Faramarz Moeen-Ziai - FMZ Loans

08/21/2026

Sometimes the biggest headline isn't the biggest story.

A Treasury bond buyback announcement briefly pushed longer-term yields—and mortgage rates—lower this week. But that improvement didn't last. Rising oil prices returned as a more significant influence, and mortgage rates finished the week moderately higher.

The takeaway: short-term market reactions can create plenty of noise, but they don't always signal a lasting change in the direction of rates.

Next week's economic reports and the Fed's Jackson Hole conference could provide a clearer picture of what comes next.

For any specific questions or to discuss your scenario, please email [email protected]

Mortgage rates ended the week moderately higher, but things could have been slightly worse without Wednesday's surprisingly sharp drop in longer-term Treasury yields (a key benchmark for mortgage...

08/17/2026

Buying your first home? Skip the boring seminar.

Join us for a relaxed happy hour where we'll talk about the costly mistakes first-time buyers make—and the power moves that can save you money, stress, and heartbreak.

No sales pitch.

No boring presentation.

Just real conversations with local experts, wine, snacks, and plenty of time for your questions.

📅 August 25
🕕 6:00–7:00 PM
📍 Red Oak Realty – Montclair

Hosted by Suzanne Thompson & the FMZ Team.

🎟️ Reserve your free spot today! bit.ly/3TKNxos

08/15/2026

A rough start to the week turned into some welcome relief.

Rising oil prices initially put upward pressure on rates, but Thursday’s inflation report changed the direction of the market. Producer prices came in slightly below expectations, helping mortgage rates fall to their lowest levels in about four weeks.

Friday’s economic data added a few complications, but rates still finished near their best levels since July 17.

For any specific questions or to discuss your scenario, please email [email protected].

Rates may still be elevated in a general sense, but by the end of the week, they were as low as they've been since July 17th. If we have one thing to thank, it was this week's inflation data. Thing...

08/07/2026

A little breathing room for buyers this week.

Falling oil prices helped ease pressure on mortgage rates through much of the week, and Friday brought another boost when the latest jobs report showed far fewer jobs created than expected.

The result: mortgage rates finished the week at their lowest levels since July 20.

One week doesn’t establish a new trend, but after the recent stretch of higher rates, the move lower is certainly a welcome development.

For any specific questions or to discuss your scenario, please email [email protected]

Mortgage rates moved lower almost every day this week with most of the help coming from war-related headlines and a last-minute boost from the jobs report. Rates are driven by bonds and the bond ma...

08/06/2026

Buying your first home? Skip the boring seminar.

Join us for a relaxed happy hour where we'll talk about the costly mistakes first-time buyers make—and the power moves that can save you money, stress, and heartbreak.

No sales pitch.
No boring presentation.
Just real conversations with local experts, wine, snacks, and plenty of time for your questions.

📅 August 18
🕕 6:00–7:00 PM
📍 Red Oak Realty – Montclair

Hosted by Suzanne Thompson & the FMZ Team.

🎟️ Reserve your free spot today! bit.ly/3TKNxos

07/31/2026

This week was proof that markets don't always react the way you'd expect.

The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, but mortgage rates still moved higher before settling only slightly above where they were a week ago.

Much of the movement came from how investors interpreted the Fed Chair's comments, along with higher oil prices and typical month-end market volatility.

Understanding what's behind rate movement often tells a much bigger story than the headline alone.

For any specific questions or to discuss your scenario, please email [email protected]

If there's one thing to know about this week's rate movement it's that it left us almost exactly where we were last Friday. How we got there felt a bit more dramatic at times. The week began on a h...

07/24/2026

A lot can happen in just a few weeks.

At the end of June, average 30-year mortgage rates were closer to 6.5%. This week, they briefly climbed above 6.8%—their highest level in over a year.

The biggest driver? Rising fuel prices. As oil prices increase, inflation concerns often follow, putting upward pressure on mortgage rates.

The good news is that the opposite can also be true. If fuel prices begin to ease, mortgage rates may recover some of the recent increase.

Understanding what's behind rate movement can help put short-term market swings into perspective.

For any specific questions or to discuss your scenario, please email [email protected]

While the milestones may be significant, the underlying reasons for them remain simple.  Let's start with the milestones, even though they're not the fun kind. On Thursday, average 30yr fixed ...

07/17/2026

Just a few days can make a big difference.

Mortgage rates began the week at their highest levels in nearly a year after rising oil prices and renewed geopolitical tensions put pressure on the bond market.

Then came two encouraging inflation reports.

With both CPI and PPI coming in below expectations, investors scaled back expectations for future Fed rate hikes, allowing mortgage rates to recover by week's end.

For buyers, it's another reminder that mortgage rates can change quickly as new economic data is released.

For any specific questions or to discuss your scenario, please email [email protected]

It was an eventful week for mortgage rates and the bond market, but ultimately a decent one. Monday's rates matched the highest levels in nearly a year, but by Friday, we were actually just a hair low...

07/10/2026

Mortgage rates remained relatively stable this week, but oil prices became one of the biggest stories affecting the market.

As oil prices climbed following renewed concerns surrounding the U.S./Iran ceasefire, mortgage rates moved higher as well. Higher fuel prices can contribute to inflation, which often influences mortgage rates.

While there was some volatility during the week, mortgage rates have remained within a fairly narrow range near their recent highs.

For any specific questions or to discuss your scenario, please email [email protected]

For 3 months, they were almost inseparable. Then in June, they went their separate ways. Now oil and rates are back together in July, for the most part. Specifically, movement in oil prices wa...

07/02/2026

Mortgage rates remained elevated this week as quarter-end trading caused another round of volatility in the bond market.

Rates jumped early in the week before weaker-than-expected jobs data helped them recover some of those losses.

The good news? While rates ended the week higher than last week, they're still below the highs reached in early June and mid-May.

Looking ahead, markets will continue watching economic data and the latest Fed meeting minutes, both of which could influence where rates go next.

For any specific questions or to discuss your scenario, please email [email protected]

Last week's newsletter flagged an uncommonly high level of quarter-end trading volatility as a key contributor to a surprise mid-week rate spike. We got another dose of that drama this week, but thing...