The Educated HomeBuyer | First Time Home Buyer Tips, Mortgage Rates & Housing Market Updates

Higher mortgage rates are putting pressure on the housing market, and first-time homebuyers could gain more negotiating power heading into 2027. With buyer demand subdued and inventory building, sellers are facing more competition, creating opportunities for lower home prices, seller credits, and better terms. In this live episode of The Educated HomeBuyer, Jeb Smith and Josh Lewis break down the...

The home you want to buy may never hit the market because its owner doesn’t want the tax bill that comes with selling. Could a proposed tax change give those homeowners a reason to move and give you a better shot at buying your first home? In this episode of The Educated HomeBuyer , Jeb Smith and Josh Lewis explain how increasing the capital gains tax exclusion for home sellers could unlock housin...

Waiting for a better deal on your first home? October could give you more room to negotiate. A Redfin analysis identifies 16 major U.S. housing markets where October has historically offered buyers some of the best opportunities to negotiate a home purchase. In this live episode of The Educated HomeBuyer, Jeb Smith and Josh Lewis break down what that means for first-time homebuyers, why some selle...

Getting preapproved is only the beginning of the mortgage process. For many first-time homebuyers, everything that happens between the initial lender conversation and getting the keys can feel confusing, stressful, and full of surprises. In this episode, we walk through the home loan process from start to finish, including the discovery call, mortgage preapproval, comparing loan options, interest-...

Mortgage rates are back above 7%, and the next move could change what buyers can afford. In this episode, Josh and I look at what’s driving mortgage rates higher, what would need to happen for them to come down, and how likely either scenario really is. We also talk through what changing rates mean for first-time homebuyers, sellers, and anyone waiting on the sidelines. If you’re trying to decide...

The headlines are calling this the strongest buyer’s market on record, but the data tells a very different story. Today’s housing market is giving home buyers more negotiating power, but assuming every seller is desperate or automatically submitting a lowball offer could cost you the home you actually want. In this episode, we explain what the shift toward a buyer’s market really means, why condit...

The housing market has officially become the strongest buyer’s market on record , with sellers now outnumbering buyers by nearly 58% nationwide. Inventory is climbing, demand remains weak, and in markets like Nashville, Miami, Houston, and Austin, there are now more than twice as many sellers as buyers. But does that mean buyers finally have the upper hand, or do high home prices and mortgage rate...

Should you use your 401(k) to buy a house? For first-time homebuyers struggling to save enough for a down payment and closing costs, your retirement account may be an option, but how you access that money can make a massive difference. In this episode, we break down how first-time homebuyers can use a 401(k), 403(b), TSP, traditional IRA, or Roth IRA when buying a home. We explain the difference b...

Are Home Prices Falling? What First-Time Home Buyers Need to Know About the 2026 Housing Market The 2026 housing market is shifting , and home prices are now falling across a growing number of major U.S. cities. But does that mean we're finally headed toward the housing market crash buyers have been waiting for? Or is this simply a normal housing market correction after years of massive home price...

What happens when you buy a home, make roughly $120,000 in payments, and three years later feel like you’re barely any further ahead? That’s exactly what happened to one homebuyer who purchased in 2023 and is now wondering whether buying was a mistake. In this episode of The Educated HomeBuyer , we break down her real numbers and discuss five important homebuying lessons that every buyer should un...

Mortgage rates are moving higher again, and first-time home buyers need to understand what’s driving the change. Rising oil prices, renewed concerns about inflation, and fears that interest rates could stay higher for longer are pushing bond yields up, with mortgage rates following close behind. So how high could mortgage rates go? When could home buyers finally see lower interest rates? And what...

Does buying a home still make sense in 2026? The housing market looks completely different than it did just four years ago. Mortgage rates are higher, home prices have increased, affordability is stretched, and in many markets renting is considerably cheaper than owning. In this episode of The Educated HomeBuyer , we take a step back from the monthly payment and look at the bigger picture. We brea...

