Habayit Home Loans

02/11/2026

Houston mortgage and real estate market update, and this one is a longer one because we also just got back from the Real Estate and Construction Summit.

On the rate side, interest rates have continued trending down even after some hot economic numbers last week. Two things are driving it: flight to quality as investors pull back from AI-related debt and unstable equities, and instability across Europe pushing money back into US treasuries and the mortgage market. Good news for buyers.

At the summit, the big themes were business migration and affordability. Since 2020, 209 companies have moved to Texas with 14 more confirmed this year. But home prices have outpaced wages, making new construction less accessible. New home base prices in Houston are sitting around $437,000. Builders are experiencing margin compression, meaning they are discounting and offering incentives just to move units.

Houston market snapshot: new listings down 3.2%, pending listings down 27%, closings down about 9%, and resale inventory at 5.6 months of supply. Household formations have also fallen below housing completions for the first time, meaning supply is outpacing demand.

If you are a buyer, this is your window. If you are a listing agent or independent builder trying to reach self-employed buyers or investors who need non-traditional financing, that conversation is worth having.

Rich with Embark Home Loans. Reach out anytime.

30/10/2026

19/10/2026

Houston market update and a big one this week.

A national article dropped this weekend claiming it is now less expensive to rent than to own. And for a lot of people nationally that is correct. But the national numbers do not tell the Houston story.

Here is what the numbers actually show in Houston. Based on the median home sales price it is about $487 a month more expensive to own than to rent if you are not itemizing on your taxes. But if you are self-employed and using a bank statement loan with 20 percent down the math flips. It is actually marginally about $8 a month less expensive to purchase than to rent. And once you factor in the principal amortization you are gaining approximately $211 a month in equity by owning versus renting. That is before home appreciation which is not guaranteed but is another dimension renters simply do not get.

Houston market activity update. Listings down 3.1 percent year over year. Pending listings down about 22 percent. Off-market listings down about 18.5 percent. Closings down about 11.5 percent. Showings and HAR listing views also down. Less people listing heading into the holidays and affordability concerns are keeping some buyers on the sidelines.

On the rate and economic front: last week’s producer price index came in as a huge surprise with wholesale inflation up 1.3 percent in September. Retail sales also rose. You would expect that to push rates higher. Instead rates actually came down slightly. Why? AI debt. Gartner projects AI companies will need roughly $8.5 trillion to service their debt through 2030 but are only projected to generate about $3.6 trillion. That potential junk-grade debt situation triggered a flight to quality with money moving into treasuries and mortgage-backed securities which brought rates down instead of up.

Oil prices are also climbing with ongoing tensions between the US and Iran adding geopolitical pressure to the markets.

If you are self-employed this is genuinely one of the better moments to buy. Sellers are more negotiable. The numbers work in your favor. And you may have additional tax benefits worth discussing with your CPA.

Rich, Habayit Home Loans. Houston. 281-841-1723.

12/10/2026

Happy Monday Houston. Weekly mortgage market and news update starting now.

Market activity: slow. Closings down 1.5 percent. Showings down 5.5 percent. New listings down 3 percent. Pending listings down 23 percent. Off-market listings down about 14 percent.

What does that mean for smart buyers? It means negotiating power. You can ask the seller to cover closing costs. You can negotiate a price reduction. You can get a mix of both. And here is the thing nobody says enough: you can only negotiate until you buy the home. You cannot go back six months later and ask for another $20,000 off. The time to negotiate is right now.

If you are waiting for rates to drop just remember 2020 and 2021 when everybody was paying well over list price. That is what happens when rates fall and buyers flood back in simultaneously.

A few other things worth knowing. Foreclosures are rising now that the moratorium is officially over. And a CNBC Survey Monkey poll found that 87 percent of renters want to own a home but do not know where to get a down payment. Most of them think you need 20 percent down. You do not. Conventional loans start at 3 to 3.5 percent down. Bank statement loans can go as low as 10 percent.

And if you are self-employed and your tax return makes it look like you could barely afford to sublet a quarter of a dumpster behind a CVS that is not the whole picture. Using tax returns to measure a self-employed buyer’s income is like using a fork to measure a cup of flour. We have better tools for that.

