Rates, yield, and opportunity: What buyers need to know this week | October 2026

Hi Everyone,

Finally, the cooler fall weather might be here to stay! 🍁

Let’s take a look at what’s happening in our local Sacramento real estate market this week.

As our featured article below highlights, higher mortgage rates give buyers more room to negotiate on purchase price. However, buyers still have to balance that pricing power against their comfort level with the monthly payment.

This should ALWAYS be the very first question a buyer answers before looking at homes, regardless of where interest rates sit:

• Math first. Search and action second.

Doing it in any other order is a waste of your valuable time!

Where Things Stand Today:

• 30-Year Fixed Rates: Averaging 7.40% nationally.

• 10-Year Treasury Yield: Down nicely from its peak two weeks ago to 5.12% (a relief, as we definitely don't want to see those highs retested).

We can see how buyers are reacting to these rates in the latest purchase application numbers. Alongside several negative weeks, the trend line is showing a "rounded bottom"—meaning demand may be stabilizing. I’m tracking today’s application data and next week’s numbers closely to see where momentum builds.

As I mentioned recently, higher rates naturally slow things down, but this feels more like a digestion phase for the market rather than a full stop. For savvy, well-prepared buyers, this quiet period is often where the best opportunities are found.

My family is headed to Casini Ranch this weekend for a little Halloween fun with friends.  See you next week!

Have questions about your buying power or how to position yourself in today's market? Reply directly to this email—I’d love to connect!