Nathaniel Bittman NMLS# 839723

08/20/2026

Proud to represent Hancock Whitney Bank as the Tampa Strategic Partner for the Women’s Council of Realtors.

It’s an honor and a privilege to serve today at the Women’s Council of Realtors booth at the Florida Realtors Convention in Orlando and help support an organization committed to advancing education, leadership, and networking for Realtors across our industry.

Great to be here supporting the real estate community and the professionals who help move it forward!

08/08/2026

What an incredible week at the Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals State Convention!

I had the privilege of co-teaching our 8-Hour Continuing Education course alongside my teammate and course content writer, Dionne Bass. Spending eight hours with more than 90 licensed mortgage professionals made for a fun, engaging, and interactive class filled with great questions and even better discussions.

We covered everything from the ethics of AI and regulatory compliance to product updates on USDA, Reverse Mortgages, and other key industry topics. The participation from everyone in the room made the day a tremendous success.

CE season is officially here! If you're a licensed mortgage professional and still need your 8-Hour CE, I encourage you to take a live class with the Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals. Our instructors are passionate about making the material practical, engaging, and relevant to your business.

If you attended one of our classes during the State Convention, I'd love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and share your experience so others can see why taking a live FAMP CE class is worth it.

Thank you to Justine Vega for being our class Proctor.

Thank you to everyone who attended. I look forward to seeing you in another class soon

08/07/2026

I had the opportunity to attend the Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals Convention and Trade Show, where I had the chance to connect with President Donald J. Trump and ask him about one of the biggest questions on everyone's mind:

What's next for oil, inflation, and mortgage rates?

We had a great conversation about the current economic landscape, the factors influencing inflation, energy prices, and what those trends could mean for the housing market and interest rates moving forward.

Here's what he had to say...

07/31/2026

The Federal Reserve just wrapped up its latest meeting, and there's a lot to unpack when it comes to interest rates, affordability, and the direction of the housing market.

In this video, I break down one of the biggest questions I'm asked: How much does a lower interest rate really change a monthly mortgage payment?

Using a real-world example, I compare a 6.5% interest rate to a 5.5% interest rate and explain why the payment difference may not be as dramatic as many people expect. More importantly, we discuss the factors that are having an even greater impact on affordability today, including property taxes, homeowners insurance, rising housing prices, utilities, and overall cost of living.

I also share why today's market fundamentals, including strong population growth, continued housing demand, and limited inventory, remain important considerations for anyone thinking about buying a home.

The video is a little longer than my usual updates, but if you're trying to understand what's really driving today's housing market, I think you'll find it worthwhile.

I'd love to hear your thoughts after you've watched it.

07/11/2026

05/18/2026

The narrative out there right now is that inventory is “coming back”… and people are starting to hesitate.

Let’s slow that down for a second and actually look at what the data is telling us.

Yes, inventory has improved slightly. According to the National Association of Realtors, we’ve seen existing home inventory rise to roughly 1.1 to 1.2 million homes, which is up from the historic lows we saw during 2021 and 2022.

But here’s the part most people are missing…
Pre pandemic, a normal market carried 1.8 to 2.2 million homes for sale.

So even with this “increase,” we are still sitting well below historical norms. In plain English: supply is still tight.

Now let’s talk about demand.

Existing home sales are still running at an annual pace of roughly 4 million plus transactions. That’s not a frozen market. That’s millions of buyers actively moving, buying, and making decisions right now.

So yes, there is activity. There is movement. There are real opportunities happening every single day.
Here’s where it gets interesting…

Because rates are sitting where they are today, a lot of buyers are still on the sidelines.

That hesitation is actually creating leverage for the buyers who are in the market right now.

We’re seeing
• Seller concessions
• Rate buydowns
• Negotiated closing costs
• More flexible deal structures
That’s not something you see in a fully competitive, overheated market.

Now fast forward.

The moment rates dip below that psychological 6 percent range, history tells us what happens next. Mortgage applications surge. Demand comes rushing back. Inventory gets absorbed quickly.
And when that happens?

Prices don’t wait around. They move.
At that point, buyers aren’t negotiating… they’re competing. And often chasing.
So the real question isn’t “Is inventory up?”
The better question is
Do you want to buy when you have leverage… or when you have competition?

There are some incredibly strategic programs right now, including temporary buydowns and structured financing options, that allow buyers to step in today, control their payment, and give themselves time to refinance if and when the market sh

04/14/2026

Over the past few years the market has not just changed the mindset of the buyer has changed

Today’s consumers are more analytical more cautious and more emotionally impacted by everything happening around them from interest rates to global uncertainty

What we are seeing is not resistance

It is hesitation

That hesitation is where many opportunities are being lost

This Thursday I am excited to collaborate with Dr. Robin Lavitch at the Tampa Bay Builders Association for the kickoff of a three part series

From Anxiety to Action Winning Today’s Homebuyer

Many of you know me through my work in DISC behavioral profiling and emotional literacy and this session goes even deeper

Together Dr. Lavitch and I will break down
The behavioral shifts in today’s buyer
How external stress including economic and geopolitical factors impacts decisions
The neuroscience behind fear hesitation and confidence
How to shift conversations away from price and toward clarity
Practical strategies to help your buyers move forward

The short clip I am sharing here is a glimpse into the types of conversations Dr. Lavitch and I regularly have as we explore how people think feel and ultimately make decisions in high stakes environments like real estate

This is not theory

This is about giving you tools you can use immediately to build trust faster reduce friction in conversations help clients feel confident taking action and ultimately close more business

If you are working with buyers in today’s market this session can shift the way you approach every conversation

Let’s move buyers from uncertainty to clarity to commitment

04/03/2026

Builder sentiment has been a bit of a rollercoaster lately… but if you zoom out, the bigger picture is pretty clear.

Sentiment is still low overall.

We’re seeing it show up in the data too… new construction starts are down, permits are down, and builders are being more cautious about what they’re putting into the ground right now.

But data only tells part of the story.
I spent time this week at the Tampa Bay Builders Association clay shooting event talking directly with builders… boots on the ground conversations… and what they shared was really interesting.

Here’s the real takeaway:

In the higher-end, custom home space… things are still moving. Those buyers are less rate-sensitive, more lifestyle-driven, and those homes are getting built and sold.

But when you get into the larger builders… the track builders… the story changes.
Things are slower.

Buyers are extremely price-conscious right now.
They’re focused on incentives… rate buydowns… credits… anything that impacts monthly payment.
There’s less emotional buying happening… and more analytical decision-making.

And because of that shift, builders are adjusting.
They’re pulling back on permits.
They’re slowing down new starts.
They’re being much more selective with how they deploy capital and inventory.

So while demand hasn’t disappeared… it’s definitely evolved.

Watch this video, I break down exactly what I’m hearing from builders and what it means for the market moving forward.