October 23, 2026 | Michael Belfor Mortgage Pricing Finally Gets Some Relief After weeks of difficult mortgage-market conditions, buyers and homeowners received some welcome news this week. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield closed Thursday near 4.96%, breaking below the 5% threshold as investors sought safety in government bonds. Mortgage-backed securities also rallied. That improvement can translate into more favorable mortgage pricing, although individual loan terms still depe

A new White House executive order signed yesterday is aimed directly at housing affordability. The White House ⠀ And unlike a lot of broad housing proposals, this one reaches into very specific parts of the mortgage process. ⠀ The order directs federal housing agencies to work on: ⠀ Automatic mortgage-insurance cancellation for certain future Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. ⠀ Lower refinance closing costs through expanded title-insurance alternatives. ⠀ Potentially easier d

The investor story in housing is changing. ⠀ For years, one of the biggest complaints in real estate was that giant institutional buyers were competing with regular homeowners and small investors for houses. ⠀ That is still part of the market. ⠀ But the latest Realtor.com investor report shows something different happening in 2026. ⠀ Investor purchases declined in the first half of the year. ⠀ Large institutional buyers pulled back. ⠀ And small investors took a larger share o

Pending Home Sales Just Hit the Lowest Level on Record; Buyers Are Pulling Back; Why That Could Create Opportunity for the Ones Still Shopping October 21, 2026 | Michael Belfor The housing market just delivered one of the ugliest demand numbers we have seen in years. ⠀ Pending home sales fell 7.3% in September. ⠀ That was far worse than economists expected. ⠀ And the National Association of Realtors’ pending-home-sales index dropped to 66.0 — the lowest reading since the seri

Builders are nervous. ⠀ Really nervous. ⠀ The latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index fell to 29 in October. ⠀ That is the lowest reading in nearly 14 and a half years, excluding the immediate onset of the pandemic. Reuters ⠀ And the part that matters most to buyers is this: ⠀ 43% of builders reported cutting prices. ⠀ 65% reported using sales incentives. Reuters ⠀ That tells me something very clearly: ⠀ Builders are not sitting comfortab

“I’m just going to wait until rates come down.” I hear that almost every week. It’s a fair instinct. Nobody wants to lock in a rate and then watch rates drop six months later. But the rate is only one number in the decision. While you wait, other things can move too: The price of the home you want Your rent How much cash you need to close How much equity you would have built if you’d already bought Sometimes waiting wins. Sometimes it doesn’t. The only honest answer is to run

October 19, 2026 | Michael Belfor The housing market is not simply “good” or “bad” right now. ⠀ It is splitting. ⠀ At the lower end of the market, buyers are struggling with affordability. ⠀ At the upper end, cash buyers and high-equity buyers are still moving. ⠀ A new Wall Street Journal analysis found that luxury home prices are outperforming lower-priced homes in most major metro areas. ⠀ In 33 of the 50 largest U.S. metros, luxury prices are either rising faster or fallin

Buying a home in California is exciting, but figuring out the right mortgage loan can feel overwhelming. There are so many options, terms, and rates to consider. I’ve been through this process, and I want to help you make sense of it all. Let’s break down the key points you need to know to compare mortgage loans in California confidently. Why It’s Important to Compare Mortgage Loans California When you’re ready to buy a home, the mortgage loan you choose will impact your mont

Quick answer: A TIC (tenancy-in-common) lets you buy a fractional share of a small building, usually a duplex to a four-unit building, with the exclusive right to live in a specific unit. With individual fractional financing, you get your own loan on your own share, so another owner's mortgage doesn't affect yours. TICs are often priced below comparable condos. Plan on a larger down payment than a typical condo, commonly 15–20% or more, plus closing costs and reserves. You fi

Quick answer: A seller credit usually saves you more cash at closing. A price reduction usually saves you more each month. On a $700,000 home with 10% down at an illustrative 6.5% rate, a $10,000 credit cuts upfront cash by $10,000. A $10,000 price cut saves $1,000 upfront and about $57 a month. Pick the one that fixes your tighter budget. The seller says yes to $10,000. Great. Now you have to decide what form it takes. Most buyers assume a lower price is always the win. Some

