Should I Sell My House in 2026? What This Spring’s Numbers Actually Say
The 30-second answer If you’ve been sitting on the “should I sell my house?” question for a year, here’s the short read for spring 2026: The 30-year fixed closed at 6.50% today, up 0.12%. That’s noise inside a 6.20–6.55% band rates have held all April. The trend is sideways, not catastrophic. Mortgage applications jumped 7.9% […]
The Shocking Truth About Who Pays Realtor Fees in 2026 (And How to Save Thousands)
So, Who Actually Pays Realtor Fees When You Sell a Home? Who pays realtor fees is one of the first questions I get from homeowners thinking about selling — and honestly, the answer changed pretty dramatically in 2024. I’m David Speers, and I run HomeRise, Houwzer, and Trelora — three real estate companies built around […]
How to Sell My House Without a Realtor: The Proven, Stress-Free Guide for 2026
Why I Tell People: Yes, You Can Sell Without an Agent If you’re wondering how to sell my house without a realtor, I get it. I’ve spent the last decade running real estate companies â HomeRise, Houwzer, and Trelora â and the single biggest question I hear from homeowners is whether they actually need to […]
Pre Listing Home Inspection: Why I Tell Every Seller to Get One (2026)
I’ve watched sellers lose $10,000, $15,000, even $20,000 in last-minute negotiations because a buyer’s inspector found something nobody expected. A cracked heat exchanger. Knob-and-tube wiring hidden behind finished walls. A failing septic system that looked fine from the surface. Every single one of those deals could have gone differently if the seller had ordered a […]
Seller Closing Costs: What You’ll Actually Pay When You Sell Your Home (2026)
Most sellers I talk to have a rough idea what their house is worth. They’ve checked Zillow, maybe pulled a few comps. But almost nobody has a clear picture of what walks out the door at closing. And that number? It’s usually bigger than they expect. Seller closing costs typically run 8% to 10% of […]
13 Home Staging Tips That Actually Move the Needle (2026)
I’ve walked through more staged homes than I can count at this point. Some looked like they belonged in a magazine. Others looked like someone watched one too many HGTV episodes and panic-bought throw pillows. Here’s what I’ve learned about home staging tips after years in the real estate business: the stuff that actually sells […]
How to Sell a House Without a Realtor: 9 Steps I’d Follow in 2026
I’ve helped hundreds of homeowners sell their properties, and here’s something most agents won’t admit: you can sell your house without a realtor. I’ve seen people do it successfully — and I’ve seen people lose tens of thousands of dollars trying. The difference usually comes down to whether you actually understand what you’re signing up […]
What Hurts a Home Appraisal? 11 Things Sellers Miss (2026)
If you are wondering what hurts a home appraisal, let me start with a story. A few years back, I sat with a seller in suburban Philly who had priced her home at $525,000 and lined up a buyer at asking. The appraisal came back at $487,000. Deal died. She spent the next three months […]
2% Commission Realtors: What You Actually Get (And What You Don’t)
If you’re selling a home in 2026, you’ve probably seen ads for 2% commission realtors and wondered: is this legit, or is there a catch? The short answer is yes, 2% commission realtors are real — but what you actually get for that 2% varies wildly depending on who you hire. I’m David Speers, and […]
2% Commission Realtors: Are They Actually Worth It in 2026?
2% commission realtors charge about a third less than the average listing agent — and on a $400,000 home, that gap puts roughly $3,500 back in your pocket at closing. After years in prop-tech watching sellers overpay for basic listing services, I think 2% is a step in the right direction. But it’s not the […]