The VA Home Loan Advantage: What Every Veteran Should Know Right Now

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on November 10, 2025. Posted in Buying Tips, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage.

If you’ve served in the military (or if your spouse has), you have access to one of the most powerful homebuying tools out there. The chance to buy a home without having a down payment. Unfortunately, 70% of Veterans (that’s 7 out of every 10) don’t know about this benefit, according to Veterans United. And that’s a big missed opportunity for those who’ve earned this benefit through service. So, let’s break down what you really need to know about Veterans Affairs (VA) home loans right now. Why VA Home Loans Can Be a Great Option For nearly 80 years, VA loans have made homeownership...

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What a Government Shutdown Really Means for the Housing Market

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on November 6, 2025. Posted in Buying Tips, Economy, For Buyers, For Sellers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Selling Tips.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about how a government shutdown impacts the housing market. You might be wondering: Is it causing everything to grind to a halt? The short answer? No. The housing market doesn’t stop. It keeps moving. Homes are still being bought and sold, contracts are still being signed, and closings are still happening. The difference is that a few parts of the process may slow down a little, but overall, the market continues to function. Here’s What Typically Happens Whenever the government shuts down, some federal agencies temporarily close or scale back their...

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Thought the Market Passed You By? Think Again.

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on October 30, 2025. Posted in Buying Tips, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Inventory, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage.

If you stepped back from your home search over the past few years, you’re not alone – and you’re definitely not out of options. In fact, now might be the ideal time to take another look. With more homes to choose from, prices leveling off in many areas, and mortgage rates easing, today’s market is offering something you haven’t had in a while: options. Experts agree, buyers are in a better spot right now than they’ve been in quite a long time. Here’s what they have to say. Affordability Is Finally Improving Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist at Bright MLS, says affordability is finally...

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Why You Don’t Need To Be Afraid of Today’s Mortgage Rates

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on October 29, 2025. Posted in Buying Tips, Downsize, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Move-Up.

Mortgage rates have been the monster under the bed for a while. Every time they tick up, people flinch and say, “Maybe I’ll wait.” But here’s the twist. Waiting for that perfect 5-point-something rate could end up haunting your wallet later. The Magic Number According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR): “. . . a 30-year fixed rate mortgage of 6% would make the median-priced home affordable for about 5.5 million more households—including 1.6 million renters. If rates were to hit that magic number, it’s likely that about 10%—or 550,000—of those additional households would buy a...

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The Reason Homes Feel Like They Cost So Much (It’s Not What You Think)

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on October 23, 2025. Posted in For Buyers, Home Prices, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage.

Scroll through your feed and you’ll see plenty of finger-pointing about why homes cost so much. And according to a national survey, a lot of people believe big investors are to blame. Even though data shows that’s not true, nearly half of Americans surveyed (48%) think investors are the top reason housing feels so expensive (see graph below): But that theory doesn’t actually hold up once you look at the data. The Truth About Investors Investors do play a role in the housing market, especially in certain areas. But they’re not buying up all the homes like so many people on social media...

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Is the Housing Market Going To Crash? Here’s What Experts Say

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on October 20, 2025. Posted in Economy, For Buyers, For Sellers, Forecasts, Home Prices, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage.

If you’ve seen headlines or social posts calling for a housing crash, it’s easy to wonder if home values are about to take a hit. But here’s the simple truth. The data doesn’t point to a crash. It points to slow, continued growth. And sure, it’s going to vary by local area. Some markets will see prices rise more than others. And some may even see small, short-term declines. But the big picture is: home prices are expected to rise nationally, not fall, over the next 5 years. The Real Story Is in the Expert Forecasts In the Home Price Expectations Survey (HPES) from Fannie Mae, each quarter...

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2026 Housing Market Outlook

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on October 15, 2025. Posted in For Buyers, For Sellers, Forecasts, Home Prices, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Mortgage Rates.

After a couple of years where the housing market felt stuck in neutral, 2026 may be the year things shift back into gear. Expert forecasts show more people are expected to move – and that could open the door for you to do the same. More Homes Will Sell With all of the affordability challenges at play over the past few years, many would-be movers pressed pause. But that pause button isn’t going to last forever. There are always people who need to move. And experts think more of them will start to act in 2026 (see graph below): What’s behind the change? Two key factors: mortgage rates and...

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Why More Buyers Are Turning to New Construction This Year

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on October 13, 2025. Posted in Affordability, Buying Tips, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, New Construction.

