I get it. Half the buyers I talk to are worried home prices are about to crash. The other half are quietly hoping they will, just so a home finally feels within reach. A recent survey even found 58% of Gen Z buyers are rooting for a crash. So let's talk about what the experts actually expect, because hoping for a crash and planning around one are two very different things.
What the Experts Actually Expect
Every quarter, Fannie Mae surveys more than 100 housing economists and market experts through its Home Price Expectations Survey. And the forecast has been consistent: they expect home prices to keep rising, just at a slower, more normal pace. Not a surge, and definitely not a crash. Those same experts point out that today's market doesn't carry the warning signs we saw before the 2008 downturn, like a glut of homes and loose lending. That's just not what's happening right now.
What This Means for You
Here's the part that matters most, and it's the part I care about. You can't time the market, and you shouldn't try to. If you're waiting for a crash so you can swoop in, you might be waiting on something that isn't coming, while prices keep edging up and rates hold where they are. If you're scared to buy because you think values will fall, the data says that's not what the experts expect. The question that actually matters isn't 'will there be a crash?' It's 'does buying a home make sense for my life right now?' If it does, the right time is when you're ready, not when a headline tells you to be.
National Numbers Are Context. Your Local Market Is What Matters.
Here's the thing about national numbers: they're a useful temperature check, but they don't tell you what's happening on your street. Real estate is local. The market in Avon is not the market in Sandusky, and neither one moves on a national headline. That's why we keep detailed, up-to-date community pages for every area we serve, with the actual local trends, median prices, and inventory for each town. If you're wondering what's really happening where you want to buy or sell, that's where the truth lives.
Browse your community's page here: Service Areas — or jump straight to Avon, Avon Lake, Westlake, North Ridgeville, Lorain, Elyria, Amherst, Sandusky, Huron, Vermilion, Port Clinton, or Norwalk.
Bottom Line
No one has a crystal ball. But when you line up what the experts actually forecast, the picture is a lot calmer than the headlines suggest. If you want to talk through what this means for your specific situation, I'm happy to have that conversation, no pressure, no sales pitch. Just the truth.
For more market insights, visit GaryLPost.com or call Gary at 440-935-0341.
Content adapted from Keeping Current Matters, September 2026.