Dustin McIntosh, MLO at True North Mortgage NMLS 1873462

06/13/2026

Learn more about my real estate services. Checkout my profile at

I spent 20+ years in and around the car business, attaining my real estate license in 2016 and my mortgage license in 2019! I’m a full service realtor and lender that can help with both!

06/10/2026

The Fed just held rates steady for the third time this year, and this was Jerome Powell's final meeting as chair. Here is what that actually means for your mortgage right now.

When the Fed holds rates steady it typically creates a window of stability, and that stability is genuinely a buyer's friend. It gives you time to shop, plan, and get prepared without the market shifting underneath you every single week. But here is what most people miss entirely. Mortgage rates do not move in lockstep with the Fed. They follow the 10-year Treasury yield and investor expectations about what comes next. That means rates can still drift lower even when the Fed holds steady, if the bond market believes cuts are coming later this year.

A new Fed chair often brings a fresh tone to the market as well. And with no June meeting on the calendar, we have a longer runway of predictable policy than we have had in a while.

If you are shopping right now, build a cushion of 0.250% to 0.500% into your numbers until you have a signed contract. That way you stay in control no matter which direction rates move. Buyers who get prepared during quiet periods like this one consistently tend to win when the market shifts.

Follow me and I will keep you ahead of the curve.

06/03/2026

If you have been wondering why mortgage rates jumped again this month just when they seemed to finally be heading in the right direction, here is exactly what is happening.

Rates briefly dipped in late April and had a lot of buyers feeling optimistic. Then they climbed back up amid renewed tension over the Iran conflict, rising oil prices, and ongoing inflation concerns. Here is the key thing to understand about why that happens. Global events directly impact your mortgage rate because when uncertainty rises, investors move money into bonds for safety. That increased demand for bonds pushes yields down temporarily, but when tension escalates and inflation fears resurface, yields move back up and mortgage rates follow. The connection between geopolitical headlines and your monthly payment is more direct than most buyers realize.

The good news is that this volatility is actually creating real opportunities for prepared buyers. Rates are swinging daily, which means windows are opening where you can lock in a strong rate if you are positioned to move quickly. The buyers winning right now are the ones with their pre-approval ready, their down payment in place, and a loan officer actively watching the market for them. When rates dip even for a single day, they are ready to lock immediately.

Get fully prepared now so you can act when the next window opens. Build a small cushion into your budget for safety and stay in close contact with your loan officer for daily updates. Follow me for real-time market insights that keep you ahead.

04/29/2026

If you have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the right moment to buy your first home, the data is telling a story right now that most first-time buyers have not heard yet.

The market has shifted in a way we have not seen in years. Inventory is up, homes are sitting longer, and sellers are actively making concessions to get deals done. That combination is rare and it creates an opportunity that simply did not exist two or three years ago when every listing had multiple offers before the weekend.

Here is what that opportunity actually looks like in practice. When a seller is motivated and a home has accumulated days on market, three tools become available that can fundamentally change what you pay every month and what you bring to the closing table.

Seller-paid rate buydowns can permanently or temporarily reduce your interest rate, and on a $400,000 home even a one percent reduction saves hundreds of dollars every single month. Closing cost credits mean a motivated seller covers expenses you would otherwise pay out of pocket, keeping more cash in your account after you move in. And price negotiations in a market with more inventory and a slower sales pace mean sellers are far more open to coming down than they have been in years, building equity for you from day one.

Here is what makes this moment truly different. All three of those tools can be used on the same transaction. A lower price, a seller-paid rate buydown, and a closing cost credit stacked together create a deal that looks nothing like what was possible when the market was running hot.

The buyers who win right now are not lucky. They are prepared. Send me a DM and I will show you exactly what your numbers look like and how to structure an offer that takes full advantage of where this market is right now.