Jerome Powell is out, AI is reshaping wealth, and Denver sellers with sub-4% rates are still holding — here's what I'm actually watching

Most of the national headlines right now are about technology — AI mergers, AI wealth driving San Francisco prices, a new Fed chair on the horizon. Those things are real. But here's what I'm watching on the ground in Denver: sellers who locked in sub-4% mortgages are still not moving, and that's not changing anytime soon. That rate lock effect is the clearest practical constraint in this market right now, and no amount of AI investment is going to dissolve it. The honest truth is that Denver's inventory problem isn't about buyer demand — it's about sellers who have a near-impossible financial choice to make. Trade a 3.5% mortgage for a 7% one, or stay put. Most are staying put. What that means for families dealing with an inherited property or a home that no longer fits a parent's health needs is actually a window of clarity. When most sellers are frozen, the sellers who have a real reason to move — not a financial one — are the ones with the clearest path. Steady decision-making beats waiting for the market to feel comfortable. It never does. "The sellers who move in a locked market aren't brave — they're the ones who had a plan before the rate ever mattered." If you're watching a Denver property sit in an estate right now, or you're a family weighing timing on a parent's home, I'd genuinely like to hear what's holding the decision up. — Kevin Lundy | The HomeBridge Group at eXp Realty