246 articles and videos on mortgage rates, the housing market and smart home financing, in plain English.
▶ VideoOver the last 2 – 3 years, it’s interesting to look at the numbers considering the fact that many people are waiting to buy a house. As I’ve said many times recently: I get it, houses are expensive and house payments are high. But I’m thinking about people who are actually ready to buy a…
▶ VideoThis report is shared by Franklin Loan Center every month, and it shows some great insights into the current market trends to see where things are going. The main thing I’m hearing lately is that affordability is holding people back from buying a house. There are two parts to this narrative: housing prices are crazy…
▶ VideoThe election is over, and we definitely managed to elect a new president. Thank goodness for a quick turnaround on that! Many of us were worried that it would take forever. How the Markets Responded to the Election The election is what it is. We all survived, and we are all here today. The good…
▶ VideoAre you sick and tired of all these political commercials? It’s driving us crazy to hear the non-stop campaign messages. We are all ready for this election season to be over! Is the Election Affecting Interest Rates? It’s not only us: it turns out that the bond markets don’t like it either, and it’s not…
▶ VideoA report came out today – and this happens every year around this time – where inventory maxes out and then we see it start to trail off until the spring selling season when it goes back up. The interesting thing about what is happening right now: this peak is the highest peak of inventory…
▶ VideoWhen I’m choosing topics for my weekly videos, they are usually based on conversations that are coming up regularly for me. Lately, I’ve been doing a bunch of mortgages using alternative documentation programs. Bank Statement Programs are a Good Option to Consider The main one I want to talk about today is the bank statement…
▶ VideoA few weeks ago, shortly after the Fed announcement, I shared a video and talked about how the Fed funds rate was dropped by half a percent… and on that particular day, mortgage rates actually went up a little bit. Interestingly, because of many things that have been going on, we’ve seen upward pressure on…
▶ VideoI’m hearing a lot of conversations from both political parties about how they are going to bring housing costs down. While trying to be completely apolitical about this, I want to offer my thoughts. One Side: $25,000 Credit for First Time Home Buyers From one side, we are hearing about a $25,000 credit for first-time…
▶ VideoToday, I want to address something that I’ve talked about in several different ways, but it recently occurred to me that I should mention it from a different perspective. What are you waiting for to buy a house? Sometimes It Doesn’t Turn Out As Planned Before last week’s Fed Meeting, I talked to a bunch…
▶ VideoWhen I recorded this video, it was just after The Fed’s 11 am announcement today. This is one of the most anticipated Fed meetings and even a significant economic data point I’ve seen recently. Updates From The Fed Announcement The Fed dropped the Fed Funds Rate by 50 basis points (half a percent). Just a…
▶ VideoLast week, we talked about big changes that have happened for buyers in the real estate market and how they are going to need to sign the buyer’s representation agreement upfront. It makes me wonder if buyers are going to be hesitant to sign it so early and assume that they can just deal with…
▶ VideoIn today’s video, we’re looking at a significant change in the real estate world. This change is just a few weeks old now regarding the real estate commission structure changes. I bring this up because it affects all the buyers because you are going to need this new form. This conversation is the result of…
