Every year, Brian Buffini releases his "Bold Predictions" for the national housing market. I share them because they're a useful lens, not because I expect every number to land exactly right. This year, he's forecasting:
- Housing prices up only 0.9%
- Wages up 3% to 3.5%
- The Fed holding rates steady
- Existing home sales finishing at 4.02 million
- 60% of the industry going independent within two years
Nationally, that paints a picture of a market cooling but still holding value. Here in Colorado Springs, the picture looks a little different, and I want to be honest with you about what I'm seeing locally.
Our market has consistently trended slightly below the national average. Since the housing crash, we've only had four years of negative equity gain, and none since 2011. That's a remarkably stable run, and it's part of why Colorado Springs has been such a strong long-term place to own.
But I believe 2026 will be our first negative equity year in well over a decade. I hope I'm wrong.
Last year, I predicted a -0.3% to -0.4% loss for our market. We actually finished at +0.9%. So take this year's number for what it is: an educated guess, not a guarantee. Right now, I'm projecting somewhere between -0.7% and -1.1% for Colorado Springs.
Should you make any moves based on that number alone? Absolutely not. A prediction like this is one data point among many. What matters is your specific situation, your timeline, and what's happening in your particular price range and neighborhood, which can look very different from the citywide average.
If you're trying to figure out what any of this means for your home or your plans, I'm always happy to walk through the actual local data with you rather than just the headlines.
