The 28 million Americans hoping to buy a primary residence in 2023 are in for a rude awakening, according to a telling NerdWallet survey. According to the data, these homebuyer hopefuls are looking to spend an average of $269,200 on a home.

We’re well into the first month of 2023. Though it’s still too soon to know exactly how the year will shake out for real estate investors, there are some clear market realities we must contend with. Even buy-and-hold investors who don’t depend on day-to-day market fluctuations must keep their fingers on the pulse of the market.

As 2023 begins, we find ourselves looking ahead to the future. What opportunities will this new year hold? How should investors adjust their strategies, if at all? The uncertainty of it all can be unnerving, particularly for inexperienced investors who may not have taken an active part in the real estate market at each stage.

2023 is likely to bring a real estate market shakeup. While our strategies will pivot, our ultimate goals will not – real estate is and has always been the best way to generate lasting, reliable wealth. Looking back at market statistics from the last year isn’t to say that things will continue along the same path – only that the market is always changing and always exists in a particular context.

If real estate investors are learning anything from the ups-and-downs of the 2022 real estate market, it’s that buy-and-hold investing is a solid – and lucrative – strategy.

It looks as though U.S. inflation is finally easing up. While that doesn’t mean we’re out of the economic woods, it does mean that we’re about to be less stuck in the tension between extreme inflation and market recession. That’s not to say prices are where they should be – but the intense squeeze of the market gives us a little breathing room.