On The Highway

In this session, we break down how the Loan Comparison tool turns complicated loan scenarios into clear, side by side conversations your borrowers actually understand. You'll see how to explain options with confidence, build trust from the first meeting, and close more deals as a result.

In this episode of On the Highway, Scott Brixen breaks down the latest Case-Shiller National Home Price Index data for March 2026. Listen as he walks through which cities are feeling the most pressure, where prices are still holding up, and why the Case-Shiller methodology makes this data worth paying attention to in the first place.

April saw a slowdown in single-family housing construction even as signed contracts for existing homes rose for a third straight month and beat expectations, while the Federal Reserve's April meeting minutes highlighted disagreement among policymakers over the path forward, with key takeaways including cooling single-family construction, a slight uptick in builder sentiment, continued climbing in pending home sales, a policy divide revealed in the Fed minutes, and a pulse check on unemployment claims.

On this episode of On The Highway, Bridgette Hardonk talks with Mary Vaca, a process-driven loan officer who left corporate tech at 40 and has hit President's Club every year since 2020, including a $16M quarter in a market no one's calling easy.

Mary shares the playbooks behind the numbers: how she preps clients for rate dips months out, why she walked away from chasing social media stardom, the listing-agent move that keeps referrals coming back, how she uses AI to handle greedy clients, and the time-blocking system that lets her run a top-producing business while showing up for three kids, CrossFit, and family.

Inflation accelerated in April at both the consumer and wholesale levels, complicating the outlook for interest rate cuts, while existing home sales posted a m…Inflation accelerated in April at both the consumer and wholesale levels, complicating the outlook for interest rate cuts, while existing home sales posted a modest increase. The latest data also offers a snapshot of trends in consumer spending and the labor market.

The MBS Highway National Housing Index rose 5 points in May 2026, climbing from 42 in April to 47. Buyer activity rebounded sharply from last month’s rate-driven pullback, hitting exactly 50 — the expansion threshold — while price direction continued its slow but steady climb.

Labor market data sent mixed signals this week, with a strong headline jobs number masking softer details underneath and ADP data revealing a split market. But housing told a different story, with new home sales beating expectations and forecasts pointing to real opportunity for buyers.

Scott Brixen breaks down the April 2026 housing inventory numbers from Realtor.com. Active listings crossed a major milestone nationally this spring, but is that the rebound buyers have been waiting for or just seasonal noise? Scott weighs April against last year and pre-pandemic norms, then gets to the real story of where that inventory actually lives.

In this episode, Scott Brixen breaks down the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Index for February 2026, and the headline number might surprise you. Tune in to find out which cities are heating up, which are cooling down, and what it all means for conversations with your clients.

The Fed held rates steady amid ongoing policy debate, while inflation edged higher driven by rising oil prices. National home values climbed for a seventh consecutive month, underscoring the continued benefits of homeownership. On the construction side, housing starts came in above expectations, though permits pulled back, offering a mixed picture for new supply. Looking ahead, GDP and unemployment figures remain key data points in focus.