Mortgage rates are still a hot topic – and for good reason. After the most recent jobs report came out weaker than expected, the bond market reacted almost instantly. And, as a result, in early August mortgage rates dropped to their lowest point so far this year (6.55%).
While that may not sound like a big deal, pretty much every buyer has been waiting for rates to fall. And even a seemingly small drop like this reignites the hope we’re finally going to see rates trending down. But what’s realistic to expect?
According to the latest forecasts, rates aren’t expected to fall dramatically anytime soon. Most experts project they’ll stay somewhere in the mid-to-low 6% range through 2026 (see graph below):
In other words, no big changes are expected. But small shifts, like the one we just saw, are still likely. 
Each time there’s changing economic news, there’s a chance mortgage rates will react. And with so many ...

Believe it or not, there are clear signs buyer interest is heating up again.
Let’s talk about what’s really going on behind the scenes, and why the housing market might not be as quiet out there as it seems. 
Buyers Are Looking, and Search Trends Prove It
One of the clearest ways to measure what people are thinking about is to look at what they’re searching for online. And according to Google Trends, searches for phrases like “home for sale” have been climbing steadily this year.
The graph below shows an index of two common homebuyer search phrases and how popular they were on Google over the past two years. The higher the line goes, the more popular that phrase was. A 100 on the graph shows the most popular time for each phrase:
Here’s what really stands out in this data. Both phrases have been trending up overall this year, and they hit a recent high in mid-July. That’s a pretty strong sign that curiosity (an ...

Are you wondering if you’re on track to retire someday?
According to Intuit, 69% of people say today’s financial environment makes it tough to plan for the future, and 68% aren’t sure they’ll ever be able to retire. That’s why many people are exploring new ways to build stability and long-term income.
And that’s where real estate comes in.
Why Real Estate? Here’s What It Can Do for You
If you’re able to make the numbers work, buying a second home can be a powerful tool for your future retirement. It could help you:
Build wealth over time: As home prices rise through the years, your second home should grow in value and increase your net worth.
Generate extra income: Renting the home could bring in some extra income you can add to your existing retirement savings. Just remember, some of the rent coming in will need to be used to pay that mortgage and maintain that house. 
Profit in the future: Y ...

Buying a home is exciting… until you start thinking about the down payment. That’s when the worry can set in.
“I’ll never save enough.”
“I need a small fortune just to get started.”
“I guess I’ll just rent forever.”
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. And you’re definitely not out of luck.
Here’s the thing: a lot of what you’ve heard about down payments just isn’t true. And once you know the facts, you might realize you’re a lot closer to owning a home than you think.
Let’s break it all down and bust some big down payment myths while we’re at it.
Myth 1: “I need to come up with a big down payment.”
This one stops a lot of people in their tracks. A recent poll from Morning Consult and NeighborWorks shows 70% of Americans think they need to put at least 10% down to buy a home. And 11% aren’t sure what’s ...

According to Fannie Mae, 90% of buyers don’t actually know what credit score lenders are looking for, or they overestimate the minimum needed.
Let that sink in. That means most homebuyers think they need better credit than they actually do – and maybe you’re one of them. And that could make you think buying a home is out of reach for you right now, even if that’s not necessarily true. So, let’s look at what the data really says about credit scores and homebuying.
There’s No One Magic Number
There’s no universal credit score you absolutely have to have when buying a home. And that means there’s more flexibility than most people realize. Check out this graph showing the median credit scores recent buyers had among different home loan types:
Here's what’s important to realize. The numbers vary, and there’s no one-size-fits-all threshold. And that could open doors you thought were cl ...