Every Mortgage Mom Radio episode, sorted by what you're trying to figure out - with full transcripts, key takeaways, and chapters.
97 episodes in the library
The Fed hasn't moved once in 2026, yet mortgage rates are up sharply. Debbie explains the 10-year Treasury, the August 17 global bond sell-off, and whether to lock before Jackson Hole.…
Seller concessions hit a record 46.2% of home sales this spring, and the list price has become the opening bid. Debbie breaks down what buyers can ask a seller to pay for and why a seller-paid 2-1 buydown saves about $458 a month versus $71 from the same-size price cut.…
Foreclosure filings are up 21% year-over-year and the headlines are screaming 2008. Debbie puts the real numbers side by side — the 2010 peak, the normal market of 2019, and today — and shows why record equity and ability-to-repay underwriting make this a normalizing market, not a crisis.…
21% of 2026 home sales are collapsing over insurance — the top non-financing deal killer. Debbie covers the California FAIR Plan's 29.1% hike, Florida's wind mitigation rules, why a quote is not a binder, and the day-one habits that keep an insurance surprise from killing your closing.…
The Fed held rates for a fifth straight meeting — but three officials voted to hike, and Wall Street now puts 76–80% odds on a September increase. Debbie explains why mortgage rates rose anyway, where they stand this week, and what buyers, borrowers in escrow, and refinancers should do now.…
Mortgage rates just hit their highest levels of 2026 — Freddie Mac at 6.55%, Mortgage News Daily at 6.75%. Debbie breaks down the three drivers behind the jump, why this is the new normal, and the credit-first game plan that made first-time buyers 33% of June's closings.…
The biggest condo lending change in over a decade hits August 3, 2026. Debbie walks through Fannie Mae's Lender Letter LL-2026-03: the 10-unit review waiver, new insurance deductible caps, the death of the limited review, 15% reserves, balcony inspections — and how condo sellers get ahead of it all.…
After a year of "when will the Fed cut," the script has flipped: a rate hike is on the table for the July 29 meeting. Debbie explains what Kevin Warsh's "prices are too high" means for mortgage rates, how much worse rates could get by month-end, and why borrowers in escrow should lock today.…
The 21st Century Road to Housing Act passed both chambers and awaits the president's signature. Debbie breaks down the three pieces that touch your wallet: unlocking mortgages under $100,000, one standard process for fighting a low appraisal, and a 350-home cap on corporate landlords.…
Today I discussed new programs such as Jumbo with only 10% down, construction and fix and flip loans for investors. Would you like to ask questions while I'm live on air? Subscribe now to receive a link to join each week. Text LIVE to 844-935-3634 Debbie Marcoux is licensed by……
California landlords are selling and moving their money — but where? Debbie explains how a 1031 exchange really works (it matches the sales price, not the loan), why the trail has run Texas → Nevada → Arizona, and the rent-by-the-room college-town math delivering the best cash flow she's seen.…
The January jobs report came in roughly double expectations — and hopes for a Fed rate cut before midyear went with it. Debbie breaks down the numbers, what Fed officials are signaling, why mortgage pricing worsened the same day, and why waiting above 6.75% may be costing you every month.…
Hearing that interest rates have fallen? Would you like to know what your interest rate would be today? Send me an email with your scenario! All interest rates quoted are subject to change until locked in and conditional upon underwritten loan approval. Get a text message when I……
Neither the 50-year mortgage nor the portable mortgage exists in the US today — start there. Debbie runs the real 30-vs-50 numbers (about $300/month, at a likely higher rate), explains who each idea would help and hurt, and how porting works in Canada and the UK: balance only, full requalification.…
Self-employed, paid in crypto, or moving before you've found the new job? Debbie tours the loan programs most borrowers never hear about — no-ratio loans with zero income docs, bank statement loans, DSCR loans that qualify on the property's rent, and construction financing that beats hard money.…
