November 24, 2025

As we walk into Thanksgiving week with Turkey and family time around the corner, the real estate market in the Lowcountry is very much awake. While people are carving turkeys, we’re watching some very real economic shifts take place that matter for buyers, sellers, and investors heading into the next 90 days.

ECONOMIC TIGHTENING & WHAT CHANGES DECEMBER 1

For the better part of the last two years, we’ve been in a cycle of quantitative tightening.

That simply means:

The Fed has been pulling money out of the financial system

They’ve kept the Fed Funds Rate higher

And they’ve reduced bond-buying, which pushes long-term rates up

This is why mortgage rates have felt so stubborn. But December 1 is expected to mark a shift in the tightening cycle. We’re not moving into full “loosening” yet, but the pace of tightening is slowing. That alone affects consumer confidence.

THE FED, POWELL, AND THE DECEMBER 17–18 MEETING

Jerome Powell’s term as Fed Chair ends May 2026. Markets care about this more than you’d expect. He has taken a cautious, anti-early-rate-cut approach, and investors are already speculating whether a new Chair in 2026 will be more willing to let rates come down faster.

But the more immediate focus is the December 17–18 Fed meeting. Historically, this meeting brings at least a sentiment shift and often a bump downward in mortgage rates even if the Fed does not cut the policy rate.

Important reminder:

The Fed Funds Rate is NOT the mortgage rate.

Mortgage rates respond to expectations, not headlines.

And expectations are shifting.

We’re already seeing the 10-Year Treasury behave like the market anticipates easing in 2024 and 2025. And the moment consumer sentiment changes, the real estate market moves right along with it.

WHAT WE’RE SEEING LOCALLY: LEADING & LAGGING INDICATORS

Right now, our leading indicators in the Lowcountry are strong:

Showing requests are up. Buyer inquiries have increased

Website activity across the region has climbed. Pre-approvals are up with local lenders and appraisals are tightening back toward contract price

Those are leading indicators, the things that forecast what’s about to hit the market.

Lagging indicators, such as closed sales, are still reflecting the slower late-summer and early fall period. That’s normal. Real estate moves in 90-day cycles. What we do today shows up in closings three months from now.

And based on what we’re watching across Beaufort, Bluffton, Charleston, and the entire Lowcountry corridor…

The next 90 days look stronger than the last 90 days.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE MARKET

Interest rates matter, yes. But so do:

401(k) balances

Stock market performance

Savings strength

Consumer confidence

A lot of buyers aren’t rate-dependent. They’re market dependent. And the markets have been performing. When people feel wealthier, they make moves. That emotional shift alone has already started showing up in this month’s showing traffic.

THANKSGIVING WEEK: DON’T SLEEP ON IT

Traditionally, Thanksgiving week used to mean slowdowns.

This year? Not so much.

Buyers are:

Traveling into town

Looking at homes while they’re here

Using time off to book showings

Getting pre-approved so they can act in December and January

If your home is on the market, be prepared for showings.

If you’re thinking about selling, the next 30–60 days could position you ahead of the spring rush.

OUR COMMITMENT

A lot of agents travel this week. Many disappear until New Year’s.