The Blue Button Broadcast

Accunet Mortgage and Realty Show: World Series Edition Brian and David are in Brewers mode for the Fall Classic, but the real estate talk is just as good. Rates barely moved this week, so David and Brian explain why a one-eighth-point improvement saves about $34 a month on a $400,000 loan, and why the bigger picture matters more than weekly rate swings. Then comes a story from the front lines: a s...

With the Brewers prepping for the start of the World Series, David Wickert and Tim Holdmann are in story mode, sharing real client stories from the front lines of home buying and financing. David opens with a slow-burn client who reached out after more than two years of conversation. They found the lake property of their dreams, and David's plan is to tap the equity in their primary and secon...

David opens with a client story about the real trade behind putting sale proceeds into a new home: $50,000 in cash for roughly $300 a month in savings. Brian runs the math, and the answer may surprise you. Brian also shares how a 1% temporary rate buydown could save a first-time buyer in the Twin Cities about $4,000 in year one. Then it's the September numbers for the five-county Milwaukee ar...

Rates jumped the most in four years, the jobs report missed by a mile, and the mortgage-backed securities chart looked like a roller coaster. In this week's Accunet Mortgage and Realty Show, Brian Wickert and Tim Holdmann break down what's moving the market and what it means for your next move. Brian and Tim unpack the October 2nd headlines from a weak 29,000-job report and explain why &...

Rates climbed again this week, and plenty of nervous buyers stepped off to the sidelines. Brian and David argue that's exactly why serious buyers should lean in. Fewer competitors, softer seller expectations, and a market that's cooling just enough to create opportunity. David breaks down the old mortgage maxim that people don't buy houses, they buy payments, and shows how a modest...

A jump in rates this week after a volatile stretch of Iran tensions, rising oil prices, and hotter than expected inflation data (PPI and CPI). Headlines are already framing it as bad news, but David Wickert and Tim Holdman break down why it's actually good news for home shoppers right now. They walk through the real math: on a $300,000 mortgage, the week's rate movement added just $51 to...

Brian Wickert and David Wickert of Accunet Mortgage break down two winning offers and what August numbers actually say about the southeastern Wisconsin market. First, after 87 days on market and a recent $50,000 price cut, a home suddenly drew competition, but the buyer’s original plan was to sit tight and see if his offer got accepted. Instead, Brian pulled the parents, the spouse, and the buyer’...

Rates Ticked Up, But Buyers Aren’t Backing Down Commentary coming out of the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole conference send the 10-year Treasury back toward 4.7%, and Brian Wickert and Tim Holdmann break down exactly what that means for today’s mortgage rates, including Accunet’s current no-point, low-point, and rate buster options. Despite headlines claiming buyers are pulling back, the local dat...

No Regrets, No Lull: Real Stories From the Front Lines of Home Buying David Wickert and Tim Holdmann are back with three fresh success stories proving there’s no such thing as a summer slowdown in real estate. First up: a couple who’ve owned their home since the Clinton administration finally catch their dream house after three years of searching — offering 13% over list price to secure a place wh...

State Fair Season, No-Regrets Offers, and the New World of Condo Financing David Wickert and Tim Holdmann kick off this episode with some Wisconsin State Fair love before diving into the real estate action heating up despite the calendar turning toward fall. Tim shares the play-by-play of helping a Wauwatosa first-time buyer navigate a multiple-offer situation—walking through the math on escalatin...

This week on the Accunet Mortgage and Realty Show, hosts Brian Wickert and Tim Holdmann break down why the interest rate you get quoted matters far less than what you actually pay to get it. They walk through real current rate scenarios — comparing a lower rate with hefty discount points against a higher rate with minimal costs — and show how the “cheaper-sounding” rate can actually cost more over...

In this episode of the Accunet Mortgage and Realty Show, Brian Wickert and David Wickert explain what the Federal Reserve’s latest decision means for mortgage rates and why long-term rates can still move even when the Fed leaves its short-term rate unchanged. They also share a real-world example of how a stronger pre-approval, an appraisal waiver, verified income and assets, and a fast closing tim...

The Accunet Mortgage and Realty Show: Rate Hikes, Rock Solid Offers, and a Maternity Leave Curveball Rates ticked up this week thanks to renewed tension in the Strait of Hormuz, so Brian Wickert and Tim Holdmann tackle the question every buyer eventually asks: lock now, or float and hope? Their answer comes down to one simple gut-check question that cuts through the anxiety. From there, Brian shar...

