Real Mortgage Advice · Archive

Refinance

Doctor’s Orders: Zero Down, Zero PMI

Doctor’s Orders: Zero Down, Zero PMI 30-year fixed mortgage rates are running roughly 0.125% (APR) higher than they were a year ago, as long-term borrowing costs remain elevated across the board. 10-Year Treasury Yield: trading above 4.7%, near

We Need a Break!

We Need a Break! This summer Stacy and I travelled to Europe to visit with my daughter Savita, her fiancé Noah, and to see my mom’s four surviving siblings, Maya, Mira, Sheela, and Bipin. Savita and Noah have

Peace Has Benefits

Peace Has Benefits June has delivered the geopolitical breakthrough mortgage borrowers have been waiting for since the Iran war began on 2/28/2026. On June 17th, 2026, President Trump and Iran signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, in

Inflation’s Triple Threat

Inflation’s Triple Threat Last month I closed by warning that the bond market’s temporary breather could end quickly. It has. Mortgage rates have resumed their climb as a triple-stack of hot inflation reports, surging oil prices, a fresh

Mortgage Rates Catch A Break

Mortgage Rates Catch A Break April has delivered some welcome relief for mortgage borrowers. After the 4/7/2026 cease-fire announcement between the U.S. and Iran, oil prices posted their biggest single-day drop since 2020 – U.S. crude fell roughly

Mortgage Rates are Confused

Mortgage Rates are Confused Mortgage rates are up again thanks to higher inflation. Many of you may have seen the media report on 2/25/2026 that 30-year fixed mortgage rates fell below 6% for the first time since 2022.

The Circle of Life Continues

The Circle of Life Continues Mortgage rates are still in line with where they were to start the year, despite some volatility that caused mortgage rates to increase slightly during January and February of this year. The average

Savita is getting married!

Savita is getting married! The New Year is starting out favorably for mortgage interest rates. Thursday, 1/8/2026, Trump directed Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac to purchase $200 Billion of their own Mortgage Backed Securities, MBS, from the markets. This increase in

Lower mortgage rates continue!

Mortgage rates have held onto the lower rate environment for over 8 weeks now. That is two weeks longer than the 6-week run we had last year before mortgage rates went back up again. Hopefully we are at the

Lower mortgage rates are back, for now…

Hi Friends, The most recent Fed meeting on 9/17 didn’t surprise anyone with the Fed voting 11–1 to lower the federal funds target rate by 0.25%, bringing the range down to 4%–4.25%. This rate cut was already baked into

Rate Drop Has Begun!!

Lowest Levels Since March 2023 On August 2nd we saw mortgage rates fall to their lowest levels since March of 2023, very close to 6% APR for 30 Year Fixed. My phone and e-mail have been inundated since then

New HELOC for Uni Hills—FINALLY!

Fed Still Holding the Line No surprises were coming out of the most recent two-day Federal Reserve Open Market Committee Meeting (FOMC) that concluded on March 20th, 2024. The Fed kept the status quo and refrained from cutting their

Inflation — Killer of Mortgage Rates

Inflation Stubbornly High Mortgage rates continue to remain stubbornly high due to the worse-than-expected inflation readings in February. The average 30-year Fixed interest rates fell close to 6% APR for zero points right around Christmas of last year. That

Still Waiting for the Mortgage Market

Still Waiting Mortgage interest rates have yet to make a significant move lower because the inflation numbers haven’t decreased enough to create more demand in the bond market. I had been hoping for rates to improve after the 5/10/23

Window of Opportunity to Buy or Refinance Now

Rates Heading Down Mortgage rates have stabilized and are slowly heading lower due to the continued good news on inflation. PCE: Measure of Inflation The Fed’s favorite measure of inflation, Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), showed that inflation rose 0.1%

Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) Opportunity

Home Buyer Squeeze Hello friends, Mortgage rates keep rising at a very brisk pace. April 2022 saw mortgage interest rates rise up 2% higher than they were in December of 2021. This quick rise in rates has obvious consequences.

Hold On for a Bumpy Ride

Hello friends, A lot has happened since I penned the last installment of my newsletter. Continued rising inflation, historically high gas prices, the Federal Reserve’s March meeting that resulted in a rate hike, a volatile stock market, faster rising

Rates, Recession, & Refinance Opportunities

The Mechanics of Rising Rates Hi Friends, We all knew this was coming and mortgage interest rates have finally increased significantly. Rates are up over 1% from where they were in December of 2021 due to rising inflation. The

What Goes Down Must Come Up

Inflation Rising Hi Friends, December 2021 saw mortgage rates continue to be pressured higher due to persistent inflation in the markets. The annual inflation rate increased over 6% in November 2021, which is three times the Federal Reserve’s desired

Last Chance to Refinance?

Pandemic Measures Continue For Now Hi Friends, Mortgage interest rates continue to be close to historically low levels, helped by the continuing easing measures the Federal Reserve implemented at the beginning of the pandemic. These measures included reducing the

Back from SCUBA to Another Refinance Frenzy

Back from an Amazing SCUBA Trip Hi Friends I’m back from a much-needed break in the action after taking a sabbatical from new business that lasted from April 1 – June 19 of this year. During that time, I

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