With more than half of the year over mortgage rates remain in a range, neither moving strongly in one direction or the other.  Home prices in certain parts of the US are seeing softness as home buyers facing high home prices and high mortgage rates have decided enough is enough.  Regardless of the high mortgage rates and high home prices they are still selling.  It is estimated 2.7 million homes have sold year to date.  So if you want to buy a home and the numbers make sense now can be the right time to buy.  Check out the articles in this month’s roundup to help get ready to buy or sell a home.

VA Quick and Easy Mortgage Refinance

For Active Duty Service members or Veterans, the VA IRRRL program (Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan) is a great way to refinance one’s mortgage to get a lower interest rate without all of the paperwork and requirements associated with a traditional refinance.  There are some requirements such as no cash out allowed and one must be seeing a tangible benefit.  In this article by Ohio mortgage loan originator Paul Sian he provides a detailed overview of why the VA IRRRL is a great way to refinance ones VA mortgage in order to save money over the life of the loan.

HomeReady vs. Home Possible Mortgage Programs

Looking to buy a home but not sure about the down payment or credit requirements for a mortgage?  The HomeReady or the Home Possible mortgage may be for you as Luke Skar explores.  With 3% down payment for each and less stringent credit requirements for those looking to buy a home there are options.  The article has a great FAQ section and a handy table that a home buyer can use to compare the best features of each loan against each other.  Home ownership is within the reach of many with the right mortgage program as this article explores.

Fall Home Selling Guide

In most markets the fall season is the second most popular time for buying and selling a home.  In order to get ready to sell a home in the fall the home sellers needs to start early enough to make sure the home shines when buyers walk through in the fall.  In this article by real estate agent Paul Sian he provides a great guide to getting one’s home ready for a fall sale.  Things like home pricing, making sure the home shines both online and in person are important in order to get home buyers interested.  Fall usually has fewer buyers than the spring time and making sure each buyer is excited to see a home is a great way to make sure the home gets sold.

Do Open Houses Make Sense?

When it comes to selling a home there are some real estate agents who swear by open houses as well as home sellers who insist that open houses be held.  In this article by Michelle Gibson she provides an in-depth look into the pros and cons of holding an open house.  In some locations open houses absolutely do have success whereas in other locations no one will show up for the open house.  The article includes a frequently asked questions section that can be beneficial for a home seller to read before they decide on an open house.  There is no one size fits all answer.

Home Prices – Where Are They At?

With mortgage rates remaining elevated compared to recent years past (it should be noted that current mortgage rates available today are trending towards historical norms) home prices are facing downward pressure in many markets simply due to being unaffordable with today’s mortgage rates.  Mortgage rates themselves will vary person to person based on their financial situation and many buyers have simply determined homes are no longer currently worth it.  Whether that means homeowners are choosing to stay put or other people are preferring rent to homeownership varies.  The data in this article shows many markets are seeing home prices decline from their recent highs.

Data Centers

The fact of the matter is that many data centers have been up and running for decades now.  The first programmable general-purpose computer, the ENIAC, needed about 2000 square feet and was built in the 1940s and is considered a pre-cursor data center.  That is relatively small compared to today’s data centers which are in the couple hundred thousand square feet range.  With the taking off of the internet, data centers started getting build in bulk in the 1990s.  In this article by Jason Northcutt he takes a look at a local data center development and dives into the facts about a data center in Texas and how it can impact real estate values and more.

What other real estate articles did you find helpful?  Feel free to share in the comments below. The Real Estate Roundup for August 2026 was provided by Greater Cincinnati Area Luxury Realtor Paul Sian with Home Connections in Cincinnati, Ohio. Paul is a licensed real estate agent in the states of Ohio and Kentucky, he is also licensed mortgage loan originator in the state of Ohio. Feel free to contact Paul for all your Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky real estate needs. 

Here is another August 2026 round up to check out at MassRealEstateNews.com.