Mortgage Crossroads: Tariffs, Consistency, and Mastering Market Swings
Tuesday Tips for Realtors: 04/08/2025
Give the article a listen: (◉‿◉)
Personal Note:
I woke up today pumped to talk all things mortgage, but I was close to grabbing my popcorn and just watching.
WARNING: No matter what your political view, this is just information to keep you informed about the good, bad, and even crazy stuff you feel is fake. You need to know so you are not caught off guard when you are fielding questions from your clients!
At the end of the day, none of us are on Washington or in these rooms where all this is being discussed. So who knows
Top Story:
Tariff Talk
OK, first up, we talked a few weeks back about the importance of watching the news on tariffs. If you haven’t been watching your feeds, needless to say, this time, the tariff talk escalated quickly.
Now, I am not an economics major. I have some degrees in business, but not with any sort of focus on economics. Please keep that in mind as you read.
The last four days have taken the real estate world on a roller coaster, and in true political fashion, there is absolutely no clear direction on where this ride is heading.
Below, I am going to leave you some important links I came across in the last few days.
I am not a fan of sharing homemade social videos, but this one has been all over the press. I saw this a few days ago in an investment newsletter I get, and it's been shared by so many news outlets since. I'm not sure what the true intentions of the news outlet were in sharing it, but the news that keeps coming out since the video was shared appears like all the pieces have been lining up to play out, like the explanation in the video. I will let you watch it and decide for yourself.
If you have TikTok: Watch the post here
Note: Warren Buffett denies he said anything, understandably so after the trillions lost in the market
Mortgage rates at the end of last week were crushing it! 💪
Today, the ground we gained on lower rates is now gone. 💨
BUTTTT they are doing better than we were in February and January (see below)!
Keep in mind that mortgage rates follow the U.S. 10-year Treasury Note. On average, rates can be about 2.25-2.75% higher than wherever the 10-year is at—not the Fed rate. For a good long time, they all kind of influenced each other, but we all learned late last year when we had our first rate cut that mortgage rates did the exact opposite of what they intended to do—they went up!
Now, I am not saying this is what is happening; no one knows for sure. But remember the hedging I told you all about a few weeks ago and how Wall Street was padding its rates because it was not sure how the economy was shaping up?
The initial tariff news broke, causing concern, but rates steadily decreased throughout last week. As of today, it seems Wall Street is following the 10-year as expected but may also be padding some extra in case the economy heads south. This is due to the trend from Economics Pros that this tariff business may not be good business, striking fear.
Below is a snapshot of the link I sent you, filtered YTD.
On a brighter note, gas prices fell in the last 24 hours!
This afternoon, I received an email about a possible Emergency Fed Rate Cut to address recession concerns ahead of their next scheduled meeting, the Fed Meeting on May 6th and 7th. Only time will tell, and if the rates do change anytime soon, it will be interesting to see how the bond market reacts this time.
Top Growth Tip:
Give yourself time to have your actions turn into results.
I am a fan of podcasts, and this week, I heard a quick but powerful one that I saved for future listening and for you all to give a listen to!
While this is a mortgage podcast, it applies 100% to what realtors do day in and day out. Our professions are not all that different. We are both in the market to serve people in real estate, and the only way to do that is to keep putting ourselves out there to find people to serve.
In today’s world of technology, trending socials, and the ability to put your phone on Do Not Disturb, it is important to keep yourself in the right headspace and not constantly switch up your game in an attempt to grow your business.
Give this a listen if you need some inspiring words to understand that what you are doing is creating more momentum than you realize!
Link to listen: Audio Link Only
Here's a link to the actual Podcast site: Mortgage Marketing Institute
Also, if you need help keeping in contact with clients: Client Connections Hack
Top Lending Tip:
Get to class!
Actually, it's a webinar! I am excited to launch a weekly live webinar, “Mortgage Essentials for Realtors,” THIS WEEK!
My daily goal with clients and agents alike is to provide value. MyLendingPro.com (with its new look) is much more than a self-proclaimed website name; it’s a title that I intend to earn with every person I meet.
In order to do that, I need to stay available with each of you to answer your questions, troubleshoot scenarios, and ensure you have all the tools necessary to win the day, every day, with your clients!
The webinar will have some reinforced lending terms and strategy but will also be full of Q&A from attendees, live guideline lookup, and scenario troubleshooting shooting
I would love to have you join! It will be every Thursday before lunch from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST. The inaugural kickoff is this Thursday, April 10th!
Quick Rate Reference guide for 4/8/2025: ⬇️
The following rates are for visuals to help you see where rates are. These are never final and are intended to be a more realistic look than what you find advertised on popular sites. All rates are subject to client scenarios and are subject to change. Thank you for using common sense when reviewing! 😊
Overview:
National APR hasn’t seemed to catch up to all the end-of-day rate adjustments lenders made; some lenders sent out multiple pricing changes today.
Rates and/or APRs are rising- Make sure your client’s rates are locked!
If the mortgage officer didn’t lock today, you need to find out a good reason why. The stock market ended in the red, and concerns are up across the board, as you just finished reading. Get them locked!
Your self-employed/creative income borrowers and investors are winning, with rate decreases this week!
I'm just leaving the following from last Tuesday's rate message here only because you need to preach to your clients:
If you are happy with your rate, lock it and forget about it—or else stuff like this happens.
If you want to have an open conversation about anything related to your business, schedule a time on the calendar, and let’s talk!
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