Mortgage Rates Rate Locks at 7.28%: What Buyers Under Contract Should Do After the Biggest Weekly Mortgage Rate Jump in Four Years The 30-year rate jumped to 7.28% in one week. For buyers under contract, the lock period, extension fees and float-down options now matter more than the quote.
FHA 203(k) FHA 203(k) Renovation Loans in 2026: How Buyers Finance a Fixer-Upper and the Repair Bill in One Mortgage A fixer-upper in Rochester sold for $76,000 less than move-in-ready comps two streets over — and the buyer financed the whole gap, purchase price plus repairs, in a single FHA mortgage.
Delayed Financing Delayed Financing: How All-Cash Buyers Get Their Money Back Out Without Waiting Six Months Buy with cash, refinance almost immediately, keep the winning bid. Fannie Mae's delayed financing exception waives the standard six-month wait for buyers who can prove where the money came from.
real estate Condo Special Assessments in 2026: The Reserve-Funding Bill Coming Due at Closing New reserve-funding laws passed after the Surfside collapse are triggering six-figure special assessments in condo buildings nationwide -- here's what buyers need to pull before they make an offer.
real estate The Inventory Thaw of 2026: Why Buyers Suddenly Have Leverage Again — and Where After three years of bidding wars, US housing inventory has finally loosened in the Sun Belt and beyond. Here's where buyers now hold the cards, what to ask for, and the mistake that wastes the window.
assumable mortgages Assumable Mortgages in 2026: The Low-Rate Loan Hiding in the Listing One in four U.S. mortgages carries a sub-4% rate a buyer can legally take over. Here's how assumable FHA, VA and USDA loans really work in 2026 - and the equity gap that trips up most buyers.
Home Buying The Appraisal Gap in 2026: What Happens When Your Home Appraises Below the Price You Agreed to Pay An appraisal coming in below your contract price can sink a deal fast. Here is exactly what the gap costs you, the clause that caps your risk, and the five moves that save the purchase.
real estate Seller Concessions in 2026: The Line in the Contract That Beats Haggling Over the Sticker Price When Rates Sit at 6.3% A seller credit at closing can save you more than a price cut in 2026's slower market. Here is the math on buydowns vs. price reductions, the concession caps by loan type, and how to actually ask.
real estate New-Construction Rate Buydowns in 2026: The Builder Deal That Beats Resale on Monthly Cost — If You Ask the Right Three Questions Builders can cut your rate where resale sellers can't. The two buydown types, where the incentive money is deepest, and the captive-lender trap to check.
real estate Assumable Mortgages in 2026: The Overlooked Move That Lets a Buyer Inherit a 3% Rate While Everyone Else Pays 6.3% With new mortgages stuck above 6%, the cheapest money in the market is the loan a seller already has. Assumable VA and FHA mortgages let the right buyer inherit a 3% rate — if they can clear the catch.
US real estate US Real Estate in Summer 2026: Where the Market Has Actually Shifted and Where It Hasn't Inventory is up 22% nationally, Sun Belt markets are giving buyers their first real leverage since 2019, and builders are buying down rates to 5.49%. Here's where the genuine opportunities are and where the narrative is running ahead of the data.
Property Buying your first home in 2026: the costs beyond the deposit that catch buyers out Saving the deposit is only half the battle. Here are the extra costs of buying your first home in 2026 that blindside buyers — and how to budget for them.
Mortgage Rates Mortgage Rates Slip to 6.4% as April Pending Home Sales Surprise to the Upside Mortgage rates dropped to 6.42% and March pending sales rose 2.1%, the first meaningful signs of life in a 30-month housing grind.
