Buyers:

Mortgage rates are the name of the game, and this week they’re sitting at 6.23%, down from 6.81% during this same week last year. Not the lowest we’ve seen over the past five years, but definitely in a better place than last year, which helps buyers. The median sales price this week came in around $360,000, compared to $338,282 during this week last year, which is a positive sign of price growth in this weekly snapshot. New listings this week totalled 18, compared to 32 last year, so buyers have fewer fresh options to choose from. And homes this week are taking about 13 days on market, whereas this week last year they were moving in 7 days, so things aren’t as fast-paced right now. Buyers may have a little more breathing room in this particular week, even though inventory is tighter.

Sellers:

For sellers, this week’s numbers still offer a good opportunity. Mortgage rates at 6.23% are lower than the 6.81% we saw this same week last year, which helps keep buyer activity steady — and if you’re planning to sell and then buy again, today’s rate environment is also a bit less daunting than what we saw last year. This week’s median sales price of $360,000, compared to $338,282 last week, shows healthy price growth, which is encouraging for potential sellers looking to maximise their return. New listings are down this week — 18 compared to 32 last year — meaning there’s less competition from other sellers in this particular period. Homes are taking around 13 days to sell this week, versus 7 days at this time last year, so the pace is a little slower. With fewer new listings and solid pricing, a well-prepared home should still attract strong interest.

This week was both happy and sad. Kind of. I was sad because I did not get to attend my Rotary club's weekly meeting, but I was happy because, in place of the weekly Rotary meeting, I had the chance to attend National Philanthropy Day hosted at Hotel Madison and put on by the Shenandoah Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Now, Philanthropy is certainly something to get excited about, but my excitement stemmed from the fact that, at the event, my sister Emily and the Eastern Mennonite School WeServe club received the Youth in Philanthropy Award.

WeServe is a club at Eastern Mennonite School where students come together to fundraise, plan, put on, and participate in various service projects to give back to our community. WeServe is one of the many ways Eastern Mennonite High School aims to educate and inspire its students to live a life of generosity and to show love to all people.

One of WeServe’s newer initiatives, launched in May of 2024, brought Rise Against Hunger to the school, where students helped package over 10,000 meals, enough to feed 47 children for an entire year. A year later, in 2025, students packaged 20,000 meals. Other We Serve efforts include an annual highway cleanup where students work together to pick up trash and various debris along Route 42, filling and delivering stockings to the residents of Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community, and much more.

It was a joy to attend the National Philanthropy Day event and watch these students, who work tirelessly to serve our community, receive a small token of recognition they very much deserved.

I am proud of my sister and her efforts to support and help lead WeServe, and I am honored to have attended a school such as Eastern Mennonite, which provides opportunities for students to learn the value and joy that can come from service and philanthropy.

If you found this inspiring, you can read more about WeServe and the award they received here.

If you live in Harrisonburg and have been paying attention to local happenings over the past decade, you are likely familiar with the volunteer-led nonprofit organization Build Our Park.

The organization’s name does a good job of explaining what it exists to do: in short, Build Our Park exists because many local leaders and residents want a park built in Downtown Harrisonburg.

Over the past decade, much progress has been made, but more recently, the years of effort have finally started to come together.

The Capital Campaign

Most recently, Build Our Park hosted a capital campaign kickoff reception — a milestone event marking the formal start of the effort to raise $3.8 million to build the park just south of Turner Pavilion.

By the end of the evening, the organization had raised $130,000, bringing its total to $1.43 million — a little more than one-third of its overall goal.

What the Park Will Offer

Plans for the future park include a permanent stage designed to support concerts, festivals, and community celebrations, including the Levitt AMP series. The design also calls for expanded lawn space and improved pedestrian access, including the removal of one row of parking between Turner Pavilion and the grassy area.

Looking Ahead

Once completed, Build Our Park will transfer ownership of the park to the City of Harrisonburg, ensuring it becomes a publicly managed, permanently accessible space for everyone in the community.

With early design work complete and fundraising now underway, much of the foundational work that once stood in the way has been cleared. According to board members, the next major milestone will be securing the funding needed to begin construction in 2027.

After years of dreaming, debating, and designing, the question is no longer whether Harrisonburg will build a downtown park. It’s simply how quickly we can get it done together.

Whether you’ve lived in Harrisonburg for a month or a decade, there are always chances to learn more, try new things, and get involved. There are lots of fun events this week—pick something new and give it a try!

Ready to jump into the home buying process or preparing to sell your home? I’d love to help!

Call or text 540-830-5097 or email [email protected]