Matthew Wentz Speak Straight Mortgage

08/16/2026

Freddie Mac changed a rule on August 5 that almost nobody is talking about,
and it moves real money for anyone who has savings but not a big paycheck.

If you qualify using your accounts instead of your income, the math just got
33% better. The formula divided your assets by 240 months. It now divides by
180. Same balances, bigger number.

They also removed the 80% loan-to-value ceiling that had capped these loans
for years, so this is no longer a program that only works for people paying
mostly cash.

Here's the part that gets missed. The old rule would not let you use a
checking or brokerage account at all unless someone on the loan was 62 or
older. That age requirement is gone. A 58 year old with a million dollars in
the bank qualified for nothing last month. This month is a different answer.

I built a calculator that runs your accounts under both rulebooks side by
side, so you can see exactly what the change is worth on your own numbers.

https://speakstraightmortgage.com/blog/freddie-mac-asset-depletion-rules-2026

Matthew Wentz
NMLS 1852397

Freddie Mac cut the asset depletion divisor from 240 to 180 and dropped the 80% LTV cap. See what your accounts qualify for now, with a calculator.

08/10/2026

🍎 Colorado teachers & school staff — there's a home loan built just for you, and most people who qualify have no idea it exists.

It's called CHFA Schools to Home, and it can put up to 25% of your loan amount toward your down payment and closing costs.

What surprises people about it:

✅ You don't have to be a teacher. Custodians, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, front-office and food-service staff — any full-time Colorado public-school employee counts.
✅ You don't have to be a first-time buyer.
✅ Only ONE person on the loan has to work for the school.
✅ The help is a deferred second mortgage — no monthly payment on it.

On a $400,000 loan, that's up to $100,000 toward getting into a home in the community where you already work.

Real talk: it's not free money (there's a shared-appreciation piece down the road) and it isn't right for everyone — but for a lot of school employees, the down payment is the only thing standing between renting and owning. This program knocks that wall down.

👇 See if your school qualifies (there's a quick lookup tool) and read the plain-English breakdown:

Colorado public school employees can get up to 25% down payment help through CHFA Schools to Home. Eligibility, income limits, and a school lookup tool.

07/07/2026

Maya had $4,000 to her name and still beat out a buyer with more cash on a $300k home in Colorado Springs. How? She stopped shopping by list price and started asking the right question: what is the seller actually willing to do? Two houses can have the same price and be completely different deals — one covers your closing costs, the other drains you. Want someone in your corner who can see past the listing photos? Read the full story:

The listing is just a window

06/24/2025

📆 June 24, 2025 Mortgage Rates Snapshot
Presented by Matthew Wentz | NMLS #1852397
Speak Straight Mortgage | Transparent, Local, Real.

🏠 Purchase Loans – Fixed Rate
📌 Based on $400K Purchase Price

FHA (3.5% Down, 640+): 6.13% Rate | 6.86% APR | 0.8 Points

VA (0% Down, 640+): 6.13% Rate | 6.40% APR | 0.58 Points

Conventional (25% Down, 780+): 6.63% Rate | 6.71% APR | 0.6 Points

⚙️ Purchase Loans – ARM Options

FHA 5/1 ARM: 5.25% Rate | 7.03% APR | 2.3 Points

FHA 3/1 ARM: 5.25% Rate | 6.96% APR | 1.78 Points

VA 5/1 ARM: 5.38% Rate | 6.54% APR | 1.9 Points

Conventional 7/6 ARM: 5.75% Rate | 6.61% APR | 1.9 Points

🔁 Refinance – Fixed Rate

FHA Streamline (100% LTV, 660+): 5.63% Rate | 6.51% APR | 1.6 Points

VA IRRL (100% LTV, 660+): 5.63% Rate | 5.83% APR | 1.48 Points

Conventional (80% LTV, 780+): 6.50% Rate | 6.60% APR | 0.78 Points

📉 Refinance – ARM Options

FHA 5/1 ARM (98% LTV, 640+): 5.38% Rate | 6.92% APR | 0.86 Points

FHA 3/1 ARM (98% LTV, 640+): 4.75% Rate | 6.76% APR | 1.94 Points

Conventional 7/6 ARM (80% LTV, 780+): 5.63% Rate | 6.54% APR | 1.8 Points

💸 First-Time Buyer & DPA Options

CHFA Smart Step (4% Silent Second): 6.75% Rate | 7.65% APR

CHFA Smart Step (3% Grant): 7.25% Rate | 8.16% APR

CHFA First Gen / First Step: 6.50% Rate | 7.39% APR

UWM 1% Down Program: 6.80% Rate | 7.21% APR* | 3% Down**
*APR varies by credit score
**Minus 2% of the loan amount (up to $7K) provided by lender

06/14/2025

🏡 Mortgage Rate Update – June 12, 2025
Matthew Wentz | NMLS #1852397
Speak Straight Mortgage

📌 Purchase Loans
💥 Fixed:
• FHA – 6.13% (0.1 pts, 6.83% APR)
• VA – 6.13% (0.52 pts, 6.40% APR)
• Conventional – 6.63% (0.6 pts, 6.71% APR)

