South Florida Mortgage Report

Florida's Hometown Heroes down payment assistance program is back for 2026 — and it's narrower than a lot of people realize. Plenty who assume they qualify won't. In this episode of the South Florida Mortgage Report, we break down where the program stands now, who's most often left out, and how agents and buyers can avoid a painful surprise at underwriting. If you work with clients...

The Florida Hometown Heroes Program is officially returning, and if you're a teacher, nurse, law enforcement officer, firefighter, military member, childcare worker, or another eligible public servant, this could be one of the best homebuying opportunities of the year. In this special breaking news episode of the South Florida Mortgage Report, Craig Garcia and Bill Mei explain what we know so...

Kevin Warsh held his first FOMC meeting as Fed Chair on June 17th — and the story wasn't what happened to rates (nothing). It was everything else: forward guidance eliminated, the dot plot he refused to submit, five task forces launched to overhaul the Fed's entire operating model — and the one tool that connects directly to your mortgage rate. Craig Garcia and Bill Mei break down who Wars...

We just closed a 5% down Fannie Mae conventional loan on a condo where the building's reserve budget was under 10% — the number every lender in the country uses as the cutoff. Most lenders said no. Here's how we got it done. In this episode, Craig Garcia and Billy Mei do a deep dive on condo reserves: what they actually are, why they matter, how the rules have changed since the Surfside collapse,...

What happens when your appraisal comes in low — and the deal is on the line? Most people assume it means somebody has to come up with a big check. A $50,000 appraisal gap means $50,000 out of pocket, right? Not always. In this episode, Craig Garcia and Billy Mei break down what a low appraisal actually means for your transaction — and reveal a tool that can close a $50,000 appraisal gap for as lit...

Phil Biber has been appraising South Florida real estate since 1990. In that time, he's watched agents make the same mistakes over and over again. In this episode of the South Florida Mortgage Report, Craig Garcia sits down with Phil Biber — founder of Watermark Valuation Services, former Chief Review Appraiser overseeing a national panel of 6,000 certified appraisers, and one of South Florida...

APR is supposed to be the number that protects you. The single honest comparison point that mortgage lenders can't manipulate. The reason you can shop rates without getting deceived. Here's the problem: it doesn't work the way people think it does — and two lenders with identical loans, identical rates, and identical fees can legally show you different APRs without changing a single li...

What does it look like when a Midwest transplant loses his job, listens to his wife, gets into real estate, and decides he's going to do it completely differently than everyone else? It looks like Brad White — the Rock and Roll Realtor out of Northeast Florida — who now has nearly 100,000 followers across TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, gets paid residual income by social media platf...

The May jobs report just dropped — and what happened next will surprise you. Non-farm payrolls came in at 115,000 jobs created versus an expectation of 55,000. Double the expected number. And the bond market barely moved. In fact, rates are slightly better on the day. Craig Garcia and Bill Mei break down why the old rules of the jobs report no longer apply, what Matt Graham of Mortgage News Daily...

FICO has been the only game in town for mortgage credit scoring — until now. In this episode, Bill Mei and Craig Garcia break down VantageScore 4.0, a newly adopted alternative credit scoring model that lenders can now use alongside FICO. It's rolling out in phases and not yet widespread, but it's a significant shift aimed at helping more borrowers get approved. Bill and Craig explain what...

Did you know a VA seller can legally pay off the buyer's credit card balances to help them qualify — without touching the purchase price? Most agents have no idea. Most loan officers don't either. If you've ever steered a client away from a VA offer, or told a seller to be cautious — this episode is for you. Craig Garcia and Bill Mei go deep on VA financing. Not the brochure version. T...

Most people think they understand “reverse mortgages.”They don’t. In this episode, we sit down with Steve Wolf, a 40+ year mortgage veteran who now specializes exclusively in this misunderstood loan product—and even has one himself. What we cover:How seniors can eliminate their monthly mortgage paymentWhy this product has such a bad reputation (and what changed)The truth about ownership, inheritan...

In this episode of the South Florida Mortgage Report, we sit down with Gretchen Rowe, Head of National Condo Project Underwriting at one of the largest non-bank lenders in the U.S. — and one of the most influential voices shaping condo financing policy nationwide. If you work with condos (or are trying to buy one), this is required listening. We break down the latest Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac condo...

