Every now and then an article hits the headlines that sends half the internet into a panic spiral. This week’s culprit?

“Price Correction ‘Worse Than 2008’ Coming To the US Housing Market.”

A bold claim. A dramatic one. And—let’s be honest—not a helpful one.

If you read that and felt your stomach drop, you’re not alone. These headlines spread faster than facts ever do. But once you dig into the data, it becomes clear: the sky is not falling. The market is simply doing what markets do after an unnatural surge… it’s leveling out.

Let’s break this down in a way that’s actually useful, whether you’re a local client, my old elementary school teacher who still follows me on Facebook (yes, I see you), or someone who clicked on a home online at 2 AM and somehow ended up in my database.

What’S Happening isn’t a “Crash”… It’s more like a Sugar High

In 2019, a $250,000 house should have climbed at a boring, reliable 4–6% a year.
If that happened, its path would’ve been smooth and predictable.

Then COVID hit.

Rates dropped to historic—and frankly absurd—levels.
Inventory vanished.
Demand exploded.
And that same house shot up like it was strapped to a rocket.

From 2020 to 2022, we saw year-over-year appreciation in the 18%–25% range in many markets. That's not “normal growth.” That’s caffeine, adrenaline, and chaos rolled into one.

The chart I included shows both paths side-by-side: the normal path vs. the COVID sugar-rush path. And guess where both lines meet again?

2025–2026.
Meaning: the worst-case scenario isn’t a crash.
It’s a return to the long-term trend line.

That’s not apocalyptic. That’s math.

So Why Do Headlines Keep Screaming “2008!”?

Because fear sells clicks.

But here’s the reality I’m seeing every single day:

• Sellers aren’t living in 2021 anymore.

• Buyers aren’t living in 2008.

• Most metro markets are stabilizing, not collapsing.

• Inventory is rising gradually, not spiking.

• Homeowners are sitting on record-high equity.

• Lending standards today look nothing like the pre-2008 wild west.

Is it a slam-dunk market for sellers? No.
Is it a slam-dunk market for buyers? Also no.

But stability is not a four-letter word. In my world, it’s a healthy one.

What’s Coming Next (This Is the Good Stuff)

We’ve been in a long, very long, cycle of quantitative tightening.
That’s the Federal Reserve pulling money out of the system, which pushes rates higher.

But December is expected to be the turning point.

• The Fed meets December 17–18

• Powell’s term ends next year

• Tightening is slowing

• Confidence is shifting

• Buyers and sellers are watching the same indicators

Rates don’t need to drop dramatically to move the market. They just need to soften.

When they do, demand wakes up before prices adjust.
And buyers who waited for the mythical “50% off crash”… usually get left behind.

Why You’re Getting This Email From Me

My team is ranked in the Top 100 real estate teams in North America with eXp, but titles aren’t why I write these.

I write them because:

• You deserve real information, not fear-driven sensationalism

• You should understand leading vs. lagging indicators

• You should know what’s happening in your local market, not “national averages”

• And because real estate isn’t my job, it’s literally how I spend my days, nights, weekends, and brain cells

I run a team of agents who treat this profession like a craft.
We don’t do marshmallow fluff.
We don’t do doomsday drama.
We do data.
We do strategy.
We do clarity.

And we enjoy making this stuff interesting, because understanding a $400K decision shouldn’t feel like studying for a midterm you forgot about.

The Bottom Line

The market isn’t crashing.
The market is normalizing.
Correction is not catastrophe.
And the loudest voices online are almost never the most accurate.

If you have questions about your home, your neighborhood, your timeline, or what this means for your personal goals… let’s talk. I’m here to talk through it like an actual human.

And if you just like reading these updates because you love the Lowcountry or you’re secretly obsessed with economics now… welcome to the party.

More soon,
Allison Sutcliffe Greco
The Greco Group

843.812.3711
eXp Realty