Jim Barnett Home Financing Team

08/18/2026

I was looking at mortgage rates from the same week in August over the last few years and this stood out to me.

2023: 6.90%
2024: 6.73%
2025: 6.63%
2026: roughly 6.75%

For all the talk about rates over the last few years, they really haven't moved much.

And I think that matters because a lot of people are still looking at the current market like it's something they just need to "wait out".

Maybe rates improve from here. They probably will at some point. But we've now been in basically the same range for four years.

Meanwhile, people who have been waiting since 2023 haven't just been waiting on a rate.

Home prices have changed.

Rents have gone up.

People have had kids, changed jobs, relocated, gotten married, needed more space, moved closer to family.

Life kept moving.

That doesn't mean everyone should have bought three years ago, and it definitely doesn't mean everyone should buy today. There are plenty of people who SHOULD wait.

But I think there is a difference between waiting because buying doesn't make sense financially...and waiting because you're assuming the market is eventually going to go back to what it looked like in 2020 or 2021. Those are two very different things.

One other thing that gets overlooked is that affordability has actually improved some even without a major drop in mortgage rates.

Wages have grown, inventory has improved in a lot of areas, buyers have more negotiating power, and sellers are much more willing to give concessions than they were a few years ago.

So when someone asks me whether they should buy or wait, I'm honestly not that interested in trying to predict where rates are going to be six months from now. I'd rather look at the situation today.

Does the payment make sense? Do they plan on being there long enough? How much cash will they have left after closing? Is the house actually right for them? And what exactly are they hoping will be different by waiting?

Because after four years of rates sitting in almost the exact same range, "I'm just waiting for the market to get better" probably needs a little more thought behind it.

I'm always open for discussion - reach out to me!

08/16/2026

Mortgage rates aren’t random. They’re affected by 2 numbers.

The 10-year treasury yield and something called "the spread." That's the gap between the 10-year treasury yield and mortgage rates, and it usually sits around 1.76 percentage points.

Back in 2023, the gap in the spread ballooned up to 3.19 in response to economic uncertainty. If it were still that wide today, rates would be pushing almost 8%.

But the good news is the gap has narrowed to 2.01 (a lot closer to the long-term norm). And that’s a big positive for rates. It’s why today’s mortgage rate is in the upper 6s instead of touching 8%.

Here's the part a lot of people miss. Where rates are right now are already pretty close to what a totally normal spread would produce – a mortgage rate around 6.5%.

In other words, the fact that the spread has narrowed in recent years has helped mortgage rates. Sure, they’re still higher than you may want, but it could be worse.

Wondering if buying now still makes sense with rates like this?

Send me a message and let's break it down.

07/04/2026

I wanted to take a moment and thank all veterans and military personnel serving today, or have served in the past for our great country.

I personally serve many friends and clients who have sacrificed so much. Thank you for your courage and service to defend our nation and freedom. I do not take one day for granted and I know my freedoms exist because of you!

Thank you for your patriotism, your sacrifices, and selflessness. As we celebrate our country's independence, honor those who serve to PRESERVE those freedoms.

God bless you all! Happy 4th of July everyone!

06/08/2026

Fannie Mae raising its mortgage rate forecast through 2027 says a lot about how the market is re-calibrating expectations right now.

For a while, many people expected a quicker move back into the 5% range. Instead, inflation pressure, Treasury volatility, and global uncertainty are keeping rates elevated longer than expected.

Buyers are adjusting to the idea that today's rate environment may stick around for a while. Lenders are adjusting structure and product mix. Homeowners holding low-rate mortgages continue limiting inventory because there's less incentive to move.

This is why long-term strategy becomes more important than trying to perfectly time rates. The people who continue moving forward are usually the ones focused on payment comfort, long-term equity, and structure that works in the current environment.

06/02/2026

Your credit score for a mortgage just changed. Most lenders haven't told you yet.

In July 2025, the FHFA approved VantageScore 4.0 for all conventional loans sold through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It's now a legitimate alternative to the FICO score your lender has defaulted to for decades.

