Time IN the Market Beats Timing the Market

Trying to decide whether it makes more sense to buy a home now or wait? There’s a lot to consider, from what’s happening in the market to your changing needs. But trying to time the market isn’t a good strategy – there are too many factors at play for that to even be possible.

That’s why experts usually say time in the market is better than timing the market.

In other words, if you want to buy a home and you’re able to make the numbers work, doing it sooner rather than later is usually worth it. Here’s what Bankrate says:

“No matter which way the real estate market is leaning, though, buying now means you can start building equity immediately.” 

The Risk of Waiting for Rates to Drop

Some buyers are waiting for mortgage rates to come down before making a move, but forecasts suggest significant reductions may not happen in the near future. As of February 28, 2025, mortgage rates in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are approximately 6.566% for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and 5.732% for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage.

While rates may decline slightly over time, major reductions aren’t guaranteed. Fannie Mae projects that the 30-year fixed mortgage rate will average 6.6% in 2025 and 6.4% in 2026—meaning the difference may not be as impactful as some buyers hope.

Home Prices continue to rise

Meanwhile, home prices are expected to continue rising. Realtor.com predicts a 3.7% increase in home prices for 2025, following previous increases of 4% in 2024 and 1.1% in 2023. That means waiting could lead to paying more for the same home, even if rates drop slightly.Here’s some data to break this down so you can really see the benefit of buying now  versus later

But what does that really mean to you? To give these numbers context let’s look at a graph that uses a typical home value to show how it could appreciate over the next few years using those HPES projections. This is what you could start to earn in equity if you buy a in early 2025

In this example, let’s say you go ahead and buy a median price home for $630,000 in the early part of 2005. Based on the expert forecasts from the HPES, you could gain more than $131,120 in household wealth over the next five years. That’s not a small number. If you keep on renting, you’re losing out on this equity gain.

And while today’s market has its fair share of challenges, this is why buying is going to be worth it in the long run. If you want to buy a home, don’t give up. There are creative ways we can make your purchase possible.

So sure, you could wait. But if you’re just waiting for it out to perfectly time the market, this is what you’re missing out on.

Take Away

If you’re torn between buying now or waiting, don’t forget that it’s time in the market, not timing the market that truly matters. Let’s connect if you want to talk about what you need to do to get the process started today.