The Fed's first cut of 2025 landed — and mortgage rates barely moved, because rate sheets priced it in weeks ago. Debbie reads the Fed's statement on air, explains Powell's take on the housing shortage, when a refinance makes sense, and how often you can actually refinance.…
Producer prices came in well below expectations — negative inflation — and the experts say the Fed cut is all but certain. Debbie explains why mortgage rates improve before the announcement, not on it, and why the October 2024 rate window lasted barely a week before an 11-month wait.…
Consolidating your mortgage and a HELOC usually counts as a cash-out refinance — even with no cash in hand — and costs about half a point in rate. Debbie shares real quotes (7.25% vs 6.75% for the same client), the two-step consolidation strategy, and FHA/VA streamlines priced in the low 5s.…
Mortgage pricing finally punched through the wall it hit for 11 straight months — checked live on air. Debbie explains what Powell's Jackson Hole speech did to rate sheets, why waiting for the Fed's announcement day to lock is a mistake, and the HELOC blended-rate math that's getting close to 6%.…
We'll know more after Friday's Jackson Hole Symposium. Join me live next Wednesday at 1PM on YouTube to stay up to date with Real Estate, Mortgage, and Interest Rate Market! Don't miss a live show. Ask your questions and get your answers. Text "LIVE" to 844-935-3634!……
Why are interest rates falling right now? Will they continue? What will it take for the Fed to lower interest rates? 844-935-3634, call us! Debbie Marcoux is licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Business, Consumer Services and……
Why would a loan officer suggest an FHA or a Conventional loan to you. Learn more in today’s episode. 844-935-3634, call us! Debbie Marcoux – AZ-0941504, CA-237926, Fl-LO76508, GA-69178, ID, IL-031.0058339, NC, NV-57237, OR, TN-184373, TX, WA-MLO-237926 | JMJ Financial Group……
Most objections to reverse mortgages come from the kids — and most are based on myths. Debbie walks through who really keeps title, what heirs actually owe on a non-recourse loan, whether you can be forced out, and how the balance grows when there's no monthly payment.…
Did you know that you are supposed to fly your flag at half mass until noon and then raise it until sundown? How did Memorial Day come to be, what are we celebrating, and how is it different than Veteran’s Day. Short history lesson from the Mortgage Mom! 844-935-3634, call us!……
The Fed is holding strong with their Higher For Longer stance. When will we finally get that first rate cut in 2025? 844-935-3634, call us! Debbie Marcoux – AZ-0941504, CA-237926, Fl-LO76508, GA-69178, ID, IL-031.0058339, NC, NV-57237, OR, TN-184373, TX, WA-MLO-237926 | JMJ……
Reading the economic reports this week, GDP was lower than anticipated. It was honestly quite bad, but consumer spending is up, month over month, from February to March 2025. The Core PCE inflation numbers came in higher than expected, and it is anticipated that the Fed will……
I focused on an issue that has been a major story in the media recently. Homeowners monthly payments are skyrocketing because of their property tax bills. Please understand how it works and what you can do as a homeowner or a new buyer to safeguard yourself from a messy……
Did you miss out on the quick dip in mortgage rates last Friday? Let’s get you ready to take advantage of the next dip. 844-935-3634, call us! Debbie Marcoux – AZ-0941504, CA-237926, Fl-LO76508, GA-69178, ID, IL-031.0058339, NC, NV-57237, OR, TN-184373, TX, WA-MLO-237926 | JMJ……
Social media says falling rates will flood the market with listings and crash home prices. Debbie takes the theory apart: what locked-in sellers will really do, why inventory is still at 60 days versus 180 in 2008, and why post-Dodd-Frank underwriting means no foreclosure wave.…
Refinance rates just dropped fast — FHA to about 6.25%, conventional to about 6.75%. Debbie breaks down real closing costs (average $4,500–$5,000), lender-paid vs. borrower-paid deals, FHA and VA streamlines, what "no-cost refinance" ads really mean, and the break-even math.…
The Fed held at 4.25–4.5% after three straight cuts, and the headlines made it about politics. Debbie watched the whole press conference: what Powell actually said, why March looks like another pause, and why mortgage rates improved on the very day the Fed didn't cut.…
