely the wrong youtuber for a video such as that.
      Try Chonova Engineering instead.

    • @dt4910 says:

      @BillSmith-zn9xr The great thing is that Graham could make watch videos if he wanted and people can choose to watch him or another person. Its crazy right! Its like he can make whatever content he wants.

    • @BillSmith-zn9xr says:

      ​@dt4910lol bruh u r correct. Check out chronova engineering and i think you may understand the joke here partner. Have a goodun

  • @sam-me3vu says:

    Oh hes selling again guys

  • @Courtney-Alice-Gargani says:

    If rates go down possible housing cost might go up.

  • @AsherGriffin100 says:

    The photo of the triplex made subscribing worth it 😂

  • @parijatttt.exe. says:

    Make a video on gold and silver. Silvers moving up like there’s no tomorrow.

  • @bigdaddy5087 says:

    Graham how many likes to do a video of the process of selling a home

  • @desibtru says:

    Thanks for the info Graham ❤ I’m looking to buy a home would love a video on the type of home for 1st time buyers.

  • @bjbmbc says:

    always appreciate you posting the full video overview in description

  • @Jeff-pm5zc says:

    The bond and credit (risk) markets determine mortgage rates. The US bond market alone is $58 trillion. $200 billion is about 0.3% of the US bond market. Even it does lower mortgage rates, that doesn’t solve the problem of a lack of available houses in accessible (not isolated) areas.

  • @Ai.Finalboss says:

    my boy Dr. Doom is back

    • @GrahamStephan says:

      Uh oh

    • @Ai.Finalboss says:

      ​​@GrahamStephanyou’re not selling off everything. I’ll bet 109$ you don’t

    • @Thenandagain says:

      @GrahamStephan Sorry Graham. Kind of agree here. Lots of relevant data you skipped over here. If affordability is so bad, how is the home ownership rate still in 60% range? How is it going to crash when 40% of homes that are owner occupied are free and clear of a mortgage? If anything, those private equity owned apartments that didn’t lock in a mortgage rate may suffer. I don’t know dude. Seems like you glazed over some things.

  • @danhabib5334 says:

    I needed that picture of a triplex. Made my day lmao

  • @TheOnlyOnionPeeler says:

    When you evaluate the value of a property you got to look at what it would take to build it over at the same place, at the given time. This is what the underlying value is. Everything else is noise.

    • @Thenandagain says:

      This is why they aren’t building starter homes anymore. Can’t do it.
      Graham isn’t quite on here. 40% of owner occupied homes are free and clear of mortgages and home ownership rate is at like 64%. That’s about the same rate it’s been since the 1960’s.

  • @countryfucius says:

    They did not plummet and are up today.

  • @codguy565 says:

    I hate the term “buyers market” because most of these people are previous home owners. It’s mostly a home owner trading market where people are upsizing or downsizing. With very little chances for new buyers.

  • @Thenandagain says:

    And yet….40% of owner occupied homes are owned free and clear and home ownership rates still somewhere in the 60’s%…just as it always has been.

  • @midiarum693 says:

    I’m bettin this whole timeframe will go down as either 2008 2.0 or the Great Misery.

  • @jimmywhale168 says:

    You maybe not charging enough rent on your property. It is like buy a gold bar and sit on it. It doesn’t make you more money every year and just wait for the price to go up. If it fall you screwed.

  • @Sid0419 says:

    I thought you sold your entire real estate portfolio 3 years when mortgage rates went up 😂

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