The Harkins Lending Team

08/25/2026

Mortgage rates edged lower again, but the housing market is still sending mixed signals.

Existing home sales fell 1.7% in July, while home prices continued to rise. The median existing home price reached $434,000, marking the 37th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases.

The good news for buyers is inventory is improving. There were about 1.54 million homes for sale in July, giving buyers more options than they had during the tightest parts of the market.

And with the Federal Reserve still a major question mark, mortgage rates could remain sensitive to upcoming economic data.

I’ll keep you updated on what these numbers mean for the housing market. Follow us next week for more market updates.

06/26/2026

06/19/2026

Three big stories collided this week and together they point to real opportunity ahead for buyers who are paying attention.

First, a new peace framework reopened the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices fell more than 5 percent in response. That matters more than most people realize for the mortgage market because energy has been the primary driver of the inflation that has been keeping rates elevated. Headline inflation just came in at 4.2 percent with energy alone up over 23 percent year over year. That one category has been doing the heavy lifting on the scary headline number.

Here is the genuinely good news buried underneath that headline. Strip energy out and core inflation rose just 0.2 percent for the month. This has been an energy story, not a runaway structural inflation story. Those are two very different situations with very different implications for where rates go from here.

The Fed held rates steady this week which was widely expected. But with energy prices now easing meaningfully, there is real room for the inflationary pressure that has been keeping mortgage rates elevated to start coming off. That is a meaningful shift in the forward-looking picture.

The buyers who win in this environment are the ones who focus on what they can actually control: their local inventory, the quality of their offer, and their timing relative to their personal life and financial situation. National headlines set the mood. Your zip code sets the deal.

Follow me for more on what the big picture means for your specific market.

06/18/2026

🎉 Just Closed! 🏡

Congratulations to our amazing client on the successful closing of their new home! It has been a privilege to help guide you through this exciting journey, and we’re grateful to have been part of such an important milestone.

Whether you’re buying your first home, upgrading, downsizing, or investing, the Harkins Lending Team is here to help make the process as smooth as possible.

Wishing you many years of happiness, memories, and success in your new home. Thank you for trusting us with your financing needs!

06/17/2026

📢 Federal Reserve Update: What It Means for Homebuyers

The Federal Reserve announced today that it is keeping interest rates unchanged. While many were hoping for a rate cut, inflation remains a key concern, and the Fed signaled that rates could stay higher for longer.

🏡 What does this mean for mortgage rates?
Mortgage rates are not directly controlled by the Fed. They are influenced by inflation, the bond market, and the overall economic outlook, which means rates can still move even when the Fed takes no action.

✅ Key takeaway for buyers:
Don’t put your homeownership plans on hold waiting for a Fed rate cut. The right time to buy depends on your affordability, your long-term goals, and the homes available in today’s market.

💡 Remember: If rates improve in the future, refinancing may be an option. The most important thing is finding a home and payment that work for you now.

If you’re wondering how today’s announcement affects your buying power or monthly payment, let’s connect and discuss your options.

📞 717-880-2894
✉️ [email protected]

06/17/2026

📊 MARKET UPDATE: HOW GLOBAL EVENTS ARE IMPACTING MORTGAGE RATES

Many people ask why mortgage rates move even when there hasn’t been a major change from the Federal Reserve.

One reason is that global events can have a direct impact on inflation and investor confidence.

🌍 Recent tensions involving Iran and the Middle East created concerns about oil supply disruptions, which pushed energy prices higher and increased inflation fears.

Here’s the chain reaction:

🛢️ Oil prices rise
➡️ Fuel and shipping costs increase
➡️ Inflation expectations increase
➡️ Rate cuts become less likely
➡️ Mortgage rates remain higher for longer

📈 During the peak of the tension, mortgage rates moved higher as markets reacted to inflation concerns.

🕊️ More recently, signs of de-escalation have helped reduce pressure on oil prices, easing some inflation concerns and helping mortgage rates stabilize.

Current market snapshot:
• 10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.426%
• Average 30-Year Mortgage Rate: 6.56% (Mortgage News Daily)

🏠 The takeaway for homebuyers and homeowners:

Mortgage rates aren’t driven by housing alone. Inflation, Treasury yields, Federal Reserve policy, and even world events can all influence where rates go next.

