Why Mortgage Rates Jumped — Even Though Core Inflation Is Falling Mortgage rates had an extremely difficult week. The 10-year Treasury yield broke through 4.80%, surged toward 5%, and mortgage-backed securities experienced a significant selloff. That pushed mortgage rates to some of their highest levels of 2026. Then something interesting happened Friday morning. The August Consumer Price Index showed another relatively hot month for inflation — and bonds improved. That sound

Something unusual is happening in the American housing market. For years, one of the biggest complaints from prospective homebuyers was painfully simple: There weren't enough homes for sale. Buyers would find a property they liked and discover five other offers. Open houses were packed. Properties sold almost immediately. In some California markets, buyers waived contingencies, bid substantially over asking price and wrote offers on homes they barely had time to think about.

California needs more housing. That statement is repeated by politicians, developers, economists, real estate professionals and frustrated homebuyers throughout the state. But there is another part of California’s housing problem that gets less attention: How long does it actually take to build the housing we say we need? Candlestick Point in San Francisco may be one of the best examples. The former home of the San Francisco 49ers and Giants is finally moving toward

That's the question I had when I saw this story. A 54-unit affordable-housing project in West Marin is moving forward with an estimated development cost of about $55.4 million. That's roughly $1 million per unit. Before everybody loses their mind: That does NOT mean residents are paying $1 million for these homes. This is also a complicated redevelopment of a former Coast Guard property with existing buildings, infrastructure, construction requirements and multiple

A house in California can mean three completely different things depending on who is standing in front of it. To a local family, it is a place to raise their kids. To a second-home buyer, it might be weekends at the beach. To an investor, it could be an income-producing property with hundreds of potential nightly rental opportunities each year. All three buyers may want the exact same house. And in California's coastal, mountain and vacation communities, that competition rais

There is a strange financial experience happening to a lot of California families. They are making more money than they ever expected to make. They have careers. They may own a home. On paper, their household income might look excellent. And yet at the end of every month, they look at the checking account and wonder: Where did all the money go? For families with young children, one answer is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Housing is expensive. Childcare is expensi

For years, one of the assumptions about America's housing market seemed almost inevitable. Baby Boomers would get older. Their children would move out. The four-bedroom suburban house would become unnecessarily large. Eventually, millions of older homeowners would sell those properties, purchase smaller homes or condos and release a significant amount of housing inventory for younger generations. There's just one problem. A lot of Baby Boomers aren't leaving. Recent reporting

For decades, the idea of a “starter home” was pretty easy to picture. A young couple bought a small single-family home. Maybe it needed some work. Maybe it only had two bedrooms and one bathroom. They lived there for several years, built equity, earned more money, and eventually moved into something larger. In much of California, that traditional path has become increasingly difficult. And that raises an important question: What if the California starter home isn’t dead? What

For years, renters have heard some version of the same advice: “Renting is throwing your money away.” I work in the mortgage industry, so you might expect me to agree with that statement. I don't. Buying a home can be one of the best long-term financial decisions someone makes. Homeownership can provide stability, potential appreciation, principal reduction and the opportunity to eventually own a significant asset outright. But that doesn't mean buying a home is always smarte

Buying a home in California has always required buyers to think carefully about price, location, property condition, taxes and financing. But there is another question that has become increasingly important: Can you actually insure the house? For years, homeowners insurance was often treated as one of the routine items buyers handled after getting into contract. You found the house, negotiated the purchase, completed inspections, worked through the mortgage process and ob

For the last several years, almost every conversation about the San Francisco housing market has eventually arrived at the same subjects: affordability, mortgage rates, remote work, technology employment and whether buyers still want to pay extraordinary prices to live in the Bay Area. Now another factor is entering the conversation. Artificial intelligence. The enormous growth of the AI industry isn't simply changing the employment landscape in San Francisco. New reporting s

Imagine you've owned your California home for 20, 30 or even 40 years. You bought it when prices were dramatically lower. Over the decades, the home's value climbed — perhaps to $1 million, $1.5 million or considerably more. But thanks to California's Proposition 13, your property's taxable value may still be far below its current market value. Now you want to move. Maybe you want to downsize. Maybe you want to leave the Bay Area for a less expensive part of Califor

Many purchased or refinanced when mortgage rates were dramatically lower than today's market. At the same time, years of home-price appreciation have left longtime owners with substantial equity. A recent Realtor.com analysis estimates that the typical California homeowner has approximately $627,000 in home equity. That creates an obvious question: What if you need access to some of that equity but don't want to give up your existing first mortgage? For certain homeow

When people hear “California real estate,” affordable usually isn't the first word that comes to mind. San Francisco. Orange County. Los Angeles. San Jose. Marin. In many of California's best-known housing markets, buyers have become accustomed to home prices approaching — or easily exceeding — $1 million. But California isn't one housing market. Not even close. A recent affordability analysis ranked Porterville as the most affordable city in California, with a medi

A beautiful condo can have new flooring, an updated kitchen, a great location and a monthly payment that fits perfectly into your budget. Then you discover something that wasn't obvious during the showing. The homeowners association needs millions of dollars for major repairs, doesn't have enough money saved in reserves, and owners may be facing a substantial special assessment. That can change the economics of the purchase very quickly. This is why buying a condomini

Choosing the right mortgage lender in California involves much more than finding the company advertising the lowest interest rate. The right lender should be able to offer a competitive combination of rate and costs, recommend a loan program that actually fits your situation, accurately evaluate your qualifications before you make an offer, communicate clearly throughout the transaction, and successfully close the type of property you are buying. That last part matters mo

Choosing the right mortgage lender in California involves much more than finding the company advertising the lowest interest rate. The right lender should be able to offer a competitive combination of rate and costs, recommend a loan program that actually fits your situation, accurately evaluate your qualifications before you make an offer, communicate clearly throughout the transaction, and successfully close the type of property you are buying. That last part matters mo

If you own a home in Marin County and are considering refinancing, the first question should not simply be, “What is today’s refinance rate?” The better question is: What do I want the refinance to accomplish? A refinance can potentially lower your interest rate or monthly payment, change the term of your mortgage, remove mortgage insurance, convert an adjustable-rate loan to a fixed-rate loan, consolidate debt, or allow you to access some of the equity in your home.

Buying a home in Northern California can require a substantial amount of cash, but you may not need to save a 10% or 20% down payment before becoming a homeowner. Eligible buyers may have access to down payment assistance programs that can help cover some or all of the required down payment and, depending on the program, certain closing costs. The key is understanding that down payment assistance is not one universal program. To qualify, you'll generally need to meet re

If you're trying to buy a home in Petaluma but the down payment is holding you back, you may have more options than simply waiting another few years to save more money. California has several programs that can help eligible homebuyers with a down payment and, in some cases, closing costs. Some programs are designed specifically for first-time buyers. Others can potentially be used by repeat buyers as well. The important thing to understand is that "down payment assistance