Affordability Improving: Rates Dropping & Buyer Power Growing
Affordability is improving in Northern California as rates ease and buyers regain leverage. Use these simple illustrations to help hesitant buyers act with confidence.
Latest Articles
Mortgage Planning for the Year Ahead: A 2026 Roadmap from a Local Mortgage Broker
Refinance season is back—and homeowners who bought after the COVID-era rate swings may have new opportunities. This guide explains how to set your “strike rate,” pick the right goal (cash flow, payoff, cost reduction, or equity), and be ready to act when the window opens.
It’s Refinance Season Now— Smarter Ways to Refinance
Refinance season is back—and homeowners who bought after the COVID-era rate swings may have new opportunities. This guide explains how to set your “strike rate,” pick the right goal (cash flow, payoff, cost reduction, or equity), and be ready to act when the window opens.
10 Answers to Common Questions from Real Estate Agents: Empowering Your Clients with Smart Mortgage Strategies
Real-world answers to the mortgage questions agents are hearing most—credits, buydowns, builder incentives, first-time options, non-QM, and more.
The Best Christmas Gift You Can Give Your Family—One That Lasts for Generations
The Best Christmas Gift You Can Give Your Family – One That Lasts for Generations In this Christmas season, many families are thinking about gifts – what to buy, what to wrap, and what will bring joy on Christmas morning. Most people know that the most meaningful gifts are rarely the ones that fit under […]
AI for Real Estate Agents: Win Buyers in 2026
AI for Real Estate Agents: Win More Buyers in 2026 (Using Fed Signals) AI for real estate agents isn’t about replacing relationships – it’s about protecting them. In 2026, buyers will keep hesitating when rates move, headlines spike fear, or affordability feels tight. The agents who win won’t be the loudest. They’ll be the clearest: […]
AI Real Estate Tech Trends 2026: Market & Rate Signals
As the market races into 2026, AI and real estate tech are separating top agents from the pack. This guide shows how smart agents are using modern tools, Fed rate insights, and strategic lender partnerships to win more buyers, close faster, and stay ahead of their competition.
Where Mortgage Rates Are Actually Going Next — and How to Use This Window to Put More Buyers in Contract
Mortgage Rate Strategy 2025: How Real Estate Agents Can Win More Buyers Right Now Abstract: In this post, we cover two of the highest-impact topics for real estate agents in the last quarter of 2025. First, we’ll explain the real mortgage rate strategy you can use with buyers – based on live, […]
Debunking Media Fear-Mongering
Debunking Media Fear-Mongering: Real Estate, Jobs, and the Assault on American Happiness Published: November 14, 2025 | By: Steve McNeal | 5-Min Read + Video First Capital Mortgage Inc. – Truth in Home Loans Empowering homebuyers with fact-based homeownership strategies. Quick Read: Don’t Let Headlines Steal Your Dream Home Are you tired of hearing about […]
Trump’s 50-Year Mortgage: Smart Move or Debt Trap?
Trump’s proposed 50-year mortgage has dominated the headlines and confused first-time buyers. On the surface, it looks like a simple way to shrink the payment. But when you dig into the math, the long-term cost, and how slowly equity builds, a very different picture appears. In this article, I walk through the numbers and show you smarter ways to get payment relief without signing up for half a century of debt.