UPDATE FOR SEPTEMBER 11, 2026: The fresh August CPI inflation report just dropped this morning! While the exact percentages have updated, the core battle between CPI and PCE remains identical. If you are trying to figure out why the news numbers don't seem to match what you are feeling at the grocery store or what the Federal Reserve is saying about interest rates next week, this video breaks down the exact formula difference you need to know.

Two Inflation Numbers. One Says 2.5%, One Says 3.3%. Both Are Right.

There are two official inflation reports, and for July they disagreed: core CPI came in at 2.5% and core PCE at 3.3%. Same month, same country, both correct. In this video I walk you through what CPI, core CPI, PCE and core PCE actually measure, which one the Federal Reserve really steers by, and why core CPI is running further below core PCE than at any point since 2000. It comes down to one thing: shelter.

I'm not predicting what the Fed will do or where rates go next. This is about understanding the numbers everyone quotes at you. I recorded this on September 9, 2026, so the figures are from the July reports; the August CPI comes out September 11. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of Economic Analysis, via FRED.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Two inflation numbers, both correct

1:29 CPI: the fixed basket

3:06 Core CPI: food and energy out

4:09 PCE: what's paid on your behalf

5:44 Core PCE

6:27 What the Fed actually targets

8:27 The inversion: deepest since 2000

10:28 July by July

11:46 Why it flipped: shelter

12:13 Home prices and rates right now

13:52 Revisions and the formula

15:34 Recap

17:35 Live show, weekly text and tools

Join me live every Wednesday at 3pm PT right here on YouTube. Text LIVE to 844-935-3634 and I'll text you when I go live.

Rates, calculators and my weekly newsletter: https://www.mortgagemomradio.com/

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Recorded September 9, 2026. Market conditions and interest rates can change. This is general education, not a rate quote or financial advice. Debbie Marcoux NMLS 237926. JMJ Financial dba Mortgage Mom Radio NMLS 167867. Equal Housing Lender.

The government announced it would spend $6 billion buying back its own bonds last week. That is supposed to push yields down, and mortgage rates with them. Yields went up instead, and the 10-year hit its highest level since 2023.

Here is why that happened, and what it tells you about who actually controls your rate.

What I cover:

- What a Treasury buyback is, in plain English

- Why the market wanted more than it got, and why that pushed yields the wrong way

- Why it is never just what they do, it is what they do versus what was expected

- Where rates actually stand right now, including one surprise on ARMs

- What to do if you have been waiting for rates to come down

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Recorded September 9, 2026. Market conditions and interest rates can change. This is general education, not a rate quote or financial advice. Debbie Marcoux NMLS 237926.

There are people out there right now paying two and a half or three percent on their mortgage. If that loan is FHA, VA, or USDA, a buyer may be able to take it over instead of getting a new loan at today's rates. It is called an assumption, and almost nobody uses it.

This is not the portable mortgage idea from the policy debate. Portable mortgages do not exist in the United States. Assumptions already do.

In this video I walk through who qualifies, what it can actually save, and the two things that stop most assumptions from happening.

What I cover:

- Why this is not the same as a portable mortgage, and why that matters

- Which loans are assumable and which are not

- What an assumption can save on a typical balance

- Why you assume the balance and not the price, and what that gap means for you

- What every VA seller needs to understand about their entitlement before they agree to this

- What to ask a servicer before you count on any of it

If you are looking at a home with an assumable loan, or you are a seller wondering whether yours is worth advertising, let's talk before you commit either way.

Text MOM to 844-935-3634

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Recorded September 2, 2026. Market conditions and interest rates can change. This is general education, not a rate quote or financial advice. Loan assumption is subject to servicer approval and program guidelines. Debbie Marcoux NMLS 237926.

The Fed has not moved its rate all year, and mortgage rates went up anyway. In this episode I explain who actually sets your mortgage rate, why the bond market matters more than the next Fed meeting, and what this Friday could change.

The 30-year Treasury just hit its highest level since 2007. The 10-year, which is what a 30-year mortgage actually tracks, has climbed from about 4.2% in January to 4.66% today, while the Fed funds target has sat unchanged at 3.50% to 3.75% the whole time. That gap is the whole story, and it is why waiting for a Fed cut has not lowered anyone's payment.

On Friday, August 28, the Fed Chair gives his first Jackson Hole keynote, three weeks before the September meeting. Markets are currently pricing roughly one-in-three odds of a rate increase in September, not a cut.

