Would You Let $80 a Month Hold You Back from Buying a Home?

Written by Rosemary Beach Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on November 14, 2025. Posted in Affordability, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Forecasts, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Rosemary Beach, Rosemary Beach Mortgage.

A lot of buyers are stuck in “wait and see” mode right now. They’re watching rates hover a little above 6% and thinking, I’ll buy once they hit the 5s. Because who doesn’t want a better rate?But here’s the thing: that 5.99% number might not save you as much as you think.Affordability is still a challenge. There’s no question about that. But the market has given savvy buyers a head start. Mortgage rates have already come down over the past few months. And the drop we’ve seen saves you more than you’d think.How Much You’ve Already Saved, Without Realizing ItLet’s put some real numbers...

Why You Don’t Need To Be Afraid of Today’s Mortgage Rates

Written by Rosemary Beach Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on October 30, 2025. Posted in Buying Tips, Downsize, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Rosemary Beach, Move-Up, Rosemary Beach Mortgage.

Mortgage rates have been the monster under the bed for a while. Every time they tick up, people flinch and say, “Maybe I’ll wait.” But here’s the twist. Waiting for that perfect 5-point-something rate could end up haunting your wallet later.The Magic NumberAccording to the National Association of Realtors (NAR):“. . . a 30-year fixed rate mortgage of 6% would make the median-priced home affordable for about 5.5 million more households—including 1.6 million renters. If rates were to hit that magic number, it’s likely that about 10%—or 550,000—of those additional households would buy a home...

The $280 Shift in Affordability Every Homebuyer Should Know

Written by Rosemary Beach Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on October 17, 2025. Posted in Affordability, Buying Tips, First-Time Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Rosemary Beach, Move-Up, Rosemary Beach Mortgage.

If you paused your plans to move because of high rates or prices, it may finally be time to take a second look at your numbers. Affordability is improving in 39 of the top 50 markets, according to First American. And that’s the 5th straight month where buying a home has started to get a little bit easier.Let’s break this down into real dollars, so you can see the difference this could make for you (and your move).Monthly Payments Are Coming DownOne of the clearest signs of this shift is in monthly payments. The latest data from Redfin shows mortgage payments on a median-priced home are now...

2026 Housing Market Outlook

Written by Rosemary Beach Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on October 16, 2025. Posted in For Buyers, For Sellers, Forecasts, Home Prices, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Rosemary Beach, Rosemary Beach Mortgage.

After a couple of years where the housing market felt stuck in neutral, 2026 may be the year things shift back into gear. Expert forecasts show more people are expected to move – and that could open the door for you to do the same.More Homes Will SellWith all of the affordability challenges at play over the past few years, many would-be movers pressed pause. But that pause button isn’t going to last forever. There are always people who need to move. And experts think more of them will start to act in 2026 (see graph below):What’s behind the change? Two key factors: mortgage rates and home...

Why Experts Say Mortgage Rates Should Ease Over the Next Year

Written by Rosemary Beach Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on October 7, 2025. Posted in Affordability, Economy, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Rosemary Beach, Rosemary Beach Mortgage.

You want mortgage rates to fall – and they’ve started to. But is it going to last? And how low will they go?Experts say there’s room for rates to come down even more over the next year. And one of the leading indicators to watch is the 10-year treasury yield. Here’s why.The Link Between Mortgage Rates and the 10-Year Treasury YieldFor over 50 years, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has closely followed the movement of the 10-year treasury yield, which is a widely watched benchmark for long-term interest rates (see graph below):When the treasury yield climbs, mortgage rates tend...

What Buyers Say They Need Most (And How the Market’s Responding)

Written by Rosemary Beach Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on October 2, 2025. Posted in Affordability, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Home Prices, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Rosemary Beach, Rosemary Beach Mortgage.

A recent survey from Bank of America asked would-be homebuyers what would help them feel better about making a move, and it’s no surprise the answers have a clear theme. They want affordability to improve, specifically prices and rates (see below):Here’s the good news. While the broader economy may still feel uncertain, there are signs the housing market is showing some changes in both of those areas. Let’s break it down so you know what you’re working with.Prices Are ModeratingOver the past few years, home prices climbed fast, sometimes so fast it left many buyers feeling shut out. But...

Why Now May Be a Key 2025 Moment To Sell Your House

Written by Rosemary Beach Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on September 18, 2025. Posted in For Sellers, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Rosemary Beach, Rosemary Beach Mortgage, Selling Tips.

Mortgage rates are finally heading in the right direction – and buyers are starting to jump back in.According to the data, buyer demand picked up considerably once mortgage rates hit a new low for 2025. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reports that applications for home loans were up 23% compared to the first week of September last year.If you’ve been waiting to sell, or your listing recently expired because the market was slower than you hoped it would be, now’s the time to reconsider your move. Buyer demand is the highest it’s been since July – and you don’t want to miss this...

What a Fed Rate Cut Could Mean for Mortgage Rates

Written by Rosemary Beach Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on September 16, 2025. Posted in Affordability, Economy, For Buyers, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Rosemary Beach, Rosemary Beach Mortgage.

The Federal Reserve (the Fed) meets this week, and expectations are high that they’ll cut the Federal Funds Rate. But does that mean mortgage rates will drop? Let’s clear up the confusion.The Fed Doesn’t Directly Set Mortgage RatesRight now, all eyes are on the Fed. Most economists expect they’ll cut the Federal Funds Rate at their mid-September meeting to try to head off a potential recession.According to the CME FedWatch Tool, markets are already betting on it. There’s virtually a 100% chance of a September cut. And based on what we know now, there’s about a 92% chance it’ll be a...

Mortgage Rates Just Saw Their Biggest Drop in a Year

Written by Rosemary Beach Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on September 11, 2025. Posted in Affordability, Economy, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Rosemary Beach, Rosemary Beach Mortgage.

You’ve been waiting for what feels like forever for mortgage rates to finally budge. And last week, they did – in a big way.On Friday, September 5th, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to the lowest level since October 2024. It was the biggest one-day decline in over a year.What Sparked the Drop?According to Mortgage News Daily, this was a reaction to the August jobs report, which came out weaker-than-expected for a second month in a row. That sent signals across the financial markets, and then mortgage rates came down as a result.Basically, we’re seeing signs the economy...

Is It Better To Buy Now or Wait for Lower Mortgage Rates? Here’s the Tradeoff

Written by Rosemary Beach Mortgage Mortgage Syndicated User on August 15, 2025. Posted in For Buyers, Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Rosemary Beach, Rosemary Beach Mortgage.

Mortgage rates are still a hot topic – and for good reason. After the most recent jobs report came out weaker than expected, the bond market reacted almost instantly. And, as a result, in early August mortgage rates dropped to their lowest point so far this year (6.55%).While that may not sound like a big deal, pretty much every buyer has been waiting for rates to fall. And even a seemingly small drop like this reignites the hope we’re finally going to see rates trending down. But what’s realistic to expect?According to the latest forecasts, rates aren’t expected to fall dramatically...

Category: Mortgage Rates