As the calendar flips to a new year, you’ve set a clear goal for the next 12 months: positioning yourself to become a homeowner in 2026. You’ve thought about the neighborhood, the commute and maybe even the garden or the décor. But long before you take a step through your future front door, your finances need to be ready.
That preparation matters even more as the housing market begins to shift. Recent Realtor.com data show inventory has been rising for more than two years, giving buyers more options than they have had in recent memory. At the same time, buyer activity remains soft, with homes staying on the market longer and prices edging slightly lower compared with last year. Together, these trends point to a market that is gradually easing in buyers’ favor — making it all the more important to be financially prepared.
