Mortgage Mom Radio

Thinking about keeping your current home as a rental and buying your next one? Starting December 1, Fannie Mae changes how lenders count the rent from the house you're leaving, and some lenders may start sooner. A signed lease won't do it anymore, the rent has to be supported by the market, and the rent can cancel your old payment but can't add to your income. If you've been a landlord for less than a year, there's a reserve requirement too. Here's what it means for you, and how to plan if you're buying in the next few months.

What I cover:

- What a "departing residence" is, and why lenders treat it differently

- Why a lease no longer counts, and what replaces it

- The 75 percent rule, and how the rent is applied to your old payment

- The six months of reserves you may need if you're new to being a landlord

- When the new rules start, and why some lenders may use them earlier

- How to plan if you're buying before or after December 1

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#DepartingResidence #RentalIncome #FannieMae #MoveUpBuyer #HomeBuying #MortgageTips #MortgageMomRadio #NMLS237926

Recorded October 7, 2026. Market conditions and interest rates can change. This is general education, not legal, tax or financial advice, and not a rate quote or a commitment to lend. Debbie Marcoux NMLS 237926.

Found your next home before you've sold the one you're in? You have more options than you think, and in today's market sellers are more willing to work with you than they've been in years. I'll walk you through the five ways to bridge the gap between your current home and your next one, the Fannie Mae change coming for anyone who wants to keep their house as a rental, and the move most people have never heard of for lowering your new payment after the old house sells.

What I cover:

- Selling first, and how a rent-back keeps you from moving twice

- Making your offer contingent on selling

- Bridge loans, and a home equity line on your current home

- Keeping your house as a rental, and the new Fannie Mae rules starting December 1

- Recasting your new loan after the old one sells

- How to pick the route that fits your equity, income and market

Text LIVE to 844-935-3634

Live every Wednesday at 3PM PT

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LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

New episode every Wednesday

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mortgage-mom-radio/id1304740997

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#MoveUpBuyer #BuyBeforeYouSell #BridgeLoan #ContingentOffer #HomeBuying #RealEstate #MortgageTips #MortgageMomRadio #NMLS237926

Recorded September 30, 2026. Market conditions and interest rates can change. This is general education, not legal, tax or financial advice, and not a rate quote or a commitment to lend. Debbie Marcoux NMLS 237926.

Short sales are coming back for the first time since the Great Recession. If you're struggling with your mortgage payment, a short sale may be a better path than foreclosure, and the time to act is before you miss your first payment. If you're a buyer hoping a short sale will get you a better deal, there's a lot you need to know before you make an offer.

What I cover:

- What a short sale is, and why they're rising again

- When to call your lender, and who else to call

- How sellers qualify, and why the hardship letter matters

- What happens with the leftover balance, taxes and your credit

- Why a short sale can take months, and how buyers should prepare

- Whether a short sale is really a better deal

Text LIVE to 844-935-3634

Live every Wednesday at 3PM PT

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LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

New episode every Wednesday

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mortgage-mom-radio/id1304740997

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#ShortSale #Foreclosure #HomeBuying #Homeowners #RealEstate #MortgageTips #MortgageMomRadio #NMLS237926

Recorded September 23, 2026. Market conditions and interest rates can change. This is general education, not legal, tax or financial advice, and not a rate quote. Debbie Marcoux NMLS 237926.

If you are looking at a home with a casita, a guest house, or a converted garage, the rent from that unit may now help you qualify. Fannie Mae announced the change in October 2025, and it has been part of its automated underwriting since March 2026.

I also start with a quick update on today's Federal Reserve rate decision.

What I cover:

- Today's Fed decision in two minutes

- What counts as an accessory dwelling unit

- Who this rule applies to, and who it does not

- The limits on how much of that income can count

- Why permitting and the appraisal matter

Text MOM to 844-935-3634 to get answers to your questions

Text LIVE to 844-935-3634 for go-live alerts Live every Wednesday at 3PM PT

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MortgageMomRadio/

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LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

New episode every Wednesday

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mortgage-mom-radio/id1304740997

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2SbAZaXjpchmWN0JUe0Oag

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/80ba9751-f236-4839-97dc-0728fbbde563/mortgage-mom-radio

All episodes: https://www.mortgagemomradio.com/podcast/

#Casita #ADU #GuestHouse #FannieMae #HomeBuying #FirstTimeHomeBuyer #MortgageTips #MortgageMomRadio #NMLS237926

Recorded September 16, 2026. Market conditions and interest rates can change. This is general education, not a rate quote or financial advice. Debbie Marcoux NMLS 237926.

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/

Listen to the podcast

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mortgage-mom-radio/id1304740997

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#Inflation #CPI #PCE #FederalReserve #MortgageRates #HomeBuying #MortgageMomRadio #NMLS237926

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

Text MOM to 844-935-3634

Text LIVE to 844-935-3634 for go-live alerts Live every Wednesday at 3PM PT

FOLLOW ME

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mortgagemomradio/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mortgage_mom_radio

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MortgageMomRadio/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MortgageMomRadio

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

New episode every Wednesday

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mortgage-mom-radio/id1304740997

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2SbAZaXjpchmWN0JUe0Oag

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/80ba9751-f236-4839-97dc-0728fbbde563/mortgage-mom-radio

All episodes: https://www.mortgagemomradio.com/podcast/

#MortgageRates #TreasuryYields #HomeBuying #FirstTimeHomeBuyer #InterestRates #HousingMarket #RefinanceTips #MortgageMomRadio #NMLS237926

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

#AssumableMortgage #VALoan #FHALoan #MortgageRates #HomeBuying #FirstTimeHomeBuyer #RealEstateTips #MortgageMomRadio #NMLS237926

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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#MortgageMomRadio #MortgageRates #Homebuying #FirstTimeHomeBuyer #InterestRates #FederalReserve #JacksonHole #HousingMarket #RealEstate #Refinance #MortgageTips #HomeLoans #BondMarket #RateWatch #DebbieMarcoux

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