Photo courtesy of Judy Nevarez
Judy Nevarez
2026 President, Realtor Association of the Pioneer Valley and Realtor, BHHS Realty Professionals
Industry experience: 22 years
Age: 56
Massachusetts buyers looking for more affordable options can look westward – and they are, says the new Realtor Association of the Pioneer Valley president, Judy Nevarez.
The Pioneer Valley – made up of Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties – saw 296 single-family home sales in January 2026, a 12.9 percent drop year-over-year. Still the median home price in January 2026 was $378,333, far below the state median price of $612,500.
While bargains can be had, this has increased competition, as buyers from Eastern Massachusetts can be pitted up against residents of Pioneer Valley.
Q: I hear a lot about all the data that buyers have access to now. Has that changed what Realtors need to be prepared for?
A: It’s really important that Realtors working with buyers are aware of the market, the location that the buyer is looking to purchase in. Really understand that market. Buyers, especially in the Pioneer Valley, they are looking for that community feel. So, Realtors really need to be aware of what key features are there in the different communities: the universities, the colleges, the proximity to those, to hospitals for our older buyers. Realtors need to be aware of all that, and make sure they are educating their buyers, as well, [about] all the different changes in our industry. It’s really important that Realtors educate their buyers, especially first-time homebuyers. They’re new to all this and, yes, they’re getting their info – because some buyers are savvy – using AI, but no one really knows the market except those Realtors that work in those markets and are familiar with the culture and the communities and the lifestyle that those areas can offer the buyers.
Q: Is the Pioneer Valley seeing people come in from outside the area, looking for more affordable housing options?
A: The Pioneer Valley does continue to see buyers from the Eastern Massachusetts area. Our prices are more affordable for them because in their areas, home prices have really gone up there. We do see quite a few buyers coming in from the Worcester area, Shrewsbury, Cambridge. Those buyers do come here because they get priced out in their towns. The Pioneer Valley is more affordable for them in that sense. Sometimes that does create a little difficulty for a buyer looking to purchase a multifamily home or an investment property. They are competing with these buyers that are coming in from Eastern Massachusetts, the Worcester area, etc., where their price point could be higher because homes are priced higher out there.
Q: What difficulties arise for Realtors when working in a high interest-rate environment?
A: It’s important that Realtors are educated on everything that is available to buyers in the area that they’re looking to purchase, such as local lenders that may offer certain incentives and programs based on either first-time homebuyer [status] or if they’re working for the city, are police officers, are in the medical field. As far as the interest rates, I attended a networking event not too long ago, and there were a few different lenders there, and many of them are offering programs where you purchase the home now at the current rate and you can refinance. There was one that even offered it for up to six months at no cost. It’s important to know all those different programs to be able to talk to the buyers.
Yes, this may be the rate today, but you have to look in the future always. Once that rate drops, then you have that ability to refinance and get to that rate that you want or even discuss with them the different loan programs versus a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage. Do they want to do an adjustable rate and then once that rate drops, refinance? It’s important that they know their options. There are many of them and, again, it just comes back to really educating the buyer with all that. At the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley, we do try and educate our members on all those services and resources that are out there, so that they can educate the consumer and their buyers and sellers on what the market is doing.
Q: When it comes to sales activity and buyer demand, what is the expectation for 2026?
A: The rates are comfortable, right? I’ll put it that way. I see it personally, as well: more buyers coming into the market because, like I said, they’ve gotten used to this rate that we have now. And, you know, it’s tax season, right? Some of these buyers get their tax [refunds], so they use those funds also to purchase their homes. Now, in the spring season, you know, looking forward for 2026, home prices are still going to rise. All the economists are projecting that, right? So that’s a benefit to sellers. I like to listen to NAR’s economist Lawrence Yun, where he says he’s very upbeat about 2026. The market, going forward? It’s not a declining market. You know, the market’s not going down or it’s just resetting in 2026, adjusting to having this, you know, new rate that everyone’s getting used to, the interest rate. But buyer demand is still going to be out there, because competition is still healthy, because we have the low inventory. Yes, more homes will come on in the spring, as they always do, generally, but it’s still not going to be enough, I feel for the demand that we’re going to have with the buyers, because that low inventory is sort of dictating the market. And what’s going to happen in 2026. There’s just not enough housing to go around.
Nevarez’s Five Favorite Pioneer Valley Places
- Mount Tom: Her place to reset
- Downtown Northampton: Great food, great shops
- Forest Park in Springfield: Peaceful and magical
- The Dr. Seuss Museum: Celebrating local history
- The Basketball Hall of Fame: A fun, iconic landmark
