Send a text

The 2026 Homebuyer Playbook: 10 Moves Smart Buyers Are Making Right Now

Buying a home in 2026 isn’t about luck — it’s about strategy.

In this episode of Real Estate UnRaked, Eric Rakers and The Rakers Home Group break down the 10 most important things every homebuyer must do before and during the home buying process in today’s housing market. If you’re thinking about buying a home in Northeast Florida — or anywhere in the U.S. — this episode is your blueprint.

With mortgage interest rates shifting, inventory tightening, home prices stabilizing, and seller concessions becoming strategic tools again, buyers must approach this market differently than in 2020, 2021, or even 2023.

We break down:

✅ How to prepare financially before looking at homes
✅ Why pre-approval is non-negotiable in today’s market
✅ How to structure offers that actually win
✅ When to negotiate closing costs vs price reductions
✅ How to analyze days on market and price per square foot
✅ The truth about waiting for interest rates to drop
✅ Why location, resale value, and long-term equity matter more than “perfect”
✅ How to avoid overpaying in competitive markets
✅ What due diligence really means in Florida real estate
✅ How The Rakers Home Group helps buyers navigate contracts, inspections, appraisals, and negotiations

If you’re buying in Fleming Island, Green Cove Springs, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, or anywhere in Northeast Florida, this episode delivers real-world advice, practical homebuyer tips, and insider strategies that most agents won’t tell you.

This isn’t theory.
This is boots-on-the-ground market strategy.

Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer, relocating to Florida, upsizing, downsizing, or investing — this episode will help you buy smarter, negotiate stronger, and build long-term wealth through real estate.

📍 Serving Northeast Florida
🏡 New Construction & Resale Experts
🎙️ Hosted by Eric Rakers – Your Neighborhood Realtor®
📊 Powered by The Rakers Home Group

Grab your coffee… or something stronger… and let’s UnRake it.

Support the show

That’s it for this episode of Real Estate UnRaked, where we take the mystery—and sometimes the madness—out of today’s housing market.

If you enjoyed the show, follow and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts—Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube—and don’t forget to leave us a review. Your feedback helps more people across Northeast Florida discover the truth behind real-estate headlines.

For more tips, insights, and community spotlights, connect with The Rakers Home Group on:

📱 Facebook & Instagram: @RakersHomeGroup

🌐 Website: www.rakershomegroup.com

Call us at:

Eric Rakers (904) 386-5589

Dane Coussens (904) 838-8275

Bridget Hodges (847) 848-8622

Jaycee Crawford (904) 250-8795

Got a question, story, or topic you’d like us to cover next? Drop us a message—we’d love to feature your ideas in a future episode.

And remember… whether you’re buying, selling, or just exploring, get the Home Team Advantage with The Rakers Home Group.

Send a text

The Hidden Market Is Real: Subject-To Deals, Off-Market Opportunities & Winning by Strategy (Not Luck)

In this episode of Real Estate UnRaked, Eric Rakers and the team break down one of the most misunderstood advantages in today’s housing market — the hidden market.

While most buyers are stuck refreshing Zillow and waiting for price drops, the smartest players are structuring creative deals, leveraging subject-to opportunities, and finding off-market homes before they ever hit the MLS.

This episode dives deep into:

• What the hidden market actually is
• How subject-to real estate deals work
• Why off-market properties are becoming more powerful in 2026
• How rising interest rates are creating new strategic opportunities
• The difference between investors and strategic homebuyers
• Why waiting for the “perfect moment” is costing buyers thousands

In Northeast Florida — especially markets like Fleming Island, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Clay County — inventory shifts, trapped homeowners, and assumable mortgage opportunities are quietly reshaping how deals get done.

Eric and the team explain:

✔️ How creative financing works
✔️ When subject-to deals make sense (and when they don’t)
✔️ How to legally and ethically structure these opportunities
✔️ Why relationships matter more than ever in this market
✔️ How serious buyers can position themselves ahead of the competition

This is not about gimmicks.
This is about strategy.

If you’re a homebuyer tired of competing in crowded bidding wars…
If you’re a seller unsure how to move in a rate-sensitive market…
If you want to understand how experienced real estate professionals win deals others don’t even see…

This episode will change how you look at the market.

In today’s housing climate, you don’t win by chance.
You win by structure.
You win by preparation.
You win by working with professionals who understand the hidden layers of the market.

🎧 Grab your coffee — or something stronger — and let’s UnRake it.

If you’re in Northeast Florida and want to explore off-market opportunities or creative deal structures, reach out to The Rakers Home Group and let’s build a strategy that works for you.

Support the show

That’s it for this episode of Real Estate UnRaked, where we take the mystery—and sometimes the madness—out of today’s housing market.

If you enjoyed the show, follow and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts—Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube—and don’t forget to leave us a review. Your feedback helps more people across Northeast Florida discover the truth behind real-estate headlines.

For more tips, insights, and community spotlights, connect with The Rakers Home Group on:

📱 Facebook & Instagram: @RakersHomeGroup

🌐 Website: www.rakershomegroup.com

Call us at:

Eric Rakers (904) 386-5589

Dane Coussens (904) 838-8275

Bridget Hodges (847) 848-8622

Jaycee Crawford (904) 250-8795

Got a question, story, or topic you’d like us to cover next? Drop us a message—we’d love to feature your ideas in a future episode.

And remember… whether you’re buying, selling, or just exploring, get the Home Team Advantage with The Rakers Home Group.

Send us a text

In this episode of Real Estate UnRaked, we dive straight into one of the most talked-about—and misunderstood—topics in housing right now: Donald Trump’s return to the national spotlight and the real impact his housing-related policies could have on the real estate market.

Love him or hate him, political shifts always ripple through housing, and today we break down what potential Trump-era housing moves could mean for homebuyers, sellers, investors, and families—especially here in Northeast Florida.

We cut through the noise and explain:

• How federal leadership can influence interest rates, lending guidelines, and housing affordability
• What Trump-aligned economic and housing strategies could mean for inventory, buyer competition, and pricing
• Why Florida—and Northeast Florida in particular—may feel these changes faster and harder than other markets
• How buyers can position themselves strategically instead of reacting emotionally
• What sellers need to understand before making timing decisions in a shifting market

This is not a political rant—it’s a real-world, boots-on-the-ground conversation about how policy, money, and housing collide, and how smart consumers can stay ahead of the curve.

If you’re thinking about buying, selling, relocating to Florida, or simply trying to understand where the housing market is heading next, this episode delivers clarity, strategy, and perspective you won’t hear on the news.

Grab your coffee… or something stronger… and let’s UnRake what could be one of the most influential housing conversations of the year.

Support the show

That’s it for this episode of Real Estate UnRaked, where we take the mystery—and sometimes the madness—out of today’s housing market.

If you enjoyed the show, follow and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts—Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube—and don’t forget to leave us a review. Your feedback helps more people across Northeast Florida discover the truth behind real-estate headlines.

For more tips, insights, and community spotlights, connect with The Rakers Home Group on:

📱 Facebook & Instagram: @RakersHomeGroup

🌐 Website: www.rakershomegroup.com

Call us at:

Eric Rakers (904) 386-5589

Dane Coussens (904) 838-8275

Bridget Hodges (847) 848-8622

Dawn Marie Hughes (904) 501-9929

Jaycee Crawford (904) 250-8795

Got a question, story, or topic you’d like us to cover next? Drop us a message—we’d love to feature your ideas in a future episode.

And remember… whether you’re buying, selling, or just exploring, get the Home Team Advantage with The Rakers Home Group.