By Maria Ziesse  |  NV Ball Real Estate Group

Let's talk about the word nobody in real estate loves saying out loud: affordability.

Here's the truth — Northern Nevada has a real challenge. Interest rates are floating in the low-to-mid sixes. Home prices haven't dropped the way many people hoped. And Nevada carries the second-highest rate of cost-burdened renters in the entire country. That's real and it's painful for a lot of families in Reno and Sparks.

But here's what I also know after years working in this market: hidden inside every challenge is a path most people don't know exists.

Reno's City Council recently passed an ordinance allowing Accessory Dwelling Units — ADUs — to be built on single-family lots. A backyard cottage. A converted garage. An in-law suite. Rented out long-term, an ADU generates income that can help offset your mortgage. For buyers squeezed by rates, this isn't a workaround — it's a strategy.

I've walked clients through numbers that looked impossible on paper and found solutions that worked for their actual lives. Co-borrowing arrangements. Down payment assistance programs. Seller concessions. Rate buydowns. Creative financing isn't a last resort — sometimes it's the smartest play in the room.

I'm a problem-solver. That's genuinely how I think about this work. When someone comes to me and says 'I don't think I can do this,' my instinct is never to agree — it's to look harder.

Don't let a market headline write your story. Let's look at your actual numbers — not national averages, not scary headlines — your real numbers, your real options. I promise it's a conversation worth having, and I'd be honored to be the one who has it with you.

maria@nvballrealty.com (775) 364-7394