I have been interested in building energy efficient homes for far longer than I have actually been building homes. Maybe it was growing up in a stone farmhouse, that beside its historical charm, its monstrous consumption of fuel oil and wood was an annual budget stresser.

Dr. Dre famously said, “What’s the difference between me and you?”

When it comes to real estate agents, this is a very poignant question. We are not all, in fact, equal and it has little to do with our vehicles, bank accounts and other things. All things considered, everything else can appear strikingly similar to a mid-2000s rap video.

So why is everyone talking about interest rates? At its most simplistic definition, what are Interest rates? Interest rates, typically set by central banks, determine the cost of borrowing money. When rates are low, borrowing is more affordable, leading to increased demand for real estate. Conversely, when rates rise, borrowing becomes more expensive, potentially cooling the market.