There’s a trend taking hold in real estate right now: more buyers are choosing newly built homes. And it’s not just about getting the latest technology or modern floorplans. It’s because they may be able to get a better deal. Builders are offering serious incentives today, and people are jumping on them. In fact, new home sales just hit their highest level in over two years (see graph below): Why Builders Are Throwing in Perks There are more newly built homes for sale right now than there have been in years. And as a buyer, that can help you in two big ways. It gives you more options to...

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Why Home Prices Aren’t Actually Flat

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on October 8, 2025. Posted in For Buyers, For Sellers, Home Prices, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage.

If you’ve been following real estate news lately, you’ve probably seen headlines saying home prices are flat. And at first glance, that sounds simple enough. But here’s the thing. The reality isn’t quite that straightforward. In most places, prices aren’t flat at all. What the Data Really Shows While we’ve definitely seen prices moderate from the rapid and unsustainable climb in 2020-2022, how much they’ve changed is going to be different everywhere. If you look at data from ResiClub and Zillow for the 50 largest metros, this becomes very clear. The real story is split right down the...

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Why Experts Say Mortgage Rates Should Ease Over the Next Year

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on October 6, 2025. Posted in Affordability, Economy, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Mortgage Rates.

You want mortgage rates to fall – and they’ve started to. But is it going to last? And how low will they go? Experts say there’s room for rates to come down even more over the next year. And one of the leading indicators to watch is the 10-year treasury yield. Here’s why. The Link Between Mortgage Rates and the 10-Year Treasury Yield For over 50 years, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has closely followed the movement of the 10-year treasury yield, which is a widely watched benchmark for long-term interest rates (see graph below): When the treasury yield climbs, mortgage rates...

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Why October Is the Best Time To Buy a Home in 2025

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on October 2, 2025. Posted in Buying Tips, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage.

If you’ve been watching from the sidelines, now’s the time to lean in. It’s officially the best time to buy this year. According to Realtor.com, this October will have the most buyer-friendly conditions of any month in 2025: “By mid-October, buyers across much of the country may finally find the combination of inventory, pricing, and negotiating power they’ve been waiting for—a rare opportunity in a market that has been tight for most of the past decade.” So, if you’re ready and able to buy right now, shooting for this month means you should see: More homes to choose from Less competition...

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What Buyers Say They Need Most (And How the Market’s Responding)

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on October 1, 2025. Posted in Affordability, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Home Prices, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Mortgage Rates.

A recent survey from Bank of America asked would-be homebuyers what would help them feel better about making a move, and it’s no surprise the answers have a clear theme. They want affordability to improve, specifically prices and rates (see below): Here’s the good news. While the broader economy may still feel uncertain, there are signs the housing market is showing some changes in both of those areas. Let’s break it down so you know what you’re working with. Prices Are Moderating Over the past few years, home prices climbed fast, sometimes so fast it left many buyers feeling shut out. But...

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Closing Costs Unpacked: State-by-State Breakdowns for Today’s Buyers

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on September 29, 2025. Posted in First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage.

If you’re planning to buy a home this year, there’s one expense you can’t afford to overlook: closing costs. Almost every buyer knows they exist, but not that many know exactly what they cover, or how different they can be based on where you’re buying. So, let’s break them down. What Are Closing Costs? Your closing costs are the additional fees and payments you make when finalizing your home purchase. Every buyer has them. According to Freddie Mac, they typically include things like homeowner insurance and title insurance, as well as various fees for your: Loan application Credit...

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Why Buyers and Sellers Face Very Different Conditions Today

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on September 24, 2025. Posted in For Buyers, For Sellers, Home Prices, Inventory, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage.

There’s a new divide in housing right now. In some states, buyers are gaining ground. In others, sellers still have the upper hand. It all depends on where you live. Curious what’s happening in your state? These 3 maps show how the split is playing out across the country. In each one: Darker Shades of Blue = Buyer friendly Lighter Shades of Blue = Seller strong Inventory Sets the Stage While the number of homes for sale has improved pretty much across the board, how much growth we’ve seen can look dramatically different based on where you live. And that impacts who has the leverage...

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3 Reasons Affordability Is Showing Signs of Improvement This Fall

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on September 22, 2025. Posted in Affordability, Buying Tips, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage.

For the past couple of years, it’s been tough for a lot of homebuyers to make the numbers work. Home prices shot up. Mortgage rates too. And a number of people hit pause because it just didn’t feel possible. Maybe you were one of them. But there’s some encouraging news. If you’ve been waiting for a better time to jump back in, affordability may finally be showing signs of improvement this fall. The latest data from Redfin shows the typical monthly mortgage payment has been coming down, and is now about $290 lower than it was just a few months ago (see graph below): And here’s why this is...

