Helping Washington State homeowners learn more about their mortgage options.
In this week’s episode of The Mortgage Porter Weekly, we’re covering several timely topics that are influencing mortgage rates and homeownership decisions right now — from global trade headlines to practical ways homeowners are funding remodels.
If you’re watching rates, thinking about renovating your home, or planning to buy in the near future, here’s a recap of what we discussed.
What Lower Mortgage Rates Could Mean for the Greater Seattle AreaLate yesterday afternoon, Trump posted on social media that he was instructing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to significantly increase their purchases of mortgage-backed securities (MBS), with figures being discussed as high as $200 billion.
While details and timing always matter, it’s important to understand how this type of action works, how it can influence mortgage rates nationally, and why the impact can be amplified here in the Greater Seattle housing market. [Read more…]
Housing affordability continues to be one of the biggest concerns for homebuyers across Seattle, King County, and the greater Puget Sound region. As prices remain high and inventory tight, both state and national leaders are focusing more attention on the role corporations and large investors play in the housing market.
Two recent developments highlight this growing focus: Washington State Senate Bill 5580 and a national proposal announced by Donald Trump via Truth Social last night.
While these efforts take very different approaches, they reflect a shared concern about how large-scale investors may be affecting access to homeownership. [Read more…]
Welcome to the first episode of The Mortgage Porter – Mortgage Rates and More for 2026.
As we begin the new year, this week’s update focuses on one of the most common — and important — questions for homebuyers and homeowners alike: what causes mortgage interest rates to move.
I also share where mortgage rates are currently sitting, how they’re trending, which upcoming economic reports can move the market, and important updates on homebuyer education for the weeks ahead.
Tariffs, Trade Wars, China’s AI and then… we have our scheduled economic data that may impact rates this week, including the wrap up of the 2-day FOMC meeting on Wednesday. Check out my latest video to learn where rates are and more!
By the way, if you or someone you know are wanting to buy a home, refinance or have been turned down for a mortgage, please contact me! I’m happy to help.
With the government shutdown pushing over a month long, some federal employees are having to juggle another missed paycheck. Yesterday during an interview with CNBC, US Commerce Secretary Ross is quoted stating:
“So the 30 days of pay that some people will be out – there’s no real reason why they shouldn’t be able to get a loan against it and we’ve seen a number of ads from the financial institutions doing that… there really is not a good excuse why there really should be a liquidity crisis,” he said. “True the people might have to pay a little bit of interest.” [Read more…]
Happy Columbus Day from Seattle – oh snap, I mean Happy Indigenous People’s Day. Regardless of which holiday you chose to celebrate, today is a Federal holiday and many offices are closed, including recording offices (no closings will be taking place today). Our office is open and I’m happy to help you with your mortgage needs. As today is a holiday, markets are closed. Here are some of the economic indicators scheduled to be released the rest of this week:
How much this government shut down impacts mortgage loans depends on several factors, including what stage your mortgage is in processing, what type of mortgage it is and who the investor is. It’s possible that it may not impact your transaction at all. The more time our government is shut down, it may become more difficult or require more time to process a mortgage loan. The shutdown in 1995 lasted for a very long 21 days – let’s hope our representatives can get this resolved soon!
Rhonda Porter is a Licensed Mortgage Originator MLO121324 living in the greater Seattle area. Rhonda began her career in 1986 in the title and escrow industry and began her mortgage career in 2000. She enjoys helping people understand the mortgage process and started writing The Mortgage Porter in late 2006. Read More…
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