VantageScore 4.0 is the model you probably already know from Credit Karma. It factors in rent and utility payment history, ignores medical debt, and can generate a score with as little as one account and one month of activity. So if you've been a reliable renter for years, had a medical collection you couldn't control, or just don't have deep traditional credit, your Vantage score can come in meaningfully higher than your FICO.

That gap matters. A better score gets you a better interest rate and lower mortgage insurance. Those are 2 of the biggest drivers of your monthly payment.

This is especially relevant for first-time buyers, recent graduates, buyers rebuilding after a medical event, and anyone who's been told their credit isn't quite there yet. An estimated 5 million Americans who didn't qualify under FICO now have a path under VantageScore 4.0.

Barrett Financial works with lenders who'll use VantageScore 4.0 over FICO. Few lenders offer that option. For some of the families I've worked with, having it changed what they qualified for and what they paid every month.

If you want to see what your scores look like under both models, I'm happy to get on a call. The goal is to find you a mortgage you want, on your terms.

[email protected]
480-566-6453

05/07/2026

EVENTUALLY, interest rates will fall again. Right now, mortgage rates are essentially tied to the price of oil but that is a conversation for another day.

When they do, most clients will refinance to save cashflow. But if they're working with actively managed assets, a better move is to reinvest the savings instead of pocketing the cash.

This client is 2 years into a 30-year mortgage. Refinancing to a rate just 0.75% lower saves $111K in interest.

If they invest that $390/month at 7%, they gain another $282K. Total net worth increase: $393,000 over the life of the loan.

Same house. Same budget. Strategic thinking.

Refinances aren't always just about lowering payments, they're about building wealth.

04/29/2026

Many people are still waiting for rates to drop before buying. I get it. That makes sense on the surface. But here's what's actually happening right now.

The Federal Reserve (their part) is holding rates steady because inflation hasn't fully cooled. Until that changes, meaningful rate cuts aren't guaranteed.

So, we're in a window where:

Rates are higher than people want.

Inventory is still relatively tight.

Serious buyers are still moving.

That combination matters. Because when rates come down, more buyers re-enter at the same time. And that's when competition picks up quickly.

Locally, I've seen some buyers who waited who are now adjusting expectations. Homes that are priced right are still moving. The best opportunities aren't sitting around.

This doesn't mean I'm saying rush out and buy today. It just means timing the market perfectly is harder than it sounds. A better approach to be asking yourself is whether or not the purchase make sense for you right now...because if it does, the rate can adjust later.

But you don't get a second chance at the price or the competition you're avoiding today.

01/14/2026

𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵: 𝘐'𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩.
𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬: 𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤! 𝘚𝘦𝘦? 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.
𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭: 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘦. 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵.
𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮: 𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩. 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵.
𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯: 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦.
𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯...
𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨.

Meanwhile, the "panic buyers" of 2019? They own homes worth $95k more. They've built six years of equity. They're not paying rent.

The crash you're waiting for? Even if prices drop 15%, that's say $417k ➡️ $354k (example). Still $32k more than 2019. You're still behind.

And when prices DO drop? Every "patient" buyer floods the market. That $354k house gets 15 offers leading you to a bidding war that pushes it to $375k. You waited six years to overpay anyway.

One of you is winning. Hint: Not you.

Every year you wait costs:

Appreciation you'll never recover.
Equity you'll never build.
Rent you'll never get back.

11/05/2025

10/02/2025

IT'S A BIG YEAR FOR THESE TWO!

I want to congratulate 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 and 𝗔𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 on the closing of their new home, a process that I joined forces with a great realtor on, Albert Kramer, after my clients the Allende's referred their daughter and soon to be son-in-law my direction. I love it so much when things come full circle and I have moments of helping an entire family over the years! Walking them through everything and educating them as new homeowners-to-be was my privilege. AND they have a little one on the way - so the joy I feel in helping them secure something of their very own that they get to begin their family in, making precious memories...nothing can be sweeter.

May you both be blessed with health, happiness and lots of love surrounding what comes next for you - I am so happy for all of you, congratulations on the new #𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗻𝗲𝗣𝗮𝗱 - may it see wonders in the years to come! 🙂

We don't just close loans - we open doors!