This week, Brian and Tim are breaking down exactly why the Rock Solid Guaranteed Pre-Approval just got a major upgrade—and why sellers are actually excited about it. Plus, hear the wild story of a first-time buyer with just 3% down who crushed it in a competitive market. Spoiler: escalator clauses and strategic appraisal gaps are game-changers. But wait, there’s more. If you’ve got a mortgage alre...

Podcast Episode Description: Condos, Down Payments & Getting the Deal Done Join Brian Wickert and David Wickert as they kick off another episode of the Accunet Mortgage and Realty Show with real stories that’ll make you smile—because mortgage lending doesn’t have to be complicated! New Construction Condos Got You Down? Not at Accunet. Brian shares an awesome win: a couple got shut down by a tr...

In this episode of the Accunet Mortgage and Realty Show, David Wickert and Tim Holdmann dig into the strategies that help home buyers win in a competitive market—without taking on reckless risk. Tim shares the story of clients who lost five offers in desirable Madison neighborhoods before asking for help. He walks through the three levers that transformed their next offer: modifying the inspection...

This week on The Accunet Mortgage and Realty Show , Brian Wickert and Tim Holdman break down a noisy week of rate headlines—the Iran conflict MOU, new Fed Chair Warsh’s first FOMC meeting, and the “dot plot” predictions—and explain why all the angst added up to a big hot cup of nothing. The heart of the episode: when a home equity line of credit can quietly sabotage your future refinance. Brian an...

The bond market has heard "the war is pretty much over" about thirty-seven times now, and honestly, it's stopped flinching. David Wickert and Tim Holdmann open the show by unpacking why headlines move the market less than they used to, and why homebuyers aren't sitting around waiting for a treaty to get signed. Then they dig into the June surge. School's out, summer's...

This week on the Accunet Mortgage and Realty Show, Brian and David Wickert break down a surprisingly strong May jobs report—roughly double the expected new jobs—and why good news for the economy spooked both the bond and stock markets. With the Fed funds futures markets now pricing in real odds of a rate increase by year-end, the guys put today’s mortgage rates in perspective: a 30-year fixed arou...

This week’s episode covers the surprising disconnect between mortgage rates and buyer motivation. David Wickert and Tim Holdmann open by noting that despite rates sitting near recent highs and only “whisperings of peace” in the Middle East, Accunet clients flooded their inboxes this week with accepted offers. The takeaway: people buy homes when they’re ready to, headlines be damned. The hosts dig...

David Wickert and Tim Holdmann tackle the gap between scary rate headlines and what actually matters in real-life home buying. Friday’s bond market move pushed monthly payments on a $400K loan up just $56 — hardly the “rates skyrocket” doom the click-bait crowd was selling. For serious home shoppers, fewer competing offers is actually a silver lining. Tim shares the story of repeat clients expecti...

Brian Wickert and David Wickert break down a strong March in the Milwaukee metro housing market, with closed purchase units up 13.5% and fresh listings up 11%. They dig into why timing now matters more than price in a digital world where every qualified buyer sees a new listing within minutes of it hitting the market. Brian and David share three real client stories from the week: a Platteville fir...

David Wickert and Tim Holdmann break down why rates are no longer the headline-grabber clients think they are. Life happens — twins on the way, a bigger yard, aging parents, a move to Florida — and the right house matters far more than chasing a perfect rate. As David and Tim put it: upgrade the mortgage later, but get the house now. The duo dig into the one-year lender-paid temporary rate buydown...

On the April 10, 2026 edition of the Accunet Mortgage and Realty Show, Brian Wickert and David Wickert break down a week of real wins for homebuyers and refinancers alike. The duo explains how a ceasefire in the Middle East nudged rates lower — and how spring buyers came roaring back after what felt like a spring break lull. Brian walks through a refinance client whose credit score was torpedoed b...

Brian Wickert and David Wickert break down a jobs report that looked strong on the surface but told a much more complicated story underneath — and why the bond market didn’t fully buy the headline number. They push back on media coverage that frames current mortgage rates as deal-breakers for home buyers, arguing that the real-world payment differences are far less dramatic than the headlines sugg...