I get this question at least three times a week. At the coffee shop on the Square. At open houses. In my DMs. "Connie, should we just wait for rates to come down?"
It's a fair question. Nobody wants to buy a house and then watch rates drop six months later. So let's talk about what's really happening with mortgage rates right now, what it means right here in Marietta and Cobb County, and whether waiting actually saves you money.
Spoiler: the math might surprise you.
Zillow's research team put out a new report on October 28 with a pretty clear headline. Rates are drifting lower from their recent peak, but they're still noticeably higher than they were a year ago.
Here's the short version of why. The Federal Reserve held rates steady at its October meeting, and markets are betting there's better than an 80% chance of a rate hike in December. Inflation just isn't cooperating. The September inflation report came in hotter than expected, and rents on new leases have been climbing at their fastest pace in two years.
Because of all that, Zillow expects mortgage rates to come down only slowly. Their forecast has rates staying at 7% or higher through the rest of 2026 and 6.5% or higher in 2027.
So yes, rates should ease a little. Just not a lot.
National headlines are one thing. What I care about is what's happening on our streets. Here's the local picture.
Across Cobb County, the median single family home sold for $465,000 in September 2026, with homes taking about 39 days to sell and 3.6 months of inventory on the market, according to Georgia REALTORS. That's a balanced market. Not the frenzy we saw a few years ago, and not a free for all for buyers either.
Zoom in a little closer and every pocket of Marietta tells its own story.
In East Cobb's 30068 zip code, the median sale price was $667,500 over the last 12 months, down 3.9% from a year earlier. But homes there are still going under contract in about 24 days, and there were only 18 homes for sale in late October. Prices softened a touch. Demand did not.
In 30062, home of the Walton and Pope crowd, the median hit $495,000, up 2.8% year over year. Sellers there are getting about 96.4% of their original asking price on average.
Out in West Cobb's 30064, where Dan and I raised our kids for 17 years, the median was $475,000, up 1.7%, with about 4.6 months of supply. And in 30008, closer to Powder Springs Road, inventory has stretched to about 6 months of supply. That's real breathing room for buyers.
The takeaway? Marietta prices are holding steady to slightly up in most areas. They are not falling off a cliff. And that matters a lot when you're deciding whether to wait.
This is the part of the Zillow report that made me sit up. They ran the numbers nationally and found that if you wait a year to buy, the lower rate is mostly cancelled out by higher home prices. The savings? About $26 a month.
Twenty six dollars. That's one nice lunch at a spot on the Square. Not exactly life changing.
I wanted to see what that looks like at Marietta price points, so I ran a couple of examples. These assume 20% down, a 30 year fixed loan, and principal and interest only (taxes and insurance not included).
Buying a $750,000 home today at 7%, your monthly principal and interest is about $3,992. Wait a year, and say rates drop to 6.75% but that same home now costs 2% more, or $765,000. Your payment is about $3,969. You saved roughly $23 a month.
Now a $1,000,000 home. Today at 7%, about $5,322 a month. Next year at 6.75% and $1,020,000, about $5,293. That's around $29 a month in savings.
And here's what doesn't show up in that math. You'd also bring an extra $3,000 to $4,000 in down payment, spend another year paying rent or living in a house that no longer fits, and miss out on a year of building equity. If rates fall further than expected, you can always look at refinancing later. You can't go back and buy last year's price.
These are illustrations, not a quote. Your numbers will depend on your loan, your credit, and the home. But the pattern holds.
Honestly? This is one of the better buying environments we've had in a while, and it's not because of rates.
With fewer buyers out there (Zillow reports pending sales nationally fell 8.5% year over year in September), you have something buyers didn't have in 2021 and 2022. Time and leverage. You can actually think it over. You can ask for repairs. You can negotiate. In parts of Marietta with 5 or 6 months of supply, homes that have been sitting for 30 days or more often have sellers who are ready to talk.
If you're a growing family eyeing East Cobb schools or more space in West Cobb, the competition is lighter right now than it'll likely be when spring hits and everyone decides at once that rates are "good enough."
And if you're relocating from California, New York, or Chicago, I'll say what I always say. You will be amazed at how much house and yard you get here for the money. The Battery is 25 minutes away. Downtown Atlanta too. And people here still wave from their porches.
If you're an empty nester thinking about trading the big house for something walkable near the Square, this market works in your favor in a quiet way. Prices are steady, and in most Marietta zip codes, your home's value has held or grown.
But today's buyers are careful. They're watching every dollar of that monthly payment. That means pricing right from day one matters more than ever. Overprice it, and you'll sit. Price it right and make it shine, and you'll still see solid activity, especially in sought after areas like 30068 where inventory is tight.
This is where my years as a certified appraiser come in handy. I look at value the way the bank will, so there are no surprises at the appraisal.
If you're ready, have your finances in order, and find the right home, waiting for a slightly lower rate probably won't save you much. A year from now you might save the cost of a lunch each month, but pay more for the house and lose a year of equity.
If you're not ready yet, that's okay too. Let's put together a plan so that when you are, you know exactly what you can afford and which neighborhoods fit your life.
Either way, I'd love to sit down over coffee on the Square and walk through your numbers. No pressure. Just real talk from someone who has helped nearly 1,000 families find home over the past 22 years.
Because nothing feels better than bringing you home.
Connie Carlson | Carlson Orange Team Real Broker LLC | 855-450-0442 Connie: 678-488-9646
Cobb County September 2026 data via Georgia REALTORS, as cited by carlhawthorne.com
30068 market data, Momentum Realty (Oct. 26, 2026)
30062 market data, Momentum Realty (Oct. 19, 2026)
30064 market data, Momentum Realty (Oct. 14, 2026)
30008 market data, Momentum Realty (Oct. 20, 2026)
Payment examples are illustrative estimates of principal and interest only, assuming 20% down and a 30 year fixed loan. They are not a loan offer or rate quote. Data deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
