CKM TEAM REALTY

What the Changing Real Estate Market Means for Buyers and Sellers in New York's Capital District

October 14, 2026

As the leaves change color and cooler temperatures settle across New York's Capital District, something else is changing: the housing market.

For the past several years, homebuyers have faced limited inventory, rising home prices, intense competition, and mortgage rates that have stretched household budgets. Sellers, meanwhile, have enjoyed an environment where well-positioned properties could attract considerable attention. But as we move further into the fall of 2026, the real estate landscape is beginning to look different.

More homes are becoming available, buyers are taking additional time to make decisions, and some sellers a...

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Mortgage rates are once again making headlines, and this latest move is significant enough that both buyers and sellers should pay attention.

According to Mortgage Bankers Association data reported on October 7, the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 7.49% for the week ending October 2, up 19 basis points and reaching its highest level since November 2023. Mortgage applications also declined 4.2% as borrowing costs increased.

Just days earlier, Freddie Mac had reported its 30-year average jumping from 7.03% to 7.28% its largest weekly increase in four years.

For buyers and sellers here in the Capital District, numbers like these matter. But a rising mortgage rate does not automatically mean...

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What It Means for Capital District Sellers

For the last several years, homeowners thinking about selling have become accustomed to hearing the same message: inventory is low, buyers are competing, and desirable homes can sell quickly. That story has not disappeared here in the Capital District, but the market is changing.

Buyers have more choices than they did before. Mortgage rates remain elevated. Affordability continues to influence purchasing decisions. And even in communities where homes are still selling quickly, buyers are becoming more selective about what they are willing to pay for. For sellers in Albany, Colonie, Guilderland, Bethlehem, Latham, Clifton Park, Niskayuna, Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga Springs and surrounding communities, this means one thing:

The days of assuming that almost any home will sell qu...

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What Does That Mean in the Capital District?

September 23, 2026

A headline can make the housing market sound contradictory: sales are slowing, more homes are available nationally, and prices are still rising. That is exactly what the latest Homes.com report found. In August, its U.S. median sale price reached $395,000, up 2.1% from a year earlier, while sales fell 4.3% and the number of homes for sale rose 5.4%.

For buyers and sellers around Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga Springs, and nearby communities, the key question is whether that national pattern describes our market. The answer is: only partly.

A different inventory story close to home

The Greater Capital Ass...

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If you've owned your home for several years, there's a good chance you've heard someone say, "You probably have a lot of equity."

But what exactly does that mean?

Home equity is one of those real estate terms people hear frequently but may not fully understand. And for homeowners throughout Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga County, and the surrounding Capital District communities, understanding your equity can be important when deciding what comes next.

Whether you're thinking about selling, buying another home, downsizing, or simply wondering where you stand financially, it helps to understand how that equity was created in the first place.

What Is Home Equity?

Simply put, home equity is the difference between what your home is currently worth and what you still owe on your mortgage. For example, imagine your home could sell f...

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