Episode 555: Where Smart Investors Are Finding Leverage in Today’s Market with Lon Welsh

April 15, 2026•2 min read

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In this master’s class episode of the Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast, I sit down with Lon Welsh for a timely, data-backed conversation on what is really happening in today’s housing market and how smart investors should respond. Lon brings over 20 years of commercial real estate acquisition and development experience, and as the founder of Ironton Capital and CEO of Your Castle Real Estate, he has his finger on both the residential and investment side of the market in a serious way.

We unpack consumer confidence, mortgage rates, recession fears, rental demand, student loan delinquencies, buyer psychology, and what those factors mean for both active and passive investors. Lon explains why the media is missing some of the biggest drivers in today’s market, why renters may stay renters longer, why rent-to-own operators could be in a position of strength, and why 2025 and 2026 may look a lot more attractive in hindsight than they feel in the moment.

If you want a clearer read on market timing, negotiation leverage, and where opportunity is building right now, this is one of those episodes you’ll want to listen to twice.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

01:55 Real Estate Market Update: Current trends and consumer sentiment

02:40 Why buyers and sellers feel frozen

04:12 Understanding mortgage rates and buyer opportunities

05:15 Should we expect a recession this year?

06:34 Challenges and trends for renters and landlords in today’s market

07:09 Student loan delinquencies are a major hidden headwind

08:48 Why older renters want houses, not apartments

11:44 The softest residential markets in the country right now

12:35 Regional market comparison: Midwest/Northeast vs. Southwest/Southeast

14:20 Analyzing historical real estate downturns