💥 ARMs:
• FHA 5/1 – 5.25% (2.3 pts, 7.03% APR)
• FHA 3/1 – 5.25% (1.9 pts, 6.99% APR)
• VA 5/1 – 5.38% (1.9 pts, 6.54% APR)
• Conventional 7/6 – 5.75% (2 pts, 6.63% APR)

🔁 Refinance Loans
💥 Fixed:
• FHA Streamline – 5.63% (1.6 pts, 6.54% APR)
• VA IRRL – 5.63% (1.3 pts, 5.83% APR)
• Conventional – 6.50% (0.725 pts, 6.60% APR)

💥 ARMs:
• FHA 5/1 – 5.38% (0.89 pts, 6.94% APR)
• FHA 3/1 – 4.75% (1.99 pts, 6.78% APR)
• Conventional 7/6 – 5.63% (1.9 pts, 5.63% APR)

🎯 Down Payment Buyer Programs
• CHFA Smart Step (Silent 2nd) – 6.75% (7.65% APR)
• CHFA 3% Grant – 7.25% (8.16% APR)
• CHFA First Gen – 6.5% (7.39% APR)
• UWM 1% Down – 6.75% (7.21% APR)**
3% down minus 2% of the loan amount (up to $7,000). APR depends on credit score.

📲 Have questions or want to see your numbers? Let’s talk.

06/05/2025

📅 Mortgage Rate Update – June 5, 2025

🧠 Curious what today's mortgage options look like? Here's a quick look at current rates for purchase, refinance, and down payment assistance programs. $0 in lender fees on all programs except down payment assistance.

🏡 Purchase Loans (30-Year Fixed)
📌 All quotes based on $400,000 price

FHA (3.5% Down, 640+ Credit)
🔹 6.13% Rate | 0.1 Points | 6.83% APR

VA (0% Down, 640+ Credit)
🔹 6.13% Rate | 0.82 Points | 6.43% APR

Conventional (25% Down, 780+ Credit)
🔹 6.63% Rate | 0.65 Points | 6.71% APR

FHA 5/1 ARM
🔹 5.75% Rate | 0.67 Points | 7.09% APR

VA 5/1 ARM
🔹 5.75% Rate | 0.83 Points | 6.60% APR

Conventional 7/6 ARM
🔹 6.25% Rate | 1 Point | 6.82% APR

🔄 Refinance Rates (30-Year Fixed)

📌 All quotes based on $400,000 loan

FHA Streamline (100% LTV, 660+ Credit)
🔹 5.88% Rate | 1.2 Points | 6.76% APR

VA IRRL (100% LTV, 660+ Credit)
🔹 5.88% Rate | 1.3 Points | 6.07% APR

Conventional (80% LTV, 780+ Credit)
🔹 6.50% Rate | 1 Point | 6.62% APR

FHA 5/1 ARM
🔹 5.25% Rate | 1 Point | 6.91% APR

Conventional 7/6 ARM
🔹 6.13% Rate | 0.91 Points | 6.74% APR

💰 CHFA Down Payment Assistance (FHA-Based)

Smart Step 4% Silent Second – 6.75% Rate | 7.65% APR

Smart Step 3% Grant – 7.25% Rate | 8.16% APR

First Step / First Gen – 6.5% Rate | 8.16% APR

—

📞 Have questions or want to see what these rates look like for your situation? Let’s chat.

👤 Matthew Wentz | Speak Straight Mortgage
📋 NMLS #1852397

05/30/2025

Here’s the latest look at mortgage rate options for the week of May 29, 2025. Whether you're buying a home, refinancing, or exploring down payment assistance, this snapshot helps break down what today’s numbers look like

See more at : https://speakstraightmortgage.com/post/May29

Matthew Wentz
NMLS #1852397

05/24/2025

🚨 We've Updated Our Website! 🚨
We gave our site a fresh new look to make it simpler, faster, and easier to navigate. Whether you're checking mortgage rates, exploring home loan options, or just browsing, it's now smoother than ever.

Check it out here 👉 www.speakstraightmortgage.com
Let us know what you think!

Speak Straight Mortgage is a local Colorado Mortgage Brokerage with a transparent, fast & simple process to get a mortgage loan

05/19/2025

May 19th Mortgage Rate Update:

Matthew Wentz
NMLS 1852397

See this weeks rates here: https://speakstraightmortgage.com/post/May19025
See historical rates here https://speakstraightmortgage.com/education/category/Mortgage-rates

05/17/2025

💡 What’s really in your mortgage payment? 🏡
If you’re house hunting or just starting to explore the idea of buying, this video is a must-watch. Matt from Speak Straight Mortgage breaks down each part of a monthly mortgage payment—principal, interest, taxes, insurance, HOA, and more—in plain English.
✅ Learn what each cost means
✅ See how to estimate your payment
✅ Use our free downloadable worksheet to follow along
Don’t guess your payment—know it.
Click Learn More to go to blog post to see the complete lesson
📅 Ready for real numbers on your situation? Book a time: https://links.empowerlo.com/.../booking/t9otZCJe733FJR4INdfk