Mortgage rates are staying higher than many buyers expected, and the Fed may not be the only reason why. With U.S. national debt now topping $40 trillion, rising Treasury yields could be putting additional pressure on mortgage rates and housing affordability. In this episode, we break down what’s really driving rates, what it means for the housing market, and whether buyers should expect meaningfu...

Buying your first home can feel overwhelming, especially when you're trying to understand mortgage rates, loan options, down payment requirements, closing costs, and how much home you can actually afford . The goal of The Educated HomeBuyer is to help first-time home buyers cut through the noise, understand the mortgage and real estate process, and make smarter decisions before buying a house. Whe...

Thinking about buying a condo? New lending rules from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could make getting a mortgage on certain condos more difficult, and first-time home buyers need to understand the risks before making an offer. In this episode of The Educated HomeBuyer , Jeb Smith and Josh Lewis break down the major changes affecting condo financing, including stricter HOA financial reviews, reserve...

Buying a house before you’re truly ready could set you back financially for years. And the scary part is, you can have good credit, qualify for a mortgage, have your down payment saved and STILL not be ready to buy. In this episode, we break down five questions every first-time home buyer should be able to answer before making an offer on a home. We discuss how to know whether you can actually aff...

Home affordability isn't going back to what it was, and waiting for the "perfect" time to buy could leave you even further behind. Morgan Stanley's latest housing report says the housing market has reset into a new normal, and it closely mirrors what we've been telling buyers for years. In this episode, we break down why buying a home has become more challenging, what this housing market reset mea...

Will housing become more affordable, or is the market resetting at a higher barrier to entry? According to Morgan Stanley, you shouldn’t wait for affordability to recover. Instead, you should consider buying when the right opportunity makes sense for your circumstances. In this live housing market update, we’ll discuss why Morgan Stanley doesn’t believe buyers should wait for affordability to impr...

Mortgage rates just hit their highest level in over a year, and first-time home buyers everywhere are asking the same question: When will mortgage rates finally come down? In this video, I'll explain what's really driving today's mortgage rates, why they've stayed higher for longer than many expected, and what has to happen before interest rates move lower. If you're thinking about buying a house...

The Iran ceasefire cracked this week, oil spiked back up, and that one shift rippled straight through to your rate quote. In this episode, Jeb and Josh break down what's really driving the move (hint: it's not just the Fed), walk through fresh inventory numbers nationally and here in Orange County, and answer live questions on ARMs, refinancing, non-citizen mortgages, and what it would act...

Homeowners insurance is quietly becoming one of the biggest reasons buyers lose the home they thought they were getting. You can have great credit, stable income, and a full mortgage approval, only to have an insurance issue derail the purchase at the last minute. In this episode, Josh Lewis and I break down five ways homeowners insurance can blow up a home purchase, how higher premiums affect qua...

New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh just admitted the Fed itself is the reason homebuyers keep getting whipsawed. Boom, then bust. One generation gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot at a first home; the next gets locked out. Tonight Jeb & Josh break down what he actually said and what it means for mortgage rates and the housing market. Start Here 👇🏻✅ Ready to become a homeowner? https://www.buyrightborrow...

Everyone is talking about Trump’s new housing law, but the biggest headlines may be the least important part of the bill. In this episode, Jeb Smith and Josh Lewis break down what the new housing legislation actually does, what was removed before it passed, and whether it will have any meaningful impact on first-time homebuyers. While much of the attention has focused on limiting large institution...

The war in Iran continues to create uncertainty across global markets, but what does that actually mean for the U.S. housing market? In this live housing market update, we’ll discuss how geopolitical tensions could impact oil prices, inflation, mortgage rates, and buyer confidence heading into the second half of the year. We’ll also break down the latest housing data and answer your real estate an...

Everyone thought mortgage rates would be lower by now... but they were wrong. Inflation surprised the market, the Fed changed its outlook, and new uncertainty has completely shifted the mortgage rate forecast. In this episode, we break down what happened with mortgage rates in the first half of the year, where rates could go in the second half, and what buyers should focus on instead of trying to...