Recorded live during the January 2025 LA fires: where to start with 211, how to document your losses, insurance claims and the California FAIR Plan, applying with FEMA, why LA County escrows are on hold, and why your mortgage payment doesn't stop when your house burns.…
Broadcast the afternoon of the December 2024 Fed meeting: why a fully-anticipated quarter-point cut sent mortgage rates up, what the two-cuts-in-2025 signal did to the Dow, and Debbie's own forecast — three to four cuts, and better rates by December 2025.…
One week after the Fed's half-point cut, mortgage rates actually ticked up — and applications jumped 46%. Debbie explains why you refinance on need, not timing, why buyers should get ahead of the herd, and why the election won't decide your mortgage rate.…
April retail sales came in flat and mortgage rates improved about half a percent in a week. Debbie explains why bad economic news helps rates, why a recession doesn't mean cheaper homes — Bankrate still projected +6.4% for 2024 — and why to get pre-approved before the Fed's first cut.…
Rates improved four days straight after the first weak jobs report of the cycle. Debbie reads the NY Fed's $17.5 trillion household debt report, explains why maxed-out credit cards cool inflation, and shows homeowners how a HELOC can clear card debt before the cuts arrive.…
Debbie and guest Heather — lender, licensed agent, real estate law background — break down the NAR settlement: buyer broker agreements, commissions leaving the MLS, why prices won't drop, and the VA and seller-credit rules that decide who can pay your agent.…
The March 2024 Fed meeting ended in another hold at 5.25–5.5% — and mortgage rates improved anyway. Debbie reads the FOMC statement on air, gives her timeline for the first cut, previews the NAR settlement, and covers the CalHFA Dream For All lottery opening April 3.…
Debbie answers the questions real buyers asked at her home buyer workshop: the three-year first-time buyer rule, how assumable mortgages actually work, what it takes to remove PMI, buying an investment property when your home is FHA, and who can use a VA loan.…
Debbie's full two-hour home buyer workshop, start to finish: the vocabulary nobody explains, FHA vs. conventional vs. VA vs. USDA, the 2% closing-cost rule, exactly which documents a pre-approval needs, how to shorten contingencies to compete, and the three-day closing disclosure rule.…
Debbie takes on the myths buyers and sellers still believe: that 20% down is required, that pre-approval wrecks your credit, that the down payment is your only upfront cost, that you must sell before you buy, and the listing-price tricks that quietly cost sellers money.…
Prices are high, rates are high - so should you wait? Debbie works the question with her live audience: who can afford to wait, why buy-now-refinance-later usually wins, what a refinance really costs, and the blended-rate math for tapping equity without losing a 3.5% first mortgage.…
Most would-be buyers postpone because they assume they don't qualify - and never test the assumption. Debbie explains why a consultation is not an application, what her free home buyer workshop covers, and answers listener questions on FHA rent history and how many credit cards you should carry.…
A rate quote isn't a rate until it's locked. Debbie explains when you can lock, how 15/30/60/90-day locks price, what floating really means, what an extension costs if closing slips, and why nobody can honestly predict rates more than a day or two out.…
A higher score means a better rate, more loan programs and a lower down payment. Credit expert George Hartmann gives Debbie five concrete rules - on-time payments, the 20% balance line, authorized users, inquiries and disputing before you settle - plus a warning about debt relief programs.…
Carriers stopped writing new California policies, premiums are climbing, and some condo complexes lost coverage entirely - which blocks financing. Debbie explains what caused it, what the FAIR Plan really covers, and the five things to do if you get a non-renewal letter.…
A rate under 5% in January 2024 sounds impossible. Debbie walks three live loans from her pipeline — conventional, FHA and VA — and shows exactly what a seller-paid temporary buydown costs, how big a credit you have to negotiate, and what each year's payment really looks like.…
The first show of 2024. Debbie recaps the hardest year on record for first-time buyers and the good things that came out of it — new community lending programs, lender-paid buydowns, a wave of home equity products — then gives her own forecast for where rates go next.…
