https://www.intercaplending.com/loan-officer/dan-harding/

Dan Harding - Intercap Lending, 365 S Garden Grove Lane, Suite 130, Pleasant Grove, UT (2026)

08/28/2026

Mortgage rates moved slightly higher this week after Fed Chair Warsh said he would support rate hikes if inflation remains high. The good news is his willingness to prioritize the Fed’s inflation mandate may help build credibility with the market moving forward.

The Iran conflict, tariffs, and inflation concerns are already heavily priced into today’s rates. It would likely take continued bad news for rates to move higher, while any positive economic or conflict development would help bring them down. For now, I think rates stay near where they are.

The graph below shows how the housing market is hanging in there in Utah. Single family inventory is now over 11,000 homes, the highest level since 2018. Homes are taking longer to sell, with the median days on market now at 63, and 43% of listings have done a price reduction.

That creates real opportunities for buyers. There are more homes to choose from, sellers are becoming more flexible, and buyers generally have more negotiating power than they’ve had in years.

If you have friends, family, or a co-worker considering buying, selling, or refinancing a home in the next year, even if they’re not ready quite yet, I’m happy to go through the numbers with them and would take great care of them. We can look at what they may qualify for, what the payment would be, and what it would take to get into the right home.

Thanks for reading!

08/21/2026

It’s been another relatively quiet week, with mortgage rates holding steady.

Rates improved for a moment after the Treasury announced plans to increase its purchases of longer term Treasury bonds. The goal there is to improve the bond market and help bring down long term interest rates.

That improvement didn’t last long, though, as oil prices began climbing again with the ongoing conflict with Iran. Diesel prices have gone up 50% since the war began, which could add to inflation because diesel is used in most freight transportation. Higher shipping costs eventually work their way into the prices of nearly everything we buy.

There is currently a 32% chance of a Fed rate hike in September. Next week brings two important reports, Wednesday’s PCE inflation report, which is the Fed’s preferred inflation measure, and Friday’s revision to employment numbers from April 2025 through March 2026.

Because the employment data is older, it may not move mortgage rates much, but it should give us a clearer picture of the job market. Then, on September 4, we’ll receive the August jobs report, which is the biggest factor in the Fed’s September decision on rates.

Through all the craziness this year, mortgage rates and home sales have really hung in there. Nationally, July existing home sales were 0.7% higher than a year ago. Utah sales were down 1.9% from last July, but are still 2.8% higher year to date.

The housing market may not be booming, but people are still buying and selling. Whether it’s a good time for you depends less on the headlines and more on your finances, your plans and the payment you’re comfortable with.

If you’re considering buying, selling or refinancing, I’d love to help you understand your options and see what the numbers could look like. Thanks for reading!

Dan

08/14/2026

It’s been a relatively quiet week for mortgage rates. Both inflation reports came in slightly better than expected. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.1% in July, lowering the year over year number from 3.5% to 3.4%. The Producer Price Index was flat, versus the expected 0.2% increase, and fell from 5.5% to 4.7% year over year.

For the Federal Reserve, it continues to come down to jobs and inflation. After last Friday’s weak employment report and this week’s encouraging inflation data, it’s becoming harder to justify raising the federal funds rate next month. Markets currently put the odds of a hike at 32%.

With that said, it’s easy to become focused on outside forces. Some buyers are waiting for lower rates, lower prices, or for an analyst to declare that the perfect time to buy has arrived.

But is it a good time to buy?

The honest answer depends much more on your personal situation than on the latest headline. Are you financially ready? Is your income stable? Do you plan to stay in the home long enough? Can you comfortably afford the payment? Would owning improve your life?

It will be your home, your finances, and your life.

Perfectly timing the housing market is nearly impossible. Only years later can we look back and identify the Best time to buy. But we don’t get to make decisions with hindsight. We make them in real time and move forward.

By then, the question may no longer matter. Instead of wondering whether it was the perfect time to buy, you may be deciding how to improve the backyard or where to put the pizza oven you’ve always wanted.

That’s why time in the market often matters more than timing the market. Over the years, a home becomes more than an investment. It’s where you put down roots and create memories. Meanwhile, you’re also paying down the loan and benefiting from long term appreciation.

That doesn’t mean everyone should buy right now. It means the decision should be based on whether buying makes sense for you and not on predictions about what rates or home prices might do next.

If you’re wondering what your options look like and simply want to have a conversation, I’d be happy to talk it through with you. Understanding your best next step and having a plan to get where you want to go is incredibly valuable.

07/07/2026

✅ Conventional 30-Year Fixed: 6.375% (6.462% APR)
✅ FHA 30-Year Fixed: 5.875% (6.640% APR)
✅ VA 30-Year Fixed: 5.625% (5.961% APR)
✅ Jumbo 30-Year Fixed: 6.25% (6.355% APR)
✅ Investment Property 30-Year Fixed: 6.75% (6.804% APR)

I hope you had a great 4th of July weekend.

Mortgage rates are a little worse over the past week. While most of the employment reports last week pointed to a strong job market, last Thursday’s jobs report came in weaker than expected. It showed fewer new jobs than economists had forecast, and previous months were revised lower as well.

Why does that matter? The job market is one of the biggest factors the Federal Reserve watches when deciding where interest rates are going. Earlier this year, financial markets expected the Fed to cut rates a couple of times. But then the job market started showing more growth and inflation was ticking up higher, and that was before the conflict with Iran poured gas (no pun intended) on the inflation fire. So, the market went from expecting Fed rate cuts to Fed rate hikes!

Now that the conflict is mostly over and oil prices are back down to levels before the war started, there’s been some thought that mortgage rates would drop, but it hasn’t happened yet and doesn’t seem likely because mortgage rates didn’t skyrocket during the conflict and inflation continues to be a problem. Inflation should start coming back down, but it takes time. So, what to watch closely now are the job reports.

