The Divide of the Housing Market and Why an Even Wider Gap is Coming Next Year

BiggerPockets Blog
Published: November 21, 2025
Pricing & Profitability

Summary

The U.S. housing market is bifurcating, with strong demand expected in second home and short-term rental hubs, while other areas may see flat or declining prices. Hosts should focus on hyper-local market conditions and financing options to make successful investment decisions in 2026 and beyond.

Key Insights

  • Homes priced over $1 million saw a year-over-year jump of more than 16%, and properties between $750,000 and $1 million rose 10%.
  • Our forecast for 2026 and 2027 is for the luxury single-family, second home, and short-term rental markets to be exceptionally strong as a result of tax incentives (like the STR loophole), diversification and profit-taking from equities, and an anticipated reduction in mortgage rates amid the end of quantitative tightening (with the potential for easing).

Action Items

  • In strong markets, make the effort to tour prime listings as close to coming to market as possible and be decisive.
    Effort: medium
    Impact: medium
  • For markets on your radar, consider aggressive negotiations and incentives beyond price such as furnishings and seller concessions.
    Effort: medium
    Impact: medium

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