Nicole De Donato, host of the Made in Walker podcast, interviewed Scott Zocco of the Zocco Team at 5 Star Real Estate about housing trends in Walker and nearby West Michigan communities. Zocco said the local market remains a seller's market but is moving from ‘crazy’ competition toward a more normal rhythm.

Zocco framed decisions about buying and selling as family-specific rather than market-timed. “I don't want to be the realtor you're screaming to buy,” he said. “I want you to buy because you want to own a home and you want to change the paint colors and make it your own.” That guidance accompanied concrete market figures he offered: a September 2025 months-of-supply estimate of about 1.76 months (a normal market is roughly six months), an average days-on-market near 19 days (versus about seven days earlier in March), and sellers commonly receiving roughly 99.8% of list price.

Why it matters: low inventory keeps pressure on prices and restricts choices for buyers even as bidding-war dynamics moderate. Zocco said higher interest rates over the past two years cooled the frenzy that followed the near-zero rates during the COVID period, but he expects rates to ease further. “We saw them hit almost 8, now they're like low sixes,” he said, and forecast mid- to low‑fives for the end of next year — a change he expects will prompt some refinances and motivate sellers who currently hold low mortgages to list homes.

Practical advice for sellers and buyers: Zocco emphasized curb appeal as the first, cost-effective step to improve market reception. “Curb appeal is everything,” he said, and recommended simple exterior cleanup, odor elimination, and prioritizing kitchen and bathroom updates for the best return on investment — while warning owners not to over-improve beyond neighborhood expectations.

On housing types, Zocco described increased rental demand and a later first‑time buyer age (mid‑ to late‑30s), arguing that towns like Walker and nearby Standale need a mix of rentals, condos and single‑family homes to retain new workers and families. He named several local projects and builders as examples of growing inventory, including Talman Woods and VISTA 45 and newer condo projects near Cummings developed by JAG.

Contact and next steps: Zocco said listeners can find the Zocco Team at 5 Star Real Estate on social channels and on their website; the transcript contains an inconsistent rendering of the URL, which has been standardized here to zoccoteam.com based on the guest's name and team branding. The episode closed with the podcast noting it is the official podcast of the city of Walker and inviting listener feedback via podcast@walker.city.

The podcast did not record any formal actions, votes or policy decisions; it was an informational interview focusing on market trends, personal finance considerations for buyers and sellers, and local development.