If future jobs reports continue to show weaker numbers, we may get through the year with no Fed rate hikes and keep a stable, calm mortgage rate environment. That’s my hope.

If you're thinking about buying a home this year, don't feel like you have to perfectly time interest rates. The right home and the right monthly payment matter much more than trying to catch the absolute lowest rate.

Let me know if you have any questions or if I can do anything for you. Thank you!

05/15/2026

✅ Conventional 30-Year Fixed: 6.375% (6.461% APR)
✅ FHA 30-Year Fixed: 5.875% (6.595% APR)
✅ VA 30-Year Fixed: 5.625% (5.878% APR)
✅ Jumbo 30-Year Fixed: 6.5% (6.597% APR)
✅ Investment Property 30-Year Fixed: 6.75% (6.832% APR)

Hey there! Mortgage rates moved higher today after financial markets reacted to ongoing inflation concerns and continued uncertainty surrounding the conflict in Iran and global oil supply.

The short version is this: inflation is still running hotter than the Federal Reserve would like, and the economy remains strong enough that the Fed is not expected to cut rates anytime soon.

So yes, rates are a little worse this week.

What’s interesting, though, is that they are still much lower than they could be by now. Back in 2023, mortgage rates briefly touched 8%. The benchmark for mortgage rates is the 10 year treasury. That was at 5% back then. Today, it is at 4.6%. And yet most mortgage rates are still sitting in the mid-6% range.

One reason for that is something called mortgage spreads, the difference between a 30 year mortgage rate and this 10 year treasury. The improved mortgage spreads have quietly helped keep mortgage rates lower than they otherwise would be this year.

The good news is that buyers today are still in a much better position than many realize.

Housing inventory has improved, sellers are more negotiable, and buyers often have more leverage right now. Buyers actively looking today may eventually realize this was a better window of opportunity than it felt like in the moment.

As always, every situation is different depending on credit score, down payment, loan size, and property type. If you want to go through the numbers for your own situation, let me know.

Have a great weekend!

05/13/2026

Jim and his wife are such great people, and this transaction threw just about every curve ball imaginable at them along the way. There were delays, builder issues, and plenty of stressful moments, but they stayed patient and kept pushing forward.

Honestly, these are the situations I love helping with most. Complex deals can be daunting, but there’s nothing more rewarding than helping good people finally get into the home they’ve worked so hard for.

I'm really grateful for their trust and for the kind words!

04/24/2026

✅ Conventional 30-Year Fixed: 6.125% (6.181% APR)
✅ FHA 30-Year Fixed: 5.5% (6.258% APR)
✅ VA 30-Year Fixed: 5.375% (5.771% APR)
✅ Jumbo 30-Year Fixed: 6.125% (6.231% APR)
✅ Investment Property 30-Year Fixed: 6.5% (6.564% APR)

Hi there party people,

It's interesting that despite higher oil prices and ongoing geopolitical tension, the stock market hit another all-time high this week. At the same time, a recent National Association of Realtors survey found that 65% of people believe stocks are a better investment than homeownership.

I’m not here to argue that, but one thing I like to highlight in conversations is how leverage works in real estate. For example, $50,000 invested in the stock market earning a 10% return would generate a $5,000 return. That same $50,000 used as a 10% down payment on a $500,000 home, with just 2% appreciation, creates $10,000 in equity, double the return, because the homeowner benefits from 100% of the appreciation. With a smaller down payment, that leverage becomes even more powerful.

Of course, homeownership comes with a monthly payment and maintenance costs, but that’s typically replacing rent, which tends to rise over time and doesn’t build equity. Over the long run, real estate remains one of the most consistent and accessible ways for people to build wealth.

If you ever want to walk through what this means for your situation or just have questions, I’m always happy to help.

Thanks!

12/05/2025

Market Update – December 2025

✅ Conventional 30-Year Fixed: 5.99% (6.086% APR)

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Here’s what’s happening in the housing and rate world this week:

New Loan Limits! Conventional loan limit bumped up to $832,750 for 2026, giving buyers more room before hitting jumbo loans.

Inflation (PCE Report) came in exactly as expected:
• Monthly: +0.3%
• Year-over-year: 2.8%
Stable = good for rates.

Jobs Data was mixed this week:
• ADP shows 32K job losses
• Jobless claims came in lower than expected (possibly impacted by the holiday)
Overall, labor market is cooling gradually.

Finally, there is a Federal Reserve meeting next week. The markets are pricing an 85% chance of a 0.25% rate cut. But remember, much of this is already priced into mortgage rates today. If the Fed surprises and doesn’t cut, expect rates to bump up a bit.

11/13/2025

50 year mortgage… good idea, bad idea?

10/24/2025

✅ Conventional 30-Year Fixed: 5.875% (5.923% APR)

We got some good news on inflation this morning! September’s CPI inflation report came in a little lower than expected — 0.3% vs. 0.4% — showing inflation is still cooling.

That basically locks in a 0.25% rate cut from the Fed next week.

Here’s what surprises a lot of people… A Fed rate cut doesn’t automatically mean mortgage rates will drop. The bond market already priced that in, so today’s mortgage rates are already reflecting that good news.

The 10-year Treasury yield is sitting just under 4%, near the lower end of its recent range. That means mortgage rates are already close to the best we’ve seen in months.

For rates to improve further, we’ll need to keep seeing softer economic data. But once the government reopens and economic reports start coming in again, expect some volatility.

If you’ve been waiting for a Fed cut to “time the market,” this might be your window. The opportunity is already here.

Send me a quick message if you’d like me to run numbers or payment options for you. Thank you!

Dan Harding - Intercap Lending

08/28/2026

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