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What a Fed Rate Cut Could Mean for Mortgage Rates

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on September 15, 2025. Posted in Affordability, Economy, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Mortgage Rates.

The Federal Reserve (the Fed) meets this week, and expectations are high that they’ll cut the Federal Funds Rate. But does that mean mortgage rates will drop? Let’s clear up the confusion. The Fed Doesn’t Directly Set Mortgage Rates Right now, all eyes are on the Fed. Most economists expect they’ll cut the Federal Funds Rate at their mid-September meeting to try to head off a potential recession. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, markets are already betting on it. There’s virtually a 100% chance of a September cut. And based on what we know now, there’s about a 92% chance it’ll be...

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Mortgage Rates Just Saw Their Biggest Drop in a Year

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on September 10, 2025. Posted in Affordability, Economy, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Mortgage Rates.

You’ve been waiting for what feels like forever for mortgage rates to finally budge. And last week, they did – in a big way. On Friday, September 5th, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to the lowest level since October 2024. It was the biggest one-day decline in over a year. What Sparked the Drop? According to Mortgage News Daily, this was a reaction to the August jobs report, which came out weaker-than-expected for a second month in a row. That sent signals across the financial markets, and then mortgage rates came down as a result. Basically, we’re seeing signs the...

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Builder Incentives Reach 5-Year High

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on September 4, 2025. Posted in Buying Tips, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, Move-Up, New Construction.

Even with more homes on the market right now, some buyers are still having a tough time finding the right one at the right price. Maybe the layout feels off. Maybe it still needs some updating. Or maybe it’s just more of the same. That’s why more buyers are turning to new construction – and finding some of the best deals available today. Why? Today, many builders have more homes that are finished and sitting on the market than normal. And that means they’re motivated to sell. They’re running a business, and they don’t want to sit on their inventory. They want to sell it before they build...

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What Mortgage Delinquencies Tell Us About the Future of Foreclosures

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on September 3, 2025. Posted in Economy, For Buyers, For Sellers, Foreclosures, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage.

You may be seeing headlines about how foreclosures are rising. And if that makes you nervous that we’re headed for another crash, here’s what you should know. According to ATTOM, during the housing crash, over nine million people went through some sort of distressed sale (2007-2011). Last year, there were just over 300,000. So, even with the increase lately, we’re talking about numbers that are dramatically lower. But what does the future hold? Is a wave coming? The short answer is, no. Here’s why. Experts in the industry look at mortgage delinquencies (loans that are more than 30 days...

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What Everyone’s Getting Wrong About the Rise in New Home Inventory

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on August 28, 2025. Posted in For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage, New Construction.

You may have seen talk online that new home inventory is at its highest level since the crash. And if you lived through the crash back in 2008, seeing new construction is up again may feel a little scary. But here’s what you need to remember: a lot of what you see online is designed to get clicks. So, you may not be getting the full story. A closer look at the data and a little expert insight can change your perspective completely. Why This Isn’t Like 2008 While it’s true the number of new homes on the market hit its highest level since the crash, that’s not a reason to worry. That’s...

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Should You Still Expect a Bidding War?

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on August 25, 2025. Posted in First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage.

If you’re still worried about having to deal with a bidding war when you buy a home, you may be able to let some of that fear go. While multiple-offer situations haven’t disappeared entirely, they’re not nearly as common as they used to be. In fact, a recent survey shows agents reported only 1 in 5 homes (20%) nationally received multiple offers in June 2025. That’s down from nearly 1 in 3 (31%) just a year ago – and dramatically lower than in June 2023 (39%) (see graph below): This trend means you should face less competition when you buy. That gives you more time to make decisions and...

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From Frenzy to Breathing Room: Buyers Finally Have Time Again

Written by Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage on August 21, 2025. Posted in Buying Tips, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers, Marathon FL Mortgage, Marathon Florida Keys Mortgage.

If you tried to buy a home a few years ago, you probably still remember the frenzy. Homes were listed one day and gone the next. Sometimes it only took hours. You had to drop everything to go and see the house, and if you hesitated even slightly, someone else swooped in and bought it – sometimes even sight unseen. That kind of intensity pushed a lot of buyers to the sidelines. It was stressful, chaotic, and for many, really discouraging. But here’s what you need to know: those days are behind us. Today’s market is moving slower, in the best possible way. And that’s creating more...

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Category: For Buyers