In this episode of the South Florida Mortgage Report , Craig Garcia and Billy Mei break down one of the most misunderstood mortgage programs in America: FHA loans . Many buyers and real estate agents still believe outdated myths about FHA financing — from appraisal fears to creditrequirements. The reality is that FHA loans remain one of the most flexible and powerful tools for homebuyers , especia...

In this episode of the South Florida Mortgage Report, Craig A. Garcia and co-host Bill Mei sit down with Raul Molina, President of Home Partners Title, to break down the major FinCEN reporting changes hitting real estate transactions starting March 1 — and what it means for agents, investors, buyers, sellers, and title companies. Raul explains the real-world consequence of ignoring the new rules (...

In this episode, we sit down with Southwest Florida real estate expert Tom Kiddy to break down what’s really happening in the Fort Myers Beach market — from post-Hurricane Ian rebuilding and absorption rates to luxury development and shifting buyer demographics. With over a decade in the business, Tom shares practical insights on:• Current Southwest Florida market trends• Buyer movement from the M...

In this episode of the South Florida Mortgage Report, hosts Bill Mei and Craig Garcia sit down with Andrew Sesta, a top-performing Treasure Coast Realtor with over 20 years of experience and 1,000+ transactions closed. Andrew shares how his background in law enforcement shaped the discipline, structure, and relentless follow-through that built his real estate career. From strict time-blocking (9–1...

In this conversation, Craig Garcia and Bill Mei discuss the current state of the mortgage market, focusing on affordability, debt-to-income ratios, and the impact of inflation on homeownership. They explore how these factors affect potential buyers in South Florida, emphasizing the long-term benefits of owning a home versus renting. The discussion also touches on market dynamics and predictions fo...

In this episode of the South Florida Mortgage Report, hosts Billy Mei and Craig Garcia discuss the recent nomination of Kevin Warsh as the new Fed chairman and its implications for mortgage rates. They explore the impact of Fed policies on the housing market, including new down payment assistance programs aimed at helping low-income buyers. The conversation also highlights success stories from inv...

South Florida Mortgage Report | Rates, Investors & Renovation TrendsIn this episode of the South Florida Mortgage Report, Craig Garcia is joined by Bill Mei to break down what’s really happening with mortgage rates — and why global events and institutional investors are playing a bigger role than many people realize. They discuss how recent news out of Japan and the U.S. has pressured rates hi...

In this episode of the South Florida Mortgage Report, Billy Mei and Craig A. Garcia break down two things that impact almost every homebuyer in South Florida: mortgage rates and credit scores. We start with a quick look at where rates are sitting right now (Freddie Mac survey hovering just above 6%) and why the market has been relatively stable despite headlines—plus what recent inflation and jobs...

In this episode of the *South Florida Mortgage Report*, Billy Mei and Craig A. Garcia break down what actually happened with rates last year, what the big forecasters are projecting for the end of 2026 (Fannie Mae, MBA, NAR, NAHB, Wells Fargo), and why “predictions” should always be treated as directionally useful—not exact. They also dig into two major headlines that could influence the mortgage...

Mortgage rates are trending down (hello, low 6’s), and in this holiday “season of giving,” we’re talking about one of the most powerful—and misunderstood—ways families can help each other buy a home: a Gift of Equity. In this episode of The South Florida Mortgage Report, Billy “Hat Dude” (the hat-wearing mortgage guy) and Capital Partners Mortgage President Craig A. Garcia break down:What CPI (Con...

In this episode of South Florida Mortgage Report, host Bill Mei sits down with Craig A. Garcia, President of Capital Partners Mortgage, for a timely and insightful discussion on the latest developments shaping the housing and mortgage markets.🏦 Topics Covered in This Episode:Mortgage Rates UpdateWhat the latest Freddie Mac survey shows, why rates moved this week, and what “low to mid-6%” really m...

Billy Mei (“The Hat Dude”) and Craig A. Garcia, President of Capital Partners Mortgage, break down this week’s hottest topics in real estate, mortgages, and South Florida housing. In today’s episode, we cover three big stories shaping the market right now:________________________________________🔹 1. Mortgage Rate Update — Are We Heading Toward 6%?Freddie Mac’s latest survey shows rates dipping to...