If you’re wondering how today’s market impacts your home purchase, refinance, or future plans, feel free to reach out.

📞717-880-2894
✉️[email protected]

06/12/2026

Here is your weekly market update and the biggest story this week was inflation.

New inflation data came in hotter than expected which means the Federal Reserve is likely to keep interest rates unchanged at next week's meeting. Here is why that matters for mortgage rates. Inflation remains one of the most significant drivers of where rates go. When inflation stays elevated it becomes harder for mortgage rates to move meaningfully lower and that dynamic is not changing in the near term.

Three things I will be watching closely next week: the Fed meeting itself, comments from Fed officials in the days surrounding it, and any new inflation or economic data that could shift rate expectations in either direction. Any one of these three can move the market quickly.

For realtors and homebuyers the practical takeaway is straightforward. While rates matter and will continue to influence affordability, inventory remains the biggest challenge in most markets right now. Serious buyers are still buying. Sellers are still selling. And having the right strategy in place matters far more than trying to perfectly time the market around rate movements that are difficult to predict even for professional traders.

Follow for next week's update and reach out if you want to talk through what this environment means for your specific situation.

04/22/2026

The biggest story in real estate right now is not rates, inventory, or prices. It is the ceasefire, and here is why it changes everything for buyers who have been sitting on the sidelines.

When the conflict in the Middle East kicked off in late February, oil prices spiked, Treasury yields jumped, and the spring market essentially froze in place. But the two-week US and Iran ceasefire announced earlier this month has already pulled the 10-year Treasury yield back down and stabilized energy markets. That matters for one significant reason: mortgage rates follow the 10-year Treasury. When that yield comes down, your rate comes down with it.

Freddie Mac's chief economist Sam Khater is already calling this a positive development for homebuyers that could spark a stronger spring market than we saw last year. The buyers who went quiet in March are watching this closely, and a more stable backdrop tends to bring fence-sitters right back into showings fast. Add to that the fact that Bright MLS is reporting a historic rise in inventory, which means more choices and more room to negotiate the moment confidence returns.

If you paused your home search this spring, now is the time to take another look. The window is opening back up and buyers who move with the right strategy right now are going to be very well positioned.

03/25/2026

There is a silent deal killer showing up at closing tables across the country right now and almost nobody sees it coming until the deal is already dead.

You find the house, the offer gets accepted, the appraisal comes back clean, and then right before closing everything falls apart. The reason is homeowners insurance. Insurers have been pulling back and tightening underwriting guidelines in higher risk areas nationwide, and the problem has spread well beyond Florida and California. In February 2026, Malibu made major headlines filing legal action tied to wildfire damages, another clear signal of how serious and widespread the risk and cost conversations have become. When an insurance quote comes back dramatically higher than expected, that premium gets counted directly in your monthly housing payment. Even a fully approved loan can fail at the last second if that number pushes your debt to income ratio past the lender's limit. And no insurance means no mortgage, period.

Researchers have been actively documenting how rising insurance costs are directly restricting mortgage access through debt to income limits, and buyers are getting blindsided at the worst possible moment in the transaction.

Before you remove contingencies, especially in any area with elevated risk, get a real insurance quote. Not an estimate. A confirmed quote from an actual carrier. And have a backup option ready in case the first one falls through. Comment "INSURANCE" and I will give you the exact timing I use with clients so this never sabotages your closing.

03/18/2026

If you have owned your home for a long time, this is the one conversation happening in Washington right now that could directly affect how much of your profit you actually get to keep when you sell.

The capital gains exclusion on home sales has not been updated since 1997. Single homeowners can currently exclude up to $250,000 in profit tax free and married couples up to $500,000. The problem is that home values have exploded since then, and a lot of long term owners are sitting on equity that pushes well past those limits. Many of them want to move but are staring at a serious tax bill and deciding it is easier to just stay put. Lawmakers are now actively discussing raising that cap and potentially indexing it to inflation, with the goal of unlocking more homes for a supply constrained market.

Is it guaranteed to change? No. But is it being discussed seriously and loudly enough that homeowners with significant equity should be paying close attention right now? Without question yes.

If you are sitting on big equity and thinking about moving in the next one to three years, comment "CAP GAINS" and I will explain the basic rules and the biggest planning mistakes I see sellers make when they wait too long to think this through.