What I cover:

- Why the federal funds rate and your 30-year mortgage are two different things

- What the global bond selloff has to do with your payment

- Why Friday is a wider-than-usual day for rates

- Four things you can do now instead of waiting

Text MOM to 844-935-3634

Debbie Marcoux, NMLS #237926. JMJ Financial dba Mortgage Mom Radio, NMLS #167867. Equal Housing Lender. Licensed in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, NV, NC, OR, TN, TX, WA.

For illustrative and educational purposes only. Not a commitment to lend. Rates, terms, and eligibility subject to underwriting approval and change without notice.

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How To Actually Ask For Seller Concessions In The 2026 Resale Market

Almost half of American home sellers are now handing buyers money at closing — and most buyers still don't know they're

allowed to ask. This week Debbie breaks down the resale market's worst-kept secret: seller concessions hit a record 46% of home sales this spring, there are one and a half sellers for every buyer, and the list price has officially become the opening bid.

Debbie walks through exactly what you can ask a seller to pay for — closing costs, repairs, prepaid insurance and taxes, HOA dues — and the one almost nobody uses: the seller-paid rate buydown. She runs the real numbers on a median-priced home and shows why the same $9,000 gets you $53 a month as a price cut but up to $496 a month as a buydown. Plus the concession caps for conventional, FHA, and VA loans, where buyer leverage is strongest from Arizona to Florida, and why record seller equity means a smart credit beats a price war for both sides.

Have a question about your loan or a listing you're watching? Text MOM to 844-935-3634 and Debbie will answer it personally.

Debbie Marcoux is licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act, NMLS #237926, licensed in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, NV, NC, OR, TN, TX, WA. Not all applicants will qualify. Equal Housing Lender.

Instagram and TikTok: @mortgagemomradio. Facebook: Mortgage Mom Radio. Questions: [email protected].

#mortgage #homebuying #sellerconcessions #buyersmarket #realestate #firsttimehomebuyer #mortgagemom #ratebuydown

I've had more clients ask me this exact question in the past two weeks than almost any other topic all year, so today I sat down with the actual data — not the headline, the underlying numbers — and walked through what's really happening versus what happened during the Great Recession.

Here's the short version: the headline is technically true and the fear is completely understandable, but the full picture tells a very different story. We're still running about 87% below the 2010 foreclosure peak. Home equity nationally just hit a record 18 trillion dollars. Less than 4% of homes are seriously underwater today compared to roughly a quarter of all homeowners back in 2008. And foreclosures are actually processing faster than they were even in the calm pre-pandemic year of 2019, which is usually a sign of a healthy, orderly market rather than a crisis brewing underneath the surface.

But I'm not going to stand here and tell you everything is perfect everywhere, because it isn't. Texas and Florida are carrying almost 40% of the nation's underwater homeowners between them right now, and if you bought in Austin, San Antonio, or coastal Florida in 2022 or 2023 with a low down payment, especially on an FHA or VA loan, you are the group actually feeling some real pressure. So today's episode is both things at once: the reassurance that this is not 2008, and the honest heads-up about exactly who should be paying closer attention right now.

If you're worried about where you stand, or you just want someone to walk through your specific numbers instead of guessing from a headline, text MOM to 844-935-3634 and let's talk it through together.

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Debbie Marcoux — NMLS #237926 Licensed in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, NV, NC, OR, TN, TX, WA Equal Housing Lender · This is educational content, not a rate quote. #mortgagemomradio #foreclosure #housingmarket #realestate #firsttimehomebuyer #texasrealestate #floridarealestate #mortgage

21% of homes going under contract in 2026 aren't closing.

It's not the appraisal. It's not the loan. It's not the inspection.

It's the insurance.

I've been in the mortgage business for over 30 years and I have NEVER seen a market where more clean, qualified, pre-approved buyers are losing their deals at the closing table over something they never even thought about until week three of escrow. So today on the show I'm breaking down exactly what's happening, why it's happening RIGHT NOW, and — if you're a buyer, an agent, or a seller — the 5-day plan I want you running the second you go under contract.

Stuff we cover in this episode:

The brand new Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago paper that just put a number on this — $1,000 of extra premium = 2.3 percentage points more likely to be denied

The California FAIR Plan 29.1% rate hike that goes live October 15 (and what to do if you're mid-escrow right now)

Why Florida premiums went UP 14.3% after tort reform was supposed to make them go down

The four failure points where insurance kills a deal (and how to spot each one early)

Roof age, wind mitigation, and the one $150 inspection that can save a Florida closing

Insurance quote vs. insurance binder — the new underwriter rule nobody warned you about

My personal 5-day rule for every buyer who goes under contract from here on out

If you or someone you know is buying a home in California, Florida, Arizona, Texas, or ANY of the 14 states I lend in, this is the episode to send them. This is the one that saves the deal.

