- Rogersville led the region for price cuts in July at 57.1% of sales — a fresh talking point for buyers hesitant to negotiate there (Fenley/CoreData, Aug 9).
- 30-year fixed ticked up to 6.89%, 15-year to 6.49%, after a much-stronger-than-expected August jobs report (Mortgage News Daily, Sep 4).
- National Agent Mastermind is about a week out — Sept 15: "Built To Produce" with Jason Stratton, register free (agentanimals.com/samtimlick).
Tri-Cities Market Pulse
Don Fenley's latest breakdown of July price cuts flagged Rogersville as the region's hottest market for negotiating room — sellers there trimmed their asking price on 57.1% of sales, the highest share of any Tri-Cities market with a meaningful sales count, with Gray and Blountville close behind. That's a useful, specific number to have ready for a buyer client who assumes every Tri-Cities listing is a bidding war — in some pockets of the region, sellers are still the ones adjusting. On rates, the 30-year fixed ticked up to 6.89% and the 15-year to 6.49% on September 4, per Mortgage News Daily, after August's jobs report came in far stronger than forecast and cooled expectations for near-term rate cuts — still comfortably below the 54-year average of 7.73%.
Sources: Don Fenley/CoreData, August 9, 2026; Mortgage News Daily rate index, September 4, 2026. Analysis by Sam Timlick, mortgage loan officer in Johnson City, TN.
Mortgage Strategy: The Talking Point for a Buyer Who Wants to Wait
Here's a line worth having ready for any buyer client who wants to sit out until rates drop: home prices historically don't wait for rates to fall — they tend to keep climbing regardless. If rates do drop meaningfully, expect a wave of buyers to come off the sidelines at once, the way we saw during the COVID years, which can push prices up fast and create real competition. A buyer could end up with a lower rate but a higher price and a similar (or bigger) monthly payment, plus a tougher negotiating environment. Buying now, at today's price and rate, and refinancing later if rates fall, is often the stronger position. It's a general market-dynamics point, not a promise about any one buyer's numbers — but paired with a market like Rogersville, where sellers are already flexible on price, it's a genuinely useful reframe rather than just a rate pitch.
Quick FAQ
National Agent Mastermind: September 15, About a Week Out
The National Agent Mastermind is confirmed for Tuesday, September 15 at 3:00 PM Eastern: Built To Produce: The Habits, Mindset & Strategies That Shape Your Identity & Success, with Jason Stratton drawing on more than 25 years in real estate. It's free, and I sponsor it every month because it's genuinely useful for agents building a business that holds up regardless of what the market's doing. Registration is at agentanimals.com/samtimlick — grab a spot now while it's about a week out.
Tri-Cities Weekend Events
The Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion takes over downtown Bristol September 11-13 — multiple stages of roots, Americana, and bluegrass music across the state line that birthplace-of-country-music weekend draws visitors from well outside the region. Worth mentioning to any out-of-town buyer client using the trip to scout neighborhoods while they're in town.
Got Buyers Who Need Financing?
If you've got buyers who need financing — first-time, repeat, or anywhere in between — I'd love to work with them. I'll treat them like family, and I'll keep you in the loop the whole way. More on how I work with agents at samtimlick.com/for-agents.