National numbers released Wednesday show continued high inflation, and mid-Missouri realtors say they’re feeling the pinch. High inflation usually leads to increases in the cost of borrowing money. That can stop people – especially first-time buyers – from seeking home loans.
Prices rose 3.7% in the 12 months ending in September, according to a new report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Housing experts expect that could make already high mortgage rates could rise even more, in turn making home inventory harder to acquire.
“Mortgage rates are still elevated. They're still above 7.5%," said Mid-issouri Board of Realtors CEO Brian Tuohy. "And so that's still causing existing homeowners to be hesitant to list and sell their properties and to move.”
Tuohy also said there’s been a cycle of economic stresses impacting the available housing inventory.
“Once mortgage rates started increasing, once the war started in Iran and oil prices increased, which caused mortgage rates to follow, then we noticed that existing homeowners started pulling their houses off the market, and that started driving up prices again because of a lack of inventory,” he said.
Still, in Boone and its seven surrounding counties, only three fewer single-family homes were listed for sale in September of 2026 compared to the same month the year before.
