Home prices rise slightly, continuing the 'nobody's market' in housing

Why both buyers and sellers are stuck in 2025’s real estate slowdown

Author

Mike Ugarte
November 28, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

It’s Not Just You. This Market is Really Weird

Ever feel like the housing market makes no sense right now? You’re not alone and you’re not imagining it. Nationally, we’ve officially entered what some experts are calling a “nobody’s market.” That’s code for: buyers can’t afford much, sellers aren’t cashing out big, and everyone’s frustrated. Here’s what’s going on, and what it means for us here in Pembroke Pines.

What You Need to Know

Here are some key takeaways from the article:

  • Price growth is crawling: Annual home price increases are hovering between 1.2% and 3.26%, depending on who you ask. The days of 10–15% jumps are over.

  • Affordability’s still out of reach: Buyers now spend about 30% of their income on monthly payments. Way above the norm. With mortgage rates around 6.26%, the average monthly payment hit $2,148.

  • Luxury homes are moving, starter homes aren’t: Sales of homes above $750K went up 5.8% in the first seven months of 2025. Sales below $750K dropped 3%. That’s because there’s more inventory and more buyer activity in the higher end market. Meanwhile, the under $750K market is starved for listings, so even though demand is high, overall sales are down simply because there aren’t enough homes to buy.

  • Sellers are tapping out: September saw a surge in pulled listings. Why? Many sellers still expect 2021 level bidding wars and aren’t getting them.

  • 50% chance of a December rate cut, down from 94% last month.

Bottom Line:

What’s happening nationally is showing up right here at home. Inventory is weird, pricing is tricky, and expectations on both sides are totally out of sync. For sellers, it means being honest about today’s market, not yesterday’s. For buyers, it means that even though prices aren’t soaring, high rates are keeping things tight.

If you’re buying above $750K, you might have room to negotiate. Below that line? You’re still in the fight.

Bottom line: This market isn’t “hot,” “cold,” or “balanced.” It’s just stuck. And navigating it takes more than hope. It takes strategy, patience, and a seriously local lens.

Want the full story?
👉 Read the full USA Today article here