Your low rate is one part of the decision, not the whole decision. Compare four things: your estimated sale proceeds, the cash the next purchase needs, the change in your total monthly housing cost, and how the timing works. Then weigh those numbers against what the move would actually improve, like space, commute, or family needs. A lot of homeowners feel stuck. They have a rate they'll never see again, and a house that doesn't fit anymore. The rate matters. But I've watched

Quick answer: Rent covering the mortgage payment doesn't mean a rental makes money. Real cash flow is rent after vacancy, minus taxes, insurance, HOA, maintenance, capital reserves, management, and utilities, minus the loan payment. In an illustrative example, $3,000 rent easily covers a $2,000 principal-and-interest payment, yet the property still runs about $240 a month negative. "Rent is $3,000 and the mortgage is $2,000. That's $1,000 a month!" It's not. And the gap betwe

A home equity loan (HELOAN) gives you one lump sum, usually with a fixed rate and a fixed payment. A HELOC is a credit line you draw from as needed, usually with a variable rate and a payment that can change. Choose a HELOAN for a one-time expense you want paid off on schedule. Choose a HELOC for costs that come in stages. A lot of homeowners have a great first mortgage rate and real equity. They don't want to touch that first loan. So the question becomes how to borrow again

October 16, 2026 | Michael Belfor Here is a mortgage detail most homeowners never think about until something goes terribly wrong: ⠀ If your home is badly damaged or destroyed, the insurance check may not simply be handed to you. ⠀ Your mortgage lender or servicer may also have control over the insurance proceeds. ⠀ That is exactly what California is now investigating after complaints from survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires. ⠀ On October 15, California ordered financi

After seven straight weeks of increases, mortgage rates finally stopped climbing. ⠀ Freddie Mac reported the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate held at 7.40% this week, unchanged from the prior week and ending a seven-week streak of increases. ⠀ That is not low. ⠀ It is not especially comfortable. ⠀ But after the sharp move higher since August, even a pause matters. ⠀ And there is an important distinction here: ⠀ A rate that stops rising is not the same thing as a rate that

For the first time since spring, existing-home sales moved higher. ⠀ That sounds like good news. ⠀ And it is — sort of. ⠀ September existing-home sales increased 1.5% from August to an annualized pace of 3.99 million homes. ⠀ But sales were still down 2.2% from a year earlier. ⠀ At the same time, inventory climbed to 1.60 million homes — the highest level since November 2019. Reuters ⠀ That combination tells us something important: ⠀ The housing market is not booming. ⠀ But i

For the last few years, homebuilders had a major advantage over regular home sellers. ⠀ They could cut prices. ⠀ They could offer closing-cost credits. ⠀ They could buy down mortgage rates. ⠀ And they could make the monthly payment look much better than a resale home down the street. ⠀ That advantage is starting to shrink. ⠀ A new Wall Street Journal report says resale sellers are becoming more aggressive on price and concessions as higher mortgage rates pressure buyers. The

For decades, mortgage borrowers have been trained to think about credit in one very simple way: ⠀ “What is my FICO score?” ⠀ That question is becoming less simple. ⠀ Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac now broadly allow eligible loans to use VantageScore 4.0, giving approved lenders another credit-score option alongside Classic FICO. Fannie Mae says 37% of conventional applications created in Desktop Underwriter during September included a VantageScore 4.0 score. Fannie Mae ⠀ That is

Buying a home in California is an exciting journey, but it can also feel overwhelming. One of the biggest steps is understanding how home mortgage loans work here. I want to walk you through the essentials in a clear, friendly way. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or helping clients as a real estate agent, this guide will help you feel confident about the process. When you’re ready to buy a home, knowing the basics of mortgage loans in California can save you time, money, an

October 9, 2026 | Michael Belfor After one of the most difficult stretches for mortgage rates we've seen in years, the bond market may finally be showing signs of stability. That's welcome news for California homebuyers, homeowners, and real estate professionals who watched borrowing costs climb sharply throughout September. But before anyone starts celebrating a major rate decline, there's an important distinction to understand. Stabilizing mortgage rates are not the same as