DC Aiken - CrossCountry Mortgage

09/02/2026

#1 and counting. 🍑🏆

The Aiken Zulauf Team just closed August as the #1 CCM Branch in Georgia—$21 million in volume and a whole lot of Georgia families with new keys.

Grateful is an understatement. Thank you to our clients, realtor partners, and this team that treats every file like it’s the only one that matters.

Peach State. Top branch. What a great month!

Ready when you are. 🏡

08/29/2026

Nothing means more than a repeat client! 🙌

Thank you for trusting me again and for the kind words. I'm grateful for the referral and continued support! 🏡

08/28/2026

Huge thank you to every agent who showed up for Winning with Objections. 🙌

You didn’t just sit through a class. You leaned in, asked the hard questions, practiced the conversations that actually happen at the kitchen table, and spent real time with the Aiken Zulauf Team.

That’s how deals get saved and buyers stay confident.

Grateful for partners who invest in their craft. We’re better together.

Tag an agent who never stops leveling up. ⬇️

08/28/2026

If you’re going to be a bear… be a grizzly bear.

Today’s housing market is giving me an uncomfortable case of déjà vu.
From 2020–2025, U.S. home prices jumped roughly 50–55% — similar to the early 2000s run-up. Underwriting is far stronger this time. What’s concerning is seller psychology.

Metro Atlanta homes that once sold in days are now sitting close to 60 days. Price cuts and concessions are rising, but many sellers still won’t budge $20k–$30k after gaining hundreds of thousands in equity.

A $700,000 home dropping 25% would be $525,000. Suddenly a $30,000 reduction today doesn’t look so painful.
I’m not predicting another 2008. But prices can still get ahead of affordability. If competing homes at $700k aren’t selling, listing at $699k isn’t a strategy. Create the market — don’t chase it.

If you’re finally ready to get realistic on price… don’t be a teddy bear. Be a grizzly.

Check out my video: https://videos.crosscountrymortgage.com/watch/Mj51hEKisq7VcAyyNrbnev

Read the full take: https://crosscountrymortgage.com/mortgage/resources/if-youre-going-to-be-a-bear-be-a-grizzly-bear/

Thinking about listing or buying? Let’s talk strategy.
— DC Aiken

Senior VP of Lending, CrossCountry Mortgage | NMLS 658790

08/27/2026

TWO DAYS. TWO LOCATIONS. ONE GREAT CE CLASS.

Winning with Objections is happening today in Lawrenceville and tomorrow in Woodstock! Join us for practical insights designed to help real estate professionals approach objections with greater confidence.

📍 Lawrenceville, GA — August 27
📍 Woodstock, GA — August 28

08/25/2026

This is why I love what I do. 🙌

Helping clients navigate the mortgage process and making things as smooth as possible from application to closing is always the goal.

Thank you for the kind words and for trusting my team and me with such an important part of your homebuying journey. We truly appreciate you! 🏡

08/21/2026

I’m grateful for the trust and truly appreciate this review! Thank you for allowing me to be part of your home-buying journey. 🙌

08/21/2026

Realtors: are you targeting the wrong buyer?

For years, the focus has been first-time buyers. But today’s market looks different. Buyers in their 60s and 70s now make up over 46% of all current homebuyers — and many are sitting on substantial equity after decades of ownership and recent price appreciation.

Kids are grown. That big house feels like too much maintenance. They’re asking: Do we really need all this anymore?

One downsizer can mean two transactions — selling the larger home and buying something smaller. They often have more flexibility in negotiations, and when they sell, they add inventory while sometimes helping the next generation with a down payment.

The next big opportunity may not be the first-time buyer.
It may be the homeowner ready to sell their last big one.
Times have changed. Maybe your target market should, too.

https://videos.crosscountrymortgage.com/watch/8Pz5xDsZ2pic3E6C2XXFoo

Read the full take: https://crosscountrymortgage.com/mortgage/resources/realtors-are-you-targeting-the-wrong-buyer/

Working with downsizers or ready to expand your pipeline? Let’s talk.

— DC Aiken
Senior VP of Lending, CrossCountry Mortgage | NMLS 658790

Realtors are encouraged to shift their focus towards buyers in their 60s and 70s, who represent a significant segment of the market and often have substantial home equity. Many of these homeowners are looking to downsize, creating opportunities for realtors to facilitate both selling their current h...

08/20/2026

Ready to Get Better at Handling Objections?

Objections are part of every real estate conversation. Learn how to navigate them with confidence at our FREE CE Class — Winning with Objections on August 27, 2026, in Lawrenceville, GA.

Save your spot and sharpen your skills.

08/07/2026

Oil’s retreat is giving mortgage rates a brief respite.
After weeks of geopolitical pressure pushing rates higher, easing concerns over oil supplies (diplomatic progress with Iran + more OPEC+ production) have sent crude prices lower. WTI near $80, Brent around $84 — one of the sharper one-day drops in months.

Lower energy prices help cool inflation expectations, which tends to support lower Treasury yields and, in turn, mortgage rates. We saw a modest improvement this week after rates hit their highest levels in nearly two years.

Whether this is the start of a sustained move lower or just a temporary pause will depend heavily on Friday’s jobs report. Soft data could keep the momentum going; strong data could reverse it.

I’ll be on vacation next week… and if history holds, rates have a habit of easing when I’m out of town. Fingers crossed.

https://videos.crosscountrymortgage.com/watch/iz5vUQP9xFiMUZXJLAydLZ

Read the full take: https://crosscountrymortgage.com/mortgage/resources/oils-retreat-gives-mortgage-rates-a-brief-respite/

Watching the market or ready to move? Let’s talk.
— DC Aiken
Senior VP of Lending, CrossCountry Mortgage | NMLS 658790

Oil prices have recently declined, providing some relief to mortgage rates amid easing Middle East tensions and increased oil production. This shift has helped reduce inflation concerns, allowing rates to improve after several weeks of increases. Attention now turns to Friday's jobs report, as a wea...