Ever get cornered at a holiday party with the same three questions: How’s the market, when will rates drop, and is a crash coming? We tackle them head-on with real numbers, real talk, and a real-life move at a 7 percent rate to show how life needs can outweigh rate anxiety when the fit is right. We break down why home turnover has fallen to the lowest level in decades, how “hostage mortgages” keep people parked in homes that no longer serve them, and what the latest sales-per-1,000-homes data actually means for buyers and sellers. Then we pull back the curtain on the most common rate myth: if mortgages fell to 5 percent tomorrow, prices would likely jump as demand floods back, sparking bidding wars and fresh FOMO. That’s the paradox of affordability—cheaper money often raises the price tag. We also address crash fears with facts. Lending standards today are strict, foreclosure levels remain tiny relative to total households, and there’s no broad wave of forced selling to drive a steep drop. Instead, we focus on practical strategy: decide based on your life horizon, budget resilience, and the total cost of ownership. If the move solves real problems—space, parking, location, lifestyle—it may be worth acting now and treating future refinance opportunities as upside rather than the plan. Along the way, we share a candid story of selling in Little Valley and buying in Bloomington for more land and a better daily life, even with a higher rate. If you’re weighing buy, sell, or stay, this conversation gives you a clear framework to cut through noise and move with confidence. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s on the fence, and leave a review with the one question you still want answered. Have other questions about living in, moving to, or visiting St. George and Southern Utah? Just ask! P. 435-291-5443 E. sales@gostgeorge.com Web: www.GoStGeorge.com Insta: https://www.instagram.com/larkingroup FB: https://www.facebook.com/StGeorgeExperts 🌟 Who? Jeremy Larkin was born and raised in St. George, Utah and is the owner of The Larkin Group Real Estate Advisors. 📍 Where? Washington and Iron County, Utah, including, but not limited to St. George, Washington City, Ivins, Santa Clara, Hurricane, LaVerkin, Toquerville, Cedar City and Parowan. 💈 What? Jeremy and his team of expert advisors at The Larkin Group walk the best clients in the world through the brain surgery of Buying, Selling and Investing Southern Utah Real Estate! And perhaps more importantly, they LOVE this community and pouring their heart and soul into it! 📻 Tune in! Jeremy is the host of The "St. George Real Estate Morning" Drive radio show 94.9 FM / 890 AM. You can stream the weekly program Thursdays at 8:35 AM here: https://tinyurl.com/radiorealestate 🙏 Give: The St. George Basket Brigade feeds 200+ families every Thanksgiving and supports local families, students and schools through organizations like Tan's Treats. Learn more and give at http://stgeorgebasketbrigade.org/ 🔍 SEARCH ALL HOMES AND LAND in Washington County https://www.gostgeorge.com/ 🔗 CHECK YOUR CURRENT HOME EQUITY @ https://www.gostgeorge.com/homevalue [00:00:00] The Three Questions Everyone Asks [00:04:38] Home Turnover Hits Decades-Low [00:09:45] Hostage Mortgages And Affordability [00:14:30] What The Sales Data Really Shows [00:19:20] How's The Market Depends On You
