Here’s How the Fed’s Rate Cut Will Impact Real Estate During the Holidays

Rate Cuts: The Big Picture

Reductions in the Fed’s federal funds rate often affect short-term borrowing costs, such as credit card rates, more than fixed mortgage rates, which are more closely tied to inflation expectations and bond market activity. However, despite this, Fed rate cuts tend to support an overall environment favorable to lower mortgage rates.

Other types of home loans, such as adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), are more closely tied to the Fed’s moves.

How This Translates to Homebuyers 

Homebuyers and real estate investors are different animals. While the rate cuts will undoubtedly stimulate homebuying confidence, which has reached its highest level in six months as of October 2025, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) via Reuters, the latest rate cut might still not force homebuyers off the fence, especially those locked into 3% and 4% interest rates.

“While recent declines for mortgage rates are an encouraging sign for affordability conditions, the market remains challenging… Most homebuyers are still on the sidelines, waiting for mortgage rates to move lower,” Buddy Hughes, NAHB’s chairman and a builder from North Carolina, told Builder Online.

A new housing market survey from CNBC supported this, finding that 49% of respondents view the current market as favorable to buyers after recent interest rate drops. However, affordability remains a concern for many, with buyers waiting to see whether the Fed will lower rates further, as has been predicted.

Real Estate Investors Should Move Differently

Conversely, real estate investors generally don’t have the luxury of waiting to see how far rates will fall when deciding to get back into the market. Staying ahead of the curve is one of the best strategies to make money. If the downward rate trajectory continues—which most forecasters expect—buying early and riding the rate train down while watching values rise ensures equity.

Refinancing when rates hit rock bottom allows investors to either use the equity for repairs and future investments or increase cash flow. 

Look for Emerging Markets

Deciding when to invest or not, as rates come down, depends heavily on each market and the cash flow a lower rate can generate. That will largely depend on the rents in each market. Those areas with higher demand for jobs and housing will attract higher rents. 

Jeff Herman, an investment advisor who works with residential and commercial buyers, told Realtor.com:

“Across the country, every state is trying to attract capital, talent, and innovation to fuel sustainable economic growth. But the truth is, it’s hard to do. I’d recommend identifying your target markets by researching those states that are successfully investing in infrastructure, education, and business climate to create the kind of ecosystem where entrepreneurs want to build.”

Investing in Preconstruction in Booming Markets

A recent report from the International Monetary Fund highlighted that many of the emerging markets for start-ups and data centers exist outside Silicon Valley, increasingly in the South and Western states.

Herman advises:

“Be first in line for presales. Developers often need early buyers for new projects. Look for news articles about new developments, do your research, and follow the companies that will bring them to life. By being one of the first to show interest, you can secure properties at a lower price, and even score upgrades that boost your property’s value. Once the project is completed, if you want to, you can sell for a profit before you ever set foot on the property.”

While flipping a preconstruction property comes with risks, the advantage of owning one in a hot market when rates are dropping is that they can always be rented, allowing the investors to generate both cash flow and equity.

Safe Plays for Mom-and-Pop Investors

Rates are not where they were in 2021 and are unlikely to get there even after a few more rate cuts, so speculative buying, hoping for a dramatic rate drop to boost cash flow, is not a wise move. Small investors with limited funds should always protect the downside, which means investing in less expensive markets, where they can cover payments in a pinch if rents won’t.

Investor buyer share data from a Realtor.com report in June showed that, amid higher rates, the smaller cities in the Midwest and South, such as Missouri (21.2%), led the nation in investor buyer share in 2024, followed by:

• Oklahoma (18.7%)
• Kansas (18.4%)
• Utah (18%)
• Georgia (17.3%) 

The sweet spot for many investors is combining the stability of year-round tenants with the lucrative hit of short-term rentals, which could explain why investor ownership rates are through the roof in tourist-friendly destinations like Maine (31%), Montana (31%), Alaska (27.2%), and Hawaii (26%), where small landlords dominate, according to a recent report by BatchData.                                     

Final Thoughts

Bearing in mind that even with the latest rate cut and another one predicted in December, cash flow is still predicated on house prices, rents, taxes, insurance, and if your property needs repairs—the cost of those—and they all have to work in tandem. A drop in rates could be offset by a decline in rents or an increase in any of the other factors. 

The rate cuts will not be so meteoric as to trigger an automatic windfall of cash every month. However, the buying climate is as good as it’s been in a while, so buying right—without overleveraging, and investing in a market on the move—could be prudent, with future cuts and tax benefits in mind.