The Fed held for a third straight meeting and mortgage rates had already fallen almost a full point in six weeks. Debbie covers Fannie Mae's new 5% down program for 2-4 unit homes, the 2024 conforming loan limit increases, and her pro tips for buying and selling next year.…
Five straight weeks of falling rates, a same-day conventional quote back under 7%, and 85% of first-time buyers still on the sidelines. Debbie makes the case for getting ahead of the herd, answers a round of HELOC questions, and previews Fannie Mae's new 5% down program for 2-4 units.…
Debbie reads two 2024 housing forecasts side by side — HousingWire and Bankrate — and translates each one: where rates settle, whether inventory improves, whether prices actually drop, and whether next year favors buyers or sellers. Then she gives her own call.…
Once a year the Mortgage Mom talks turkey instead of mortgages. Debbie's method - breast-side down, wrapped tight, 325F, pulled at 165 - plus the electric-roaster run-through that went wrong, what brining really is, and how to measure the oil for a deep fry.…
Rates fell about half a point in four business days after the Fed held steady and the jobs report came in weak. Debbie explains what caused it - and why every 1% drop brings 3 to 4 million more buyers into competition for the same limited inventory.…
Lenders are advertising a free refinance once rates drop if you buy today. Debbie explains who actually pays those costs - your loan balance or your interest rate - the expiration dates that void the promise, and why falling values can block the refinance entirely.…
Fannie Mae cut the down payment on owner-occupied 2-4 unit homes from 15-25% to just 5%, with no requirement that the rents cover the payment. Debbie also covers FHA's new ADU rental income rules and buying a home for a disabled adult child or elderly parent.…
A second mortgage you thought was charged off. A bankruptcy you thought erased it. A loan modification that only covered the first loan. Then a collector calls, because your home finally has equity. Debbie explains where zombie mortgages come from and what never to do first.…
Dave Ramsey says now is the time to buy a house — with rates at a 23-year high. Debbie reads through the article, agrees on the conditions (consumer debt paid off, 3–6 months of reserves), and explains why fewer buyers in the market is the advantage nobody talks about.…
The Fed left the funds rate at 5.25–5.50% on September 20, 2023, and finally published projections: 5.6% by year end, 5.1% in 2024, 3.9% in 2025. Debbie reads Powell's statement, explains the nine-month lag, and maps the real timeline from pre-approval to the refinance you're counting on.…
August CPI came in at 3.7% annual and 0.6% monthly — inflation's second straight increase, six days before the Fed met. Debbie breaks down the report, why forecasters split on a September hike, and the day-after data proving the Fed doesn't set your mortgage rate.…
Credit repair specialist George Hartmann joins Debbie to kill the myths — starting with leaving a balance on your card — and explain what actually moves a score: statement dates, authorized users, charge-offs versus collections, and what a 567 costs you versus a 740.…
FHA down to a 550 score, VA near it, 1099 and bank statement loans, asset qualifier loans, DSCR loans for rentals, and hard money. Debbie walks through the programs built for borrowers standard underwriting turns away — plus the six-month reserve requirement nobody warns you about.…
68.7% of American homeowners are mortgage-free or hold at least 50% equity, and inventory is running at half a normal market. Debbie explains why selling releases more equity than a cash-out refinance ever will — and walks through her own move, sold in one day.…
Done being a landlord but not willing to pay the capital gains? A Delaware Statutory Trust satisfies a 1031 exchange and hands management to somebody else. Debbie, securities-licensed advisor Jamie Furlong and broker Danielle Whitney Moore cover how DSTs work, what they pay, and who they rule out.…
The Fed hiked to the highest level in 22 years and mortgage rates barely twitched. Debbie explains why mortgages follow mortgage-backed securities instead of the Fed, what Powell said he'd watch before September, and the rule that matters most: budget the payment for 24 months.…
