🏡 Are Home Prices Really Falling? Here’s What Jefferson County Homeowners Need to Know

If you’ve been seeing headlines about home prices falling, it’s completely understandable to feel concerned 😬. You may be wondering whether your home is losing value or if now is a risky time to make a move.

Here’s the good news: home prices are not falling nationally — and for most homeowners, values are still rising 📈.

While a few local markets across the country have seen small, temporary dips, the overall U.S. housing market remains strong. Let’s take a closer look at what’s really happening — and what it means for homeowners here in Jefferson, Fort Atkinson, and throughout Jefferson County, WI.

📊 Most of the Country Is Still Seeing Home Prices Rise

According to year-over-year data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), the majority of states are experiencing continued home price growth.

✔️ Most states show price increases
✔️ Gains are more moderate than the pandemic boom (which is healthy)
✔️ Nationally, home prices are up 2.1% year over year, per the National Association of Realtors (NAR)

The headlines tend to focus on isolated price dips — but that’s not the full picture.

🔍 What About the Areas Where Prices Dipped?

Yes, a small number of states have seen prices decline slightly. But here’s the important context:

📉 The declines range from just -0.1% to about -2%
🏘️ These areas are typically markets where prices surged too far, too fast during the pandemic
⚖️ What we’re seeing now is normalization — not a crash

In simple terms:
This is a market correction, not a collapse.

For most homeowners, these small adjustments are barely noticeable when viewed against long-term appreciation.

💰 Most Homeowners Still Have Significant Equity

Here’s another reassuring stat that often gets overlooked 👇

According to Zillow:

• ✅ 96% of homes are still worth more than what the owner paid

• ❌ Only 4% of homes are worth less than their original purchase price

And when you zoom out even further, the story becomes even clearer.

Over the past five years, U.S. home prices are up nearly 49% nationwide 📈 — with double-digit growth in nearly every market.

That’s why, even with small dips in select areas, most homeowners are still sitting on substantial gains.

🏠 What This Means for Jefferson County Homeowners

Real estate is always local. National headlines don’t tell the whole story for communities like Jefferson, Fort Atkinson, Lake Mills, or the surrounding areas.

For most homeowners here:

• Your home value is likely stable or growing

• Any minor market softening is usually offset by years of appreciation

• Equity remains one of your strongest financial assets

🔑 Bottom Line

Don’t let alarming headlines shake your confidence. While some markets are adjusting slightly, most of the country — and most homeowners — are still in a very strong position.

If you’re curious about:

• Your home’s current value

• How your local market compares to national trends

• Whether now is a smart time to sell, buy, or wait

Having a local expert makes all the difference.

📍 Talk With a Local Expert You Can Trust

Chris Nash
Century 21 Integrity Group – Jefferson, WI

🌐 https://www.c21integritygroup.com
📧 cnash@sellzhomez.com

Century 21 can help you cut through the noise, understand what the data really means for your home, and make confident real estate decisions based on facts — not fear.