Mary Helene Mason, Realtor, Burns & Co Inc. Realtors

05/29/2026

The Real Reason Some People Are Still Moving Right Now

Life changes. Priorities shift. Families grow. Kids move out. Careers evolve. And eventually, the house you’re in may stop fitting the life you’re living.

If that’s been weighing on you lately, let’s talk through what your options could realistically look like today, no matter where rates or prices are.

Life can’t always wait for perfect market conditions. Maybe you don’t have to either.



Mary Helene McCowan Mason
Realtor Burns & Company INC/ REALTORS
225-938-7785 Cell
LREC Licensed to sell Real Estate in La.

You may be telling yourself you’re going to wait to move – maybe you’re hoping mortgage rates will come down, prices will fall, or the market will feel a little easier.

05/28/2026

After a year or more of rates coming down, things have changed. And lately, mortgage rates have been climbing again.

And if that's made you wonder whether you should delay your move until they drop, you're not the only one.

The honest truth is that rates probably won't come down much until inflation cools off and some of the global uncertainty settles. And no one knows exactly when that'll be.

But what most headlines won't tell you is that rates aren't the only thing that affects affordability. Sure, they’re a big factor, but not all of the affordability news is bad.

Wages, home prices, and inventory are all trending in a direction that could still help make your move possible.

Want to know what that actually looks like for your situation? Drop a comment or send me a DM.

Because even though rates are higher...



Mary Helene McCowan Mason
Realtor Burns & Company INC/ REALTORS
225-938-7785 Cell
LREC Licensed to sell Real Estate in La.

05/26/2026

Price Cuts Get Bigger the Longer a House Sits Without Offers

Pricing your house high just to “see what happens” can cost you. Buyers today are quick to ignore overpriced homes. And the longer a house sits without any offers, the less it usually sells for. Want to know the right list price for your house to avoid this headache? Let’s chat.



Mary Helene McCowan Mason
Realtor Burns & Company INC/ REALTORS
225-938-7785 Cell
LREC Licensed to sell Real Estate in La.

05/25/2026

Record High Mortgage Debt Sounds Scary. Here’s What the Headlines Leave Out.

Record mortgage debt makes for a scary headline. But context matters.

Equity is near an all-time high, home values have surged, and the vast majority of homeowners are in a position of real financial strength. The conditions that made 2008 a crisis simply don't exist right now.

If you're wondering what all of this means for your situation, whether you're thinking about buying, selling, or just trying to make sense of the market, reach out anytime. No pressure, just answers.



Mary Helene McCowan Mason
Realtor Burns & Company INC/ REALTORS
225-938-7785 Cell
LREC Licensed to sell Real Estate in La.

You may have seen the headlines lately about mortgage debt in America hitting a record high.

05/22/2026

You've probably heard that mortgage debt in America just hit an all-time high. And that's true.
But here's what the headline leaves out.

Equity is also near an all-time high. And at $34.1 trillion, it's more than double the $14.4 trillion in debt.

That's a good thing. It means most homeowners own far more than they owe. So, they have a real financial cushion right now.

That’s something homeowners didn’t have during the crash of 2008. Back then, people owed more than their homes were worth. Today, it’s just the opposite.

Homeowners are in a much better position, and the housing market is on stronger footing than the headlines suggest.



Mary Helene McCowan Mason
Realtor Burns & Company INC/ REALTORS
225-938-7785 Cell
LREC Licensed to sell Real Estate in La.

05/21/2026

Newly Built Home Prices Hit a 5-Year Low

Builder incentives and lower new home prices are working to your advantage in a way they haven't in years. Want to see what's available in your area and what kind of deal a builder may be willing to make? Let's connect.



Mary Helene McCowan Mason
Realtor Burns & Company INC/ REALTORS
225-938-7785 Cell
LREC Licensed to sell Real Estate in La.

If you’ve always assumed a newly built home is just not in your budget, you should know the math just got a little friendlier.

05/19/2026

Tomorrow 5/20. Stop by for a chance to win a visa gift card for 50.00. Beautiful and custom built by the owner’s father who was a builder in the 70’s. Unique features. You must see.

05/19/2026

What the Foreclosure Headlines Aren’t Telling You

Foreclosure filings may be rising, but they're still low. And the equity most homeowners are sitting on today is a key reason this looks nothing like 2008.



Mary Helene McCowan Mason
Realtor Burns & Company INC/ REALTORS
225-938-7785 Cell
LREC Licensed to sell Real Estate in La.

You've probably seen the headlines saying, "foreclosures are on the rise,” and maybe your mind jumped straight to 2008.

05/15/2026

80% of homeowners still expect to get their asking price or more when they sell. But right now, only about 40% actually do.

That might sound surprising, but it’s not. It’s normal.

The issue is where those outdating pricing expectations are coming from.

Some sellers are still pricing high just to “see what happens.” And that strategy doesn’t work now that inventory has grown.

When a house is priced above where it should be today, buyers don’t negotiate. They move on to other options.

That’s when homes sit, and sellers have to slash prices – sometimes below what they could’ve gotten if they’d just priced right from the start.

That’s why the sellers getting the best results right now are doing something different.

They’re pricing at (or even slightly below) market value from day 1. Because that’s what creates demand early...



Mary Helene McCowan Mason
Realtor Burns & Company INC/ REALTORS
225-938-7785 Cell
LREC Licensed to sell Real Estate in La.