A week after the Fed's first pause in ten meetings, Debbie reads the actual crash forecasts — Elon Musk on one side, Fannie Mae, NAR and Redfin on the other — then turns to record credit card debt and what homeowners with equity can do about it.…
Four real refinance scenarios — three of them loans in process — showing what a blended-rate calculation reveals. One family's 3.75% first mortgage was hiding a true blended rate of 9.69%, and consolidating at 7.125% cut $1,100 a month.…
Rates spiked one week and dropped the next. Debbie takes it apart — the debt ceiling standoff, Fed officials talking ahead of the June meeting, and how lenders price an expected hike into rate sheets before it happens.…
Fannie, Freddie, FHA and VA all start by asking you to prove your income. Debbie walks through four that don't: the Community Mortgage, bank statement loans, debt service ratio loans where the rental qualifies instead of you, and hard money — with the scores, down payments and reserves each takes.…
One condo, one hour of showings, 42 applications — from people with 750 credit scores and $50,000 in the bank, who paid $10,900 just to get the keys. Debbie and guest Mary do the math on what buying the same unit would have cost them.…
The Fed raised a quarter point the morning this aired, and the headline was that good credit now subsidizes bad. Debbie reads the FOMC statement and an industry note showing the fee change was worth about an eighth of a percent — and had been live since February.…
Everyone waiting for California prices to collapse got a 2.2% dip — about $16,000 — while rates rose and they kept paying rent. Debbie walks through the CAR data, why she doesn't expect a big fallout, what renters are up against, and why listing-site payment estimates are wrong.…
The Fed hiked to 4.75–5.00% on March 22, 2023, and mortgage rates improved within two hours. Debbie explains why, translates the Fed's press release, and answers an hour of listener questions on home prices, foreclosures, refinancing, and which of your debts change overnight.…
Silicon Valley Bank failed on a Friday, Signature followed over the weekend, and by Monday mortgage rates hit their best levels in over a month. Debbie explains what actually broke at SVB, why a bank failure pushes mortgage rates down, and how the Fed forecast flipped in a weekend.…
Buyers are writing offers and hearing nothing back. Debbie and a RE/MAX agent break down why listing agents stopped answering, the questions that separate a working agent from a checked-out one, and why the button on a listing portal almost never reaches the agent who has the house.…
Debbie retracts her own 10% price-drop call. NAR forecasts the national median down just 1.6% in 2023 and up 3.1% in 2024, and her team's county numbers show Southern California barely moved. Plus the VA funding fee cut and how to shop lenders without wrecking your score.…
FHA cut its annual mortgage insurance premium and raised the high-balance threshold. Debbie runs the new monthly payments at six loan sizes, explains why FHA now beats conventional for most low-down-payment buyers, and who should call about a streamline refinance today.…
A listener was told a Chapter 13 locked him out of buying for three years. It doesn't. Debbie explains FHA's twelve-month rule and court approval, why she refuses to quote one "today's rate," and previews the free Home Buyer Workshop covering the whole transaction start to finish.…
Single women own about 10.7 million homes to single men's 8.1 million, while earning 83 cents on the dollar. Debbie on why ownership is the wealth vehicle, how to buy before you couple up, and the free calculators that give you a real payment instead of a portal estimate.…
The Fed hiked a quarter point on February 1, 2023 and mortgage rates improved on the news. Debbie reads Powell’s statement in full, explains which loans the Fed actually controls, and why a smaller hike was the signal she had been waiting for since December.…
Investment property rates aren’t high because your loan officer decided so — they’re priced by risk adjustments that stack on top of the owner-occupied rate. Debbie walks through the math with real examples, then answers the question every homeowner is asking: HELOC or refinance?…
Debbie’s first show of 2023 walks through a Bankrate roundup of housing forecasts — four analysts, three scenarios, and predictions from 5% to 8.5% by year end — then gives her own: values down about 10%, inventory staying tight, and no reason to keep waiting.…
