Rita Anderson - Loan Officer NMLS #279873

10/22/2026

Fed Rates & Mortgage Rates: What’s the Connection?

When you hear that the Federal Reserve raised or lowered interest rates, you might expect mortgage rates to do the same. But they don’t always move together.

Here’s why:

The Fed sets a benchmark for short-term lending between banks. Fixed mortgage rates are more closely connected to the longer-term bond market—including investments backed by home loans.

Mortgage rates respond to inflation, economic conditions, and what investors expect will happen next. Often, markets have already reacted before the Fed makes its announcement.

That means a Fed rate cut doesn’t automatically bring lower mortgage rates. And a Fed rate increase doesn’t necessarily mean mortgage rates will jump that day.

The Fed has influence, but it doesn’t directly set your mortgage rate.

You don’t have to follow every financial headline to understand your home financing options. That’s where I come in. Whether you’re buying, refinancing, or just have questions, I’m here to help you understand the numbers and feel confident about your next step.

Rita Anderson | Senior Loan Specialist
ARBOR Financial Group
📞 916-280-1506
✉️ [email protected]
NMLS #301984 | DRE #01177394

10/19/2026

Moments with Rita — The People Who Make You Laugh

There are some people in life who just make everything a little more fun.

You know the ones. The friends you can laugh with over absolutely nothing. The ones who can turn an ordinary afternoon into a memory you’ll still be laughing about months later.

And sometimes the funniest moments are the ones you couldn’t possibly explain to anyone who wasn’t there!

I love those times when you’re with people you can be completely silly with. When nobody cares if you’re wearing a ridiculous pink boa, singing into a pretend microphone, or laughing so hard you can’t finish your sentence.

No worries about looking foolish. No need to impress anyone. Just good friends, a little silliness, and a whole lot of laughter.

And isn’t it funny how laughter can be contagious? One person starts, someone else joins in, and before you know it, nobody even remembers what was so funny in the first place!

Those are some of my favorite moments.

Because sometimes the best memories aren’t about what we did. They’re about how much we laughed while doing it. ❤️

10/01/2026

👀 Negotiate the payment, not the price

The biggest discount your buyer can get right now may not be on the price tag.

Here's what most agents miss:

Most buyers negotiate price first and everything else second. In this market, the smarter move is often to flip that order.

The Redfin August 2026 data shows:

Sellers gave concessions in 44.7% of U.S. home sales, the highest August share since at least 2020.
15.8% of sales included both a price cut and a concession, the highest on record.
Concessions can go toward closing costs, repairs, or a mortgage rate buydown.

In the strongest buyer's markets, like Atlanta at 72.8%, the majority of sellers are offering them.

A price cut trims the loan amount a little. A seller-funded rate buydown can lower the monthly payment more, and the payment is what your buyer feels every month.

If you have a buyer focused only on price, send them my way. Depending on their loan program and the seller credit available, we can look at how to put that credit where it does the most good.

Caption:

Sellers gave concessions in 44.7% of U.S. home sales in August, the highest August share since at least 2020, in the strongest buyer's market in Redfin's records.
For buyers, this is good news with a catch: most don't know how to use it.
Concessions can cover closing costs, repairs, or a mortgage rate buydown
They're capped by loan type, so asking for too much can leave money unused.
Directed to the right place, a credit can lower the monthly payment, not just the price.
Leverage is only worth something if you use it well.

Agents, what's the biggest concession you've negotiated for a buyer this year?

Full story: https://www.redfin.com/news/press-releases/nearly-half-of-homebuyers-get-concessions-from-sellers-as-most-markets-tip-in-buyers-favor/

Today’s buyer’s market gives house hunters power to negotiate for closing costs, repairs and other perks. Concessions are most common in the Sun Belt.

09/24/2026

🏡 Rita’s Mortgage Market Watch

Before you fall in love with the house…

There really is an emotional connection when you walk into the right home.

Sometimes you just know. You can picture your furniture there, imagine family around the table, and begin to see what your life might look like within those walls.

And after more than 30 years of helping people buy homes, I’ve learned something important:

You can find a home you love within a price range that is comfortable for you.

That’s why I believe the financial conversation should come first — not to take the emotion or excitement out of buying a home, but to let you enjoy it.

Knowing your numbers means understanding not only what you qualify for, but what monthly payment fits comfortably into your life.

Then we establish your price range and you can go shopping with confidence.