Text MOM to 844-935-3634 and I'll walk you through it personally — before the deal breaks, not after.

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Debbie Marcoux — NMLS #237926 Licensed in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, NV, NC, OR, TN, TX, WA Equal Housing Lender · This is educational content, not a rate quote.

#mortgagemomradio #homeinsurance #realestate #firsttimehomebuyer #californiafairplan #floridarealestate #mortgage

The Fed just made its decision — no rate cut. In fact, three Fed officials voted to RAISE rates, and Wall Street now expects a hike as soon as September. So what does that actually mean for your mortgage?

On today's show, Debbie Marcoux — The Mortgage Mom — breaks down the Fed's 9–3 vote, new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, and the one thing most people get wrong: the Fed doesn't set your mortgage rate. You'll learn why mortgage rates climbed to near one-year highs even while the Fed sat still, what a September hike would mean for buyers and homeowners, and why waiting for lower rates has been costing people money all year.

Whether you're buying your first home, thinking about refinancing, or just trying to make sense of the headlines, this episode gives you the plan.

Website: https://www.mortgagemomradio.com

Subscribe for a new live show every Wednesday at 3PM PT.

Mortgage Mom Radio is live every Wednesday at 3PM PT.

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[email protected] (844) 935-3634

Debbie Marcoux, Mortgage Loan Officer · NMLS ID #237926

2150 Kiowa Blvd N, Suite A-108, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403

JMJ Financial · NMLS ID #41DBO-46011 · California DBO

Corporate Office: 26800 Aliso Viejo Pkwy, Suite 200, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

Loans are subject to credit approval. Terms and conditions apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Licensed in 13 states: Arizona LO-0941504, California CA-DBO237926, Florida LO76508, Georgia 69178, Hawaii HI-237926, Idaho MLO-2080237926, Illinois 031.0058339, Nevada 57237, North Carolina I-210940, Oregon 237926, Tennessee 184373, Texas 237926, Washington MLO-237926. Verify any license at nmlsconsumeraccess.org.

Mortgage rates just hit their highest levels of 2026 — the 30-year fixed reached 6.75% on Mortgage News Daily's tracker this week, with Freddie Mac's survey at 6.55%.

On today's show, Debbie breaks down what pushed rates up: rising fuel prices, new Treasury supply concerns, and bond selling during earnings season — plus what the July 28-29 Fed meeting could mean for the weeks ahead.

Then, the part that matters most: affordability has slipped five straight months, but 33% of June home purchases were still first-time buyers. Debbie shares her "Lock-In" game plan for getting mortgage-ready — credit score prep, understanding your debt-to-income ratio, and building a true purchase budget beyond just the down payment.

If you or someone you love is trying to buy their first home, call MOM at 844-935-3634. We'll pull your credit, review your DTI, and show you what you actually qualify for and what programs are available in your state. There is a path — and you don't have to walk it alone.

Mortgage Mom Radio is live every Wednesday at 3PM PT.

www.mortgagemomradio.com [email protected] (844) 935-3634

Debbie Marcoux, Mortgage Loan Officer · NMLS ID #237926

2150 Kiowa Blvd N, Suite A-108, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403

JMJ Financial · NMLS ID #41DBO-46011 · California DBO

Corporate Office: 26800 Aliso Viejo Pkwy, Suite 200, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

Loans are subject to credit approval. Terms and conditions apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Licensed in 13 states: Arizona LO-0941504, California CA-DBO237926, Florida LO76508, Georgia 69178, Hawaii HI-237926, Idaho MLO-2080237926, Illinois 031.0058339, Nevada 57237, North Carolina I-210940, Oregon 237926, Tennessee 184373, Texas 237926, Washington MLO-237926. Verify any license at nmlsconsumeraccess.org.

The biggest condo lending rule change in over a decade drops August 3rd. If you're buying, selling, or refinancing a condo, this affects you.

On March 18, 2026, Fannie Mae dropped Lender Letter LL-2026-03 — the biggest overhaul to condo lending rules in a decade. Freddie Mac followed with a parallel bulletin. Some pieces are effective immediately, some kick in July 1, some August 3, some not until January 4, 2027.

If you are a realtor or HOA manager, this is important education for you to have.

Debbie Marcoux, NMLS ID 237926 also licensed in AZ-0941504, CA-DBO237926, FL-LO76508, GA-69178, HI, IL-031.0058339, MO, NC, NV-57237, OR, TN-184373, TX, WA-MLO-237926