The 1st Quarter of 2026 Wasn't...

...as predictable we predicted

It sure looked like:

• interest rates were going to steadily decline
• the number of homes for sale would increase a lot
• the number of home sales would increase a lot

and while those things may very happen in the 2nd quarter of 2026

they didn't happen to the extent that we thought it would

what didn't we see coming?

• another lengthy government shutdown
• a war with Iran
• interest rates increasing

but here is where it gets interesting

over the next 30-45 days

we will most likely see:

• the government fully reopen
• the war with Iran come to an end
• interest rates to drop as the new Fed Chair starts in Mid May

which could very well be the catalyst for a solid 2nd quarter

and a lot of momentum going into the 3rd quarter of 2026

buckle up for a potentially very busy summer sales season

Fear Of Appraisals...

...is 100% real for buyers and sellers alike

the buyer wants the home to appraise so they can get the loan approved

the seller wants the home to appraise so the sale doesn't get cancelled

there are 3 possible outcomes on every appraisal

• the home appraises for the contract value and the deal continues
• the home appraises for more than the contract price and the deal continues
• the home appraises below the contract price and the deal may fall apart

when an appraisal comes in low

there are some remedies available to keep the deal going

• the buyer can make a larger down payment
• the seller can reduce the price to the appraisal value
• a new price in between can be agreed upon to share the pain

in a quickly rising market you see appraisals come in low quite often

as the market is surging forward and the closed sales comps are a couple of months old

in a declining market, a home may appraise higher than sales price as their is a lag in the closed sales

in a balanced market such as the one that we have been in for awhile

appraisals tend to work out as there isn't a lot of price movement

tune in to today's show all the details on what goes on during the appraisal process

One of the BIGGEST Mistakes that Home Buyers make...

...Buy The House 1st and the Car 2nd

time and time again I see people making this mistake

and with all of the information available

it's tough to understand how it keeps happening

If you missed the memo on this

here is the quick version

when you buy a home with a mortgage

the bank underwriter is going to take a long hard look at

• your income - paystubs - tax returns
• your credit score
• your down payment
• your debt to income ratio
• cash reserves

when you go to get a car loan

• the bank will primarily use your credit score
• and ask your how much $ you make
• they may not even ask for income verification

I am not telling you to do anything dishonest

but if you understand that the lending approval guidelines

are far more strict on a home loan

wouldn't it make sense to start there?

especially if they new car payment

dramatically reduces the home purchase amount that you qualify for

and you end up not being able to buy the home you really want

today's show goes over the Math...

Sometimes You Need To Lose A Home You Really Want...

...and the biggest problem I find

is that buyers quite often don't have the $$$ part figured out

consumers have grown very accustomed to shopping on their own terms

• its easy to shop online
• check prices
• compare features
• compare reviews
• supply is typically not limited
• usually paid for on a debit/credit card

so when it comes to a home purchase

quite often a few things change in the buying process

• supply may be limited to just that 1 home
• may not have as much time to research
• probably not swiping a debit/card to pay for it
• need to have bank statement for cash purchases ready at all times
• need to have a pre qualification ready from a qualified lender

while it seems obvious to do all of this

a shocking amount of people put off doing it

most just like looking around 1st

and I can understand why they want to do it that way

it's just a really bad strategy

today's show goes behind the scenes to let you know how things can break down

Calling The Fed's Shot This Week...

...since everyone is asking what's gonna happen

I would be absolutely shocked if the Fed does anything but keep interest rates the same

The USA is currently:

• lobbing bombs into Iran
• in the middle of a partial government shutdown
• debating voter id registrations
• in an uncertain inflation environment
• and Fed Chair Jerome Powell is under investigation

Mark it down

nothing is going to change during the March 17-18 Fed Meeting

and for that matter The April 28-29 meeting will be uneventful

as its the last meeting before the new Fed Chair takes over

watch for interest rate drops at the June 16-17 meeting

tune into today's show to learn more

Pre Buying Your Retirement Home Before Your Retire...

