Jul 14, 2026
Markets never send a warning before they change. By the time you notice, the advantage you were counting on is already gone.
Knowing the right time to buy a house in Raleigh is harder than it sounds, because housing markets rarely signal a shift before it has already happened. In episode 253 of the Martini Mortgage Podcast, Kevin Martini of Martini Mortgage Group breaks down why waiting for certainty can quietly cost buyers the exact homes they wanted. He points to new Cotality data showing national home price appreciation accelerated for the first time in nearly two years, moving from 0.6% annual growth in April to 0.8% in May, with three month momentum jumping to 1.6%. Kevin explains why preparation, not perfect timing, is the one variable buyers can actually control, and walks through Martini Mortgage Group's Same-As-Cash Approval process built on that idea.
KEY QUESTIONS THIS EPISODE ANSWERS
- How do you know if the Raleigh housing market is starting to shift?
- Should I wait for mortgage rates to drop before buying a home?
- What does it actually mean to be fully underwritten before house hunting?
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
- Why housing markets rarely announce a shift before it has already happened.
- What new national pricing data from Cotality signals about Raleigh's negotiating window.
- Why waiting for the "perfect" mortgage rate can bring a wave of competing buyers back all at once.
- How to get pre-approved before house hunting so you're not scrambling to catch up.
- What the Same-As-Cash Approval process is and how it changes a buyer's negotiating position.
- Why preparation, not timing, is the one thing a buyer can fully control.
ABOUT THE HOST
Kevin
Martini (NMLS 143962) is the founder of Martini Mortgage
Group, located at 507 N Blount St, Raleigh, NC 27604. Phone:
919-238-4934. He serves homebuyers, homeowners, and real estate
professionals across North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina,
Virginia, and Maryland with fiduciary-grade mortgage guidance.