The Fed slowed from three-quarters of a point to a half, and Debbie explains why that’s the good news. Then her favorite advice she’s ever given: buy the smallest place you can live in, keep it when you move up, and let a tenant carry it.…
Heading into 2023, Debbie's most-asked question was whether to wait for five percent rates. Her answer: the rate is the wrong thing to time. Why the Fed does not set your mortgage rate, how seller concessions hid a real price correction, and six listener questions answered.…
The day after the 2023 conforming loan limits were announced, two of Debbie's loan officers explained the three tiers of conventional lending: what separates conforming from high balance from jumbo, and why crossing a line costs you up to half a point in rate. A 2022 historical record.…
Rates fell six tenths of a point in a single day, and Debbie did not expect it to hold. Then the explainer people keep asking her for: how a reverse mortgage works, who it suits, what your heirs actually inherit, and why age decides how much you can borrow.…
Two real consultations worked start to finish on air: a homeowner with $50,000 in cards and a 3% mortgage, and a buyer who put 3.5% down last year and cannot reach the equity he can see. Plus what a short sale actually is, and the myth that you must be behind on payments.…
Hours after the Fed's fourth straight three-quarter-point hike in November 2022, Debbie explains why the increase was already priced into rate sheets, the rule of thumb for what rising rates cost your budget, and why a home equity line is the wrong fix for credit card debt.…
Everyone was telling homeowners to take a home equity line instead of touching their 3% first mortgage. Debbie does the math out loud: draw that line to 95% of value and you have given up the ability to roll the two loans back into one. Plus loan limits, escrow, and buy-versus-rent.…
An open hour of the hard questions: buy now or wait, how you start when a home isn't even on the radar, and whether to take the lower price or the lower rate. Debbie's frame for the whole show: there's never really a bad time to buy, there's just a bad time to sell. October 2022.…
An open Q&A hour: how a reverse mortgage works when you're buying rather than refinancing, why a seller-funded rate buydown beats a small price cut, whether a lifetime in a mobile home leaves you a first-time buyer, and what has to change before rates come down. October 2022.…
Two days before the Fed's September 2022 hike, every headline said housing was rolling over — and Debbie's first-time buyers were still getting outbid. She and her in-house agent explain why higher rates make the entry price point more competitive, not less.…
The home equity line ads were everywhere in 2022, and none mentioned what Debbie watched happen from 2008 to 2011: lenders freezing draw access and converting the balance to a principal-and-interest payment. HELOC vs. home equity loan vs. cash-out refinance.…
“Housing recession” was the phrase of summer 2022, and it scared people out of buying. Debbie takes it apart: it describes a contraction in the number of sales, not a collapse in prices — still up 10.8% year over year while volume fell six straight months.…
In summer 2022 the bidding war moved from the sale market to the rental market — thirty to forty applications per listing and applicants offering above asking rent. Debbie reads the rent data and makes the case for a fixed payment as the only real hedge.…
Most loan officers are licensed in one state - so if you change your mind about where you're moving, your pre-approval doesn't move with you. Debbie explains what actually transfers, why you don't have to start the new job first, and the research list every relocating buyer should work through.…
Cutting a $700,000 list price to $690,000 barely moves what a buyer qualifies for. The same $10,000 as a closing-cost credit solves the thing actually stopping them. Debbie and a veteran agent on the 2022 market shift, seller incentives, and FHA condo spot approvals.…
Two days before the July 2022 Fed decision, Debbie explains what most people get backwards: the market prices the expected hike into rate sheets before it happens. Which debts really track the Fed, why a HELOC keeps climbing, and what buyers should negotiate for instead of waiting.…
87 episodes, every one with a full transcript.
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