...what you need to know that you haven't thought about

I am seeing a trend of retirement home buyers

moving up their timeline to purchase

• interest rates have come down
• inventory has increased
• new listings in this sector are selling faster
• prices are anticipated to increase

but some home buyers are experiencing some unexpected issues

the most perplexing one has to do with financing the home

if you are looking to make the new home your primary residence

and want to use a lower down payment

and also get the lowest possible rate

the lender may stipulate that the home you buy be within driving distance to work

if you want to count that employers income for loan qualifying

it will typically need to be within a 2 hour drive or 150 miles

this will vary from lender to lender

the reason being is that banks feel that a longer commute may mean its actually 2nd home

which causes a number of buyers to switch to a loan for a 2nd home

the down payment may be a little higher

and the interest rate may be a little higher

there are some bridge loan programs that buyers are using

when they are delaying the sale of their current home

today's show goes very deep into the multitude of scenarios in play

Incomplete Offers Lose Homes Buyers Want...

...as sellers avoid offers that are missing key elements

Most real estate agents have access to offer forms

where they can fill in a series of blanks

with the price and terms that a buyer wants to offer to the seller

it sounds simple

and it can be

if all the blanks are filled in

it would help if they were filled in correctly

and when this happens

the sellers agent can quickly break down the bulllet points for the seller

we often find that most sales come down to price

and possibly a couple of terms to iron out

those offerss typically find common ground and go under contract

and then there are the offers that don't

• have all the blanks filled in
• don't show proof of funds
• are missing key deadlines
• are improperly worded
• have conflicting information
• are missing riders and/or disclosures
• have the math wrong

those are the ones that batted back and forth way too many times

they are the ones that lose out in multiple offer situations

ultimately a buyer can miss out on homes that they really wanted to buy

for completely avoidable reasons

tune in for all the details on how to avoid this situation

The Sellers Disclosures Are Wayyyyyyy More Important...

...than most home sellers probably realize

and its not a shock

in the past they have been looked at as an afterthought

something to get done once a home is under contract

some sellers - and agents for that matter

have looked at them as a bit of a nuisance thing

what I am seeing in today's market

is that home buyers want this information upfront

before they take the time to visit a property

and definitely before they "fall in love with the home"

the absolutely want to know:

• did it flood
• how old is the roof
• how old is the ac
• are there plumbing issues
• are the electrical issues
• have there been insurance claims

too many deals fall apart without the information readily available

especially when its a largely avoidable occurence

we go way down the rabbit hole on today's podcast

to let you know all the details on why this issue matters

The Place To Get A Down Payment For A House...

... is right in front of you

Home Loans Come in all shapes and sizes

A VA Loan or USDA Loan are 2 that may not require any down payment

FHA Loans can have a down payment as low as 3.5%

Conventional loans typically start at 5% down payment

and there some that only need a 3% down for well qualified buyers

So where do you get the $$$ for that down payment

Here are some of the most common ways to do it

• Save it on your own
• Tax Refund
• Get a gift from a direct family member
• Withdraw $ from a retirement account
• Take a loan from your 401k

Each of these methods require some work

and I recommend that you document everything

as the lender will want to see the paper trail

if you are considering an option regarding your retirement account

contact your plan administrator to learn about any interest or penalties due

today's talks in depth about how you can get the money you need

to help you purchase a home this year

Interest Rates Dropped to 5.99%...

...and rates are now at their lowest point in over 3 years

you would have to go back to September of 2022 to find a lower rate

and there are now some really, really good things available now for consumers

lets examine the math behind a $350,000 home purchase

with a 20% down payment to avoid mortgage insurance

and using a 30 year fixed rate loan

last year the interest rate was about 7%

which would have been a principal + interest payment of $1862

using this weeks rate of 5.99%

it would now be a principal + interest payment of $1676

that's a difference of $186 per month

looking at it a different way

the same $1862 payment from last year

would mean that a buyer could purchase at $389,000 this year

that $39,000 more purchasing power for buyers

the stage is being set for an increase in home purchases

due to improvements in affordability and purchasing power

tune into today's show for all of the nitty, gritty details