You have to love media hysteria that tends to spell doom and gloom about everything. Whether it’s global political turmoil, the stock market, real estate, cryptocurrency or interest rates, you can always find a nay-sayer, negative approach out there that will strike panic in the hearts of many. We were all around during 2008. Whether you were in the industry at that time or not, there aren’t many adult Americans who aren’t keenly aware of the fallout that resulted from the Great Recession. So, yes, when things start to unravel, people should worry.

This isn’t 2008, however. In fact, as an industry, we have the benefit of a full 10 years of knowledge, lessons and case studies to do our best to ensure neither our customers, nor ourselves ever end up in that situation again. Speaking of facts, let’s look at a few. The economy is strong. The stock market underwent a slight (and probably necessary) correction and the Dow is still up exactly 4,000 points from a year ago. American companies have added jobs for 90 consecutive months, resulting in the longest job expansion period ever.

Consumers are confident in these fundamentals as well. Part of the reason loan applications are decreasing has nothing to do with interest rates – which, by the way, are still historically very low. Instead, this has to do with the fact that demand simply cannot keep up with supply. MBA notes housing inventory is at an all-time low, while home prices in nearly two-thirds of all U.S. housing markets are at all-time highs. The desire is there. The inventory is not. Confidence, optimism and demand continue to drive the strength of our single-family home industry, despite the threat of increasing interest rates.

One last thing to keep in mind (and pass along to potential buyers): now is most likely the best time to buy a home if you’re able. Housing prices and interest rates are predicted to rise over the next five years. It may not make sense to sit on the sidelines waiting for a good deal when you can potentially lock in the best deal terms now and enjoy all the perks that come with watching your investment grow in value.