This is probably one of the best times to buy if you are self-employed. Negotiable sellers. Great programs. Let’s talk.

Rich, Habayit Home Loans. Houston. 281-841-1723.

05/10/2026

Houston buyers you have got leverage right now. More homes to choose from, less competition from other buyers, and real negotiating power. Let's talk about what the numbers actually show.

Houston real estate market update: listings are up year-over-year. Pending listings are down which means fewer homes are going under contract and you have more options. Off-market listings are down nearly 12.5 percent meaning sellers know it is going to take longer to sell and they are getting nervous. That nervousness is your negotiating power. Closings are down 21 percent which means less than four homes are closing for every five that closed in the same period last year. Showings are down. HAR listings are way down.

Some people on the news will tell you this is the beginning of a crash. It is not. Prices are stabilizing not collapsing. Could we see some softening? Maybe slightly. But this is not a sky is falling situation. Active listings are up 6.5 percent and new listings are up 3.3 percent. The average list price is down not because values are crashing but because sellers are no longer pricing like it is 2021.

Mortgage market update: rates have moved higher over the last week and we have seen them go essentially straight up. The 10-year Treasury has exceeded levels not seen since 2007. The September jobs report showed only 29,000 jobs created well below the estimate of 90,000. Previous months were also revised down significantly. Fuel prices remain elevated which means inflation is not done yet.

What does this mean for you? If you like a rate lock it now. And negotiate. Ask sellers to pay your closing costs, do a temporary or permanent rate buydown to make the payment more affordable. The opportunity is right in front of you.

Rich, Habayit Home Loans. Houston.

28/09/2026

Houston buyers: stop obsessing over mortgage rates. You are missing the part of this market that could actually save you money.

Here is what is actually going on in Houston real estate right now.

Single family home sales are down 11.5 percent from last year and the median sales price is down 1.5 percent. That does not mean home values are sliding. It means there are fewer move-up buyers in the market. The average price is actually up 1.2 percent at $426,760. We have about 5.3 months of inventory and homes are sitting an average of 54 days on the market.

But here is the thing. I have a client who just got under contract on a home that was on the market for two days. Why? It was appropriately staged, appropriately priced, and had multiple competing offers. The 54-day average is being dragged up by sellers who are not pricing correctly.

Pending sales are down 3.5 percent year-over-year. Showings are only down 1.5 percent. People are still looking. They are just looking for the right house at the right price.

New listings are down nearly 8 percent. Pending listings are down over 26 percent. People are being more patient as sellers. That creates opportunity for buyers who actually show up.

On the broader economy: jobless claims fell to 197,000 which means fewer people are being laid off. But mortgage bonds and treasuries have been under pressure. The 10-year Treasury was over 5.2 percent as of Friday and there is a strong chance the Fed raises rates again at the next meeting.

On foreclosures: Houston is one of the top five metros in the country for foreclosures right now. This is nowhere near 2008 levels. Houston is a non-judicial foreclosure state which means the process moves faster. A lot of what we are seeing is people who stopped making payments during the pandemic and are finally running out of time.

And coming November 2nd: appraisal changes go official for conventional loans. If you are a real estate agent and have not learned about these yet check our social media. We are teaching CE classes including appraisal courses you need to know about.

If you are sitting on the sidelines this is the time to buy. Not because of rates but because of what you can negotiate right now.

Rich, Habayit Home Loans. Houston. 281-841-1723.

22/09/2026

Houston Tuesday market update. Let's talk about what is actually happening right now in Houston real estate and the mortgage market.

On the Houston market: closings are down about 3.8 percent which is not as bad as people have been saying. Showings are down about 1 percent. Listing views are down 7.5 percent. New listings are up. Pending listings are down. What does all of that tell us? There are more sellers than buyers right now and that means one thing: negotiating power for buyers.

Now you cannot go out there making insulting lowball offers. But if you are strategic about seller contributions you can negotiate seller paid closing costs and use that money to buy down your mortgage rate. Your purchase price may be slightly higher but your monthly payment could be meaningfully lower. That is a smart play in this market.

Here is what people keep getting wrong: the market is not dead. Appropriately priced homes are still selling fast. We got a contract this morning on a house that went on the market two days ago with multiple offers. What is sitting is anything priced like it is July 2021. Price it right and it moves.

