Matt Bass — Weekly Kentucky Housing Outlook
Monday, August 24, 2026
Loan Highlight
Got a Client Without W-2s or Tax Returns? There's Still a Path.
This week's spotlight is on a no-income-verification loan option available through Assurance Mortgage Partners — built for self-employed borrowers, business owners, and anyone else whose income doesn't show up neatly on a pay stub. Income and employment are not required to be stated or verified on the application, replacing the usual documentation stack with a more common-sense approach to underwriting.
- Minimum credit score around 640
- Reserve requirements as low as 6 months
- Recently seasoned assets (about 30 days) may be used
- Loan amounts available up to $2.5 million
- Primary residences only
- Cash-out proceeds may be counted toward reserves
General program parameters shown; actual availability, terms, and qualification depend on individual underwriting, property, and state guidelines, and are not guaranteed. Think this could help a client — or yourself?
1Mortgage Market Recap & This Week’s Outlook
Mortgage-related rates fell for a second straight week, though they remain a bit higher than this time last year. Yields eased mid-week on stronger housing data and cautious Fed commentary, then dropped further Friday after the Fed Chair's Jackson Hole remarks calmed Treasury yields. Freddie Mac confirmed the pullback as welcome relief for borrowers, even as conditions stay tighter than a couple of years ago. Forecasters call this week's outlook only moderate-confidence: rates could hold steady, but incoming inflation and employment data, plus fresh Fed commentary, could swing things either way. Bottom line: stay close to your loan officer.
2Quote of the Week
Steve Jobs once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
3Kentucky Housing Inventory Update
Kentucky REALTORS® statewide figures continue to show a market with meaningfully more homes to choose from than a year ago, alongside price levels that are still edging higher. Regionally, the picture is more mixed — Central and North Central Kentucky (the Lexington and Louisville markets) are seeing solid inventory growth, while smaller and more rural markets in the state's east and west remain thinner and more volatile from month to month.
| Region | Active Listings(YoY trend) | Median Days on Market(YoY trend) | Median Home Price(YoY trend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide KY | 18,738Not reported for this period | 16 daysAbout 2 days longer than a year ago | $288,000Up modestly — roughly $8,000 higher than a year ago |
| Western KY* | 412Not reported for this period | 32 days72 days faster than a year ago — a significant improvement | $232,000 (median list)Not reported for this period |
| Central KY | 4,289Up 325 listings from a year ago | 40 daysUnchanged from a year ago | $300,000Essentially flat — up about $1,000 from a year ago |
| N. Central KY | 4,193Up more than 1,000 listings from a year ago — a sizable jump | 47 days9 days longer than a year ago | $304,400Essentially unchanged from a year ago |
| S. Central KY | 1,126Roughly unchanged from a year ago | 101 daysAbout 2 days longer than a year ago | $245,566Up modestly — roughly $3,800 higher than a year ago |
| Eastern KY* | 9Very limited inventory; year-ago comparison not meaningful | 146 days28 days longer than a year ago | $375,000Not reported for this period |
4National Day Spotlight — August 24, 2026
National Waffle Day
Marks the 1869 patent of the waffle iron, which standardized the gridded breakfast favorite Belgian immigrants had been making for generations. It's an easy, low-lift hook for a Monday morning video — grab a waffle on camera and talk about what's cooking in the local market.
National Peach Pie Day
Celebrates the classic summer stone-fruit pie, with Kentucky and its neighboring states still seeing good peach availability into late August. A natural tie-in for a “welcome to the neighborhood” or open-house dessert post.
International Strange Music Day
Founded in 1998 by composer Patrick Grant, this day encourages people to seek out music outside their usual playlist. Fun prompt for a light, personality-driven video: what's playing in your car during showings this week?
5Shareable Social Media Content
The Kentucky State Fair runs through August 30 in Louisville — if you're touring the Expo Center this week, take a minute to picture what “home” could look like for you next season. See you there!
#KentuckyStateFair #KYHomes
It's National Waffle Day! Whether you're celebrating with a stack at the kitchen table or grabbing brunch before a weekend of house-hunting, we hope your Monday starts sweet.
#NationalWaffleDay #KentuckyLiving
Kentucky schools are back in session this week. Families settling into a new home should double-check bus routes, register early for after-school activities, and take a walk around the neighborhood before the routine kicks in.
#BackToSchoolKY #KentuckyHomes
Curious what “median days on market” actually tells you? It's the midpoint of how long homes sit before going under contract — a lower number usually signals a faster-moving, more competitive market in that area.
#HomebuyerTips #KYHousingMarket
Matt Bass
Owner · Assurance Mortgage Partners · Kentucky Mortgage Broker