Vince Salinas Mortgage Banker

10/10/2025

"Today someone who buys a $400,000 property at 6% interest effectively pays for the home almost twice. By the end of the loan, a family can expect to pay more than $690,000 in principal and interest, assuming a 20% down payment. The problem isn’t interest rates or housing costs—it’s the loan itself. Lower down payments make entry to the market easier, but the borrower pays dearly for that privilege."

Subsidized debt drives up prices, sucks up wealth, and makes it hard for millennials to buy homes.

08/21/2025

MI is tax deductible again. Borrowers may have to itemize but it could help make homeownership more affordable.

Mortgage insurance (MI) premiums are once again tax-deductible, and this time, the benefit is here indefinitely. Learn more about what that means for borrowers and loan officers.

04/23/2025

Join us on Saturday, April 26 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM for our free drive-thru shred event at four locations across San Jose, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy.

We’ll shred your old documents—fast, secure, and totally free (up to 5 boxes). No need to remove staples or paper clips!

Open to the public – personal use only.
Come early—shredding ends at 2 PM or when the truck is full.
Learn more at wealthcu.org/shred-day.

02/28/2025

Not so fast on all those unemployed government workers crashing the DC Metro Real Estate Market.

Is the Washington, D.C. housing market facing a sudden collapse ignited by DOGE’s job-cutting? We look at inventory and price cuts to see.

12/28/2024

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in November to their fastest pace since March as home shoppers were encouraged by a wider selection of properties on the market, even as mortgage rates mostly ticked higher.

12/28/2024

Final newsletter of 2024. 2025 has to be better.

"So long 2024. Don't let the door hit ya!" Or... "another year closer to turning a longer-term corner in the housing market." For better or worse, 2024 was a lot more like 2023 than most housing/mortgage pros were expecting.

12/26/2024

Last week's newsletter closed with: "If anything on Fed day ends up having an impact on mortgage rates, it would have to be changes in the Fed's rate outlook and/or comments from Fed Chair Powell during the press conference that follows the rate announcement." There were certainly some changes!

12/19/2024

Take this all with a shaker of salt. Yes, November was the largest YOY improvement of existing (not new construction) home sales since June 2021 but the last 18 months have been very difficult. Last November was one of the lowest reads over the last couple of decades. Rising inventory (more homes for sale) is evidence though that the residential real estate market is recovering though.

Just in time for the big jump in interest rates seen after yesterday's Fed announcement, the latest Existing Home Sales data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows sales at the highest seasonally adjusted pace since March.  Compared to the same time last year, sales are u...

11/18/2024

Logan Mohtashami not only has interesting takes but always has data to back it up. Good read worth your time.

The New York Fed's credit data report shows why we won't see a housing crash anytime soon, despite what your crazy uncle thinks.

10/11/2024

Lots of Confusion About Recent Rate Movement. Let's Clear it up

It's been frustrating and potentially confusing to see mortgage rates move consistently higher after the Fed's September 18th rate cut, but the Fed has nothing to do with the big rate spike of the past few weeks.