And when you walk through that door and think, “Oh, I love this house,” you don’t have to immediately wonder whether you can afford it.

You already know.

Know your numbers first. Then go find the house you love. ❤️🏡

Rita Anderson | Senior Loan Officer
Arbor Financial
📞 916-280-1506

09/16/2026

🏡 Rita’s Mortgage Market Watch

When does a house become a home?

After more than 30 years in the mortgage business, I’ve helped a lot of people buy houses. But what I’ve really had the privilege of seeing is people create homes.

A house is walls, a roof and an address.

A home is morning coffee at the kitchen table. It’s kids running through the hallway, family gathered for the holidays, friends sitting around the table long after dinner is over, and grandchildren walking through the door.

It’s where ordinary days eventually become some of our favorite memories.

Years ago, I often sat at my clients’ kitchen tables while we filled out their loan applications. I learned so much about their lives, their families and their dreams sitting around those tables. It was one of my favorite parts of this business.

Yes, I help people with mortgages. But the mortgage is really just the beginning.

Because somewhere along the way, that house you worked so hard to buy becomes the place you simply call home. ❤️

Rita Anderson | Senior Loan Officer
Arbor Financial
📞 916-280-1506

09/10/2026

🏡 Rita’s Mortgage Market Watch

Buyers may have a little more breathing room.

If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the housing market to feel a little less competitive, this may be a good time to take another look.

We’re beginning to see some changes that can give buyers a little more breathing room. More homes to choose from can mean less pressure to make a rushed decision — and in some situations, more opportunity to negotiate on price, seller credits or other terms.

Does that mean it’s suddenly a “buyer’s market”? Not necessarily.

But it DOES mean the conversation is changing.

Sometimes the best opportunity isn’t waiting for the perfect interest rate — it’s finding the right home, negotiating the right terms, and putting together the right financing strategy.

If buying a home has been in the back of your mind, let’s run the numbers and see what today’s market could look like for YOU.

Rita Anderson | Senior Loan Officer
Arbor Financial
916-280-1506

08/28/2026

🏡 Rita’s Mortgage Market Minute

Are mortgage rates finally going to come down?

It’s probably the question I’m hearing more than any other right now.

The answer? I wish I had a crystal ball! 🔮

What we do know is that inflation, the economy, the bond market and Federal Reserve policy will all play a role in where rates go from here.

And here in California, there’s another important piece of the conversation. Many buyers are financing their homes with conforming high-balance loans, so the national mortgage rate you hear quoted on the news may not be the rate that applies to your particular situation.

Should you wait for the “perfect” rate before buying?

Not necessarily.

I think the better question is: Does buying make sense for you at today’s numbers?

If the home, payment and financing work for you now, there may be an opportunity to refinance later if rates improve.

If you’d like to know what today’s numbers look like for your price range and loan amount, I’m happy to run them for you.

No pressure — just information. 🏡

08/20/2026

Not every buyer fits neatly into a box. Sometimes it takes a little creativity, a second look, and a lot of experience to find the right solution.

Those are actually some of my favorite calls.

If you—or someone you know—is wondering whether buying, refinancing, or making a move is possible, I’m always happy to take a look.

Sometimes there are more options than you think. ❤️

08/10/2026

Kindness • Connection • Community ❤️

Friday night was all about good food, good friends, and a lot of laughter!

I invited a group of wonderful women over, and everyone brought an appetizer to share. We played TableTopics, a card game filled with questions that gave us a chance to learn things about each other we might never have thought to ask.

Some answers were thoughtful, some surprised us, and some had us absolutely laughing! 😂

It reminded me that community doesn’t always come from big events. Sometimes it’s simply opening your home, sharing a meal, asking a good question, listening to someone’s story, and enjoying being together.

I’m grateful for evenings like this — good food, great laughs, and even better connections. ❤️

08/03/2026

Sometimes the smallest moments leave the biggest impression. ❤️

Watching my grandson stop to sign an autograph for a young fan made this grandma’s heart smile.

No one asked him to.

He simply took a minute to make a little boy’s day.

Moments like these remind me that kindness, humility, and taking time for others are what really matter.

I’m so proud of the young adults my grandchildren are becoming, and I feel incredibly blessed to be their grandma.

Family has always been my “why,” both in life and in my work helping families find or keep the place they call home.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week—and don’t forget to make someone’s day a little brighter. ❤️