On the mortgage market: the Fed hiked rates last week and the 2-year Treasury is suggesting we could see at least one more hike this year possibly more next year. But there is good news. Oil prices have dropped back below $100 to around $93. Between the East West pipeline in Saudi Arabia reopening and diplomatic developments with Iran there is real potential for oil prices to continue coming down. Lower oil means lower inflation over time and that is good news for rates.

One thing to watch: carry trade or the yen arbitrage situation. If Japan raises rates it could cause people to sell US treasuries which would push US debt rates higher. Worth keeping an eye on.

Bottom line: great time to be a buyer. A bit more challenging if you are a seller but priced right your home will move. And if you want to buy before you sell we have a program for that too especially if you are self-employed.

Questions? Call me. Have a great week Houston.

Rich, Habayit Home Loans. Houston. 281-841-1723.

14/09/2026

Houston market update from Rich at Habayit Home Loans. A lot happened this week and all of it matters if you are buying, selling, or have a mortgage in the pipeline.

Houston real estate data first. Closings down 20 percent year over year. Showings down about 5 percent. Listing views down 15 percent. Pending listings down almost 30 percent. New listings down nearly 5 percent. Off-market listings down 8.2 percent. Home prices are holding steady which is the one bright spot but the overall picture is clear: this market is slowing down significantly.

Nationally 19.6 percent of homes that went under contract either fell out during the option period or before closing. That is a number I have not seen in a very long time. Getting a contract is not the finish line right now.

On oil: we touched over $103 a barrel on Thursday and pulled back to about $99 by Friday morning. That is still a massive number. Groceries are going up. Transportation costs are going up. Diesel over $6 a gallon. You are going to feel this everywhere.

The Producer Price Index came in Thursday showing headline inflation rose 0.4 percent and the Consumer Price Index today also came in hot at 3.4 percent. None of this is giving the bond market any comfort that the Fed is done raising rates.

As of this morning the probability of a Fed rate hike at the September 15th and 16th meeting is approximately 85 percent. Just a couple of weeks ago that was under 50 percent.

If you like your rate lock it now. You can lose a lot more than you can gain by floating in this environment.

Two things for real estate professionals. New appraisal requirements are live now. Some lenders started September 1st and by October 1st expect a wave of notifications. Get to one of our CE classes across greater Houston to stay current.

Also if you have self-employed clients this is a real opportunity. Bank statement loans, profit and loss loans, and DSCR loans are performing well right now. And seller-paid rate buydowns are still on the table as a negotiating tool.

No video next Monday. It comes out Tuesday. Have a great week everyone.

Rich Bonn, Habayit Home Loans. 281-841-1723.

07/09/2026

Houston market update from Rich at Habayit Home Loans. A lot happening right now and some of it is going to affect buyers, sellers, and anyone with a mortgage in the pipeline.

On the Houston housing data from HAR.com: new listings are up 7.5 percent but pending listings are down, off-market listings are down, and closings are significantly lower year over year. We saw about 2,000 closings versus 1,500 in the same period. Listing prices are still climbing and active inventory continues to build. Rental markets are showing some softness.

The bigger story right now is what is happening with rates and the bond market.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report showed massive job additions but the ADP report, which uses actual payroll numbers, tells a very different story. These two reports are not footing and that disconnect matters.

Coming up next week: inflation data. If those numbers come in hot the Fed may be looking at another rate hike. We covered Kevin Warsh's hawkish Jackson Hole speech last week and this inflation report is the next data point that could move markets significantly.

Oil is another factor worth watching. WTI crude is sitting around 92 dollars a barrel and with tensions escalating in the Strait of Hormuz involving Iran there is real potential for oil to climb another 20 to 30 dollars if tanker insurance becomes unavailable or cost-prohibitive. Oil prices feed directly into inflation.

The bond market is biased to move higher. If you have a mortgage application in process and you like your rate lock it now. You can lose significantly more than you can gain by floating in this environment.

Two more things for real estate professionals. Appraisal requirements are changing now. Check social media for CE class schedules across Houston. And if you want a great marketing idea ask Rich about certified pre-owned listings.

Reach out anytime. Rich, Habayit Home Loans. 281-841-1723.