The Housing Market Shift Sellers May Not Be Ready For Over the Next Six MonthsBy Kent Rodahaver, St. Petersburg REALTOR® and Broker/Owner of NextHome South PointeIf you're thinking about selling
Are You Really Ready to Buy a Home? Let's Find Out.
Dated: August 12 2026
Views: 33
You’ve been thinking about buying a home.
Maybe you’ve been scrolling through listings, saving homes you love, or imagining what it would feel like to finally have a place of your own. But then the questions start:
Can I actually afford to buy right now?
Is my credit where it needs to be?
How much money will I need?
What should I do first?
And before you know it, excitement turns into uncertainty. Here’s something I want every future homeowner to know: You don’t have to have everything figured out before you start. You just need to know where you stand. Clarity Comes Before the House Hunt One of the biggest mistakes prospective buyers can make is waiting until they feel completely “ready” before talking to a real estate professional. The truth is, sometimes you don't know what ready looks like until someone helps you understand the process. You may discover that you're closer to homeownership than you thought. Or you may learn that there are a few things you should work on first. Either way, having that information gives you something incredibly valuable; a plan. That's exactly why I created my Clarity & Confidence Assessment.
What Is the Clarity & Confidence Assessment?
It's a simple way to help you take a closer look at where you are in your homebuying journey. Instead of wondering whether you're ready, the assessment helps start the conversation about your goals, your current situation, and what your next steps may look like. And this isn't about pressuring you to buy a home tomorrow. You may be ready now. You may be six months away. You may decide that your best move is to spend the next year preparing.
That's okay.
My goal is to help you understand where you are today so you can make informed decisions about where you'd like to be tomorrow.
From “I Don't Know” to “I Have a Plan”
Homeownership can feel overwhelming when you're trying to figure everything out on your own.
But imagine replacing:
"I don't know if I can buy a home."
with:
"I know exactly what I need to do next."
That's the difference clarity can make. Once you understand your starting point, we can identify the next steps and build a strategy that makes sense for you, not someone else's timeline, budget, or goals.
Your First Step Doesn't Have to Be a Showing
Before we start touring beautiful kitchens, debating whether you really need that extra bedroom, or imagining your furniture in someone's living room, let's make sure you have a clear path forward. If homeownership has been on your mind, even if you're simply curious about whether you're ready, I invite you to take my Clarity & Confidence Assessment. It only takes a few minutes, and it could be the first step toward turning “maybe someday” into an actual plan.
Ready to see where you stand?
Take the Clarity and Confidence Assessment and let's discover your next step together.
Because you don't need to have all the answers to begin, you just need a place to start.
Dee Jenkins
Deidre "Dee" Jenkins is a relationship-focused real estate professional with NextHome South Pointe, serving St. Petersburg, South St. Petersburg, and communities throughout the greater Tampa Bay area.....
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You’ve been thinking about buying a home.Maybe you’ve been scrolling through listings, saving homes you love, or imagining what it would feel like to finally have a place of your own.
Copyright © MFRMLS.com All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumers personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Information on this site was last updated Last updated on September 24, 2026 6:22 PM UTC The listing information on this page last changed on Last updated on September 24, 2026 6:22 PM UTCd. The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of MFR MLS.
All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumers personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
Updated on September 24, 2026 6:22 PM UTC
