Home-Ometry

Saluting Our Heroes This Memorial Day

Today, as we gather with friends and family, let’s take a moment to appreciate the sacrifices made by our nation’s heroes.

Remember these heroes whose courage has paved the way for our community’s growth and prosperity. Their sacrifices remind us to lead with gratitude and serve with respect.

Yesterday we celebrated Mother’s Day, but one day will never be enough to recognize the women and mother-figures whose love, sacrifice, and quiet strength hold our families, workplaces, and communities together.

To every mom, bonus mom, grandma, guardian, and caring soul who shows up with patience, guidance, and unconditional love: thank you for all you do that often goes unseen.

I’m sending appreciation to those who were celebrated, those who are missing their moms, those hoping to become parents, and those navigating complicated relationships, your stories and hearts matter too.

Let’s carry yesterday’s gratitude into every day by checking in, offering support, and acknowledging the incredible “mothering” work happening all around us, at home and at work.

May is here and the market is doing what it does this time of year.

Rates are fluctuating but trending in the right direction compared to where they were twelve months ago. More inventory is on the market than buyers have seen in years. And the buyers who are moving forward are the ones who spent time getting educated before they needed to make a decision.

That's not a coincidence. It's what preparation does.

If you're watching the market from the sidelines and wondering when the right time is, the answer is rarely about timing. It's about understanding the process well enough that you can move confidently when your time comes, whatever your credit situation looks like.

When that time feels close, two steps worth taking before anything else. Spend some time on a mortgage marketplace. Sites like Bankrate, LendingTree, and Credible show you what rates are actually available without any obligation or pressure. Then find the right mortgage professional for your specific situation, not just the first name someone hands you. Those two steps alone will change how the rest of the process goes.

Follow the link in our bio to sign up and be among the first to know when our new home search portal launches at Home-ometry.com.

Enjoy your weekend.

Spring homebuying season is here, but it's not delivering the price relief a lot of buyers were hoping for.

The reasons are straightforward. Inventory is up about 20% compared to recent lows, which is genuinely good news for buyers. More homes to choose from, more room to negotiate, sellers who are more willing to make concessions. But mortgage rates have stayed elevated, and economic uncertainty is keeping a lot of households on the sidelines.

What's interesting is that purchase applications have been rising anyway. Buyers who are moving forward right now are the ones who came prepared. They understand their loan options, their credit situation, and what they can realistically afford at today's rates. They're not waiting for perfect conditions, because they've done the work to know what good conditions look like for them specifically.

That preparation gap is what separates the buyers who move this spring from the ones who spend another year watching from the sidelines.

If you're ready to close that gap, start with the basics. Understand which loan program fits your credit situation. Then search a mortgage marketplace before you call anyone. Platforms like Bankrate, LendingTree, and Credible let you compare rates from multiple lenders without any commitment, giving you a real picture of what's available before any conversation starts. The right mortgage professional comes after that, not before.

Follow the link in our bio to sign up and be among the first to know when our new home search portal launches at Home-ometry.com.

Most people assume FHA loans are a last resort for buyers with bad credit. That's one of the more persistent myths in the home buying process, and it costs people real options.

FHA loans are government-backed mortgages available to buyers across a wide range of credit situations. The down payment requirement starts at 3.5%, and the credit standards are more flexible than conventional loans. This year, the standard FHA loan limit increased to $541,288, which means more of the market is within reach for buyers using this program.

A few things most people don't know about FHA loans:

- They're not just for first-time buyers. You can use one to purchase a primary residence even if you've owned a home before.
- The loan is assumable, meaning a future buyer could potentially take over your mortgage at your original rate, a feature that becomes more valuable as rates change over time.
- Credit standards are more flexible than conventional loans, which makes this program worth understanding regardless of where your credit stands today.

Understanding which loan type fits your situation before you sit down with a lender is one of the most practical things you can do. It changes the conversation entirely.

Once you've identified FHA as a potential fit, start your lender search on a mortgage marketplace before making any calls. Platforms like Bankrate, LendingTree, and Credible list FHA-approved lenders side by side so you can compare rates without any pressure. Then find a mortgage professional who specializes in the loan type that fits your situation. Knowing your program before you pick up the phone is what separates an informed buyer from one who just takes whatever they're offered.

Follow the link in our bio to sign up and be among the first to know when our new home search portal launches at Home-ometry.com.

Most buyers have heard of LendingTree and Bankrate. There are quite a few others worth knowing before you reach out to a lender, especially if you want a fuller picture of what's available.

A few lesser-known mortgage marketplaces and comparison platforms worth exploring:

- Credible (4.7/5 on Trustpilot): A fast marketplace that lets you see prequalified rates from multiple vetted lenders using a soft credit pull. No hard inquiry, no commitment required.

- Own Up: An AI-driven marketplace that pairs you with a dedicated home advisor and compares offers across a screened lender network. No social security number required upfront, soft credit check only. Their customers report saving an average of $27,000 over the life of their loan.

- Morty: An online broker and marketplace that shops a wide range of lender partners and walks you through from comparison to application.

- Simplist: A newer digital marketplace focused on comparing rates from multiple lenders simultaneously, from application through closing.

- Lower.com: A fintech platform offering home loans, refinancing, and HELOCs with a streamlined digital process.

- LoanSnap: Uses AI to scan the market for loan options, with a focus on your overall financial health rather than just the rate.

- New American Funding (4.8/5 on Trustpilot): A highly rated digital lender with a wide range of programs, including options for buyers with lower credit scores.

- Better.com (4.1/5 on Trustpilot): A digital-first lender offering zero-commission mortgage origination and fast, online-only approvals.

One more worth knowing about, though it serves a different purpose. Ownli is a commission-free real estate platform that lets buyers search verified listings and sellers list directly, without traditional agent commissions. It launched nationwide across 43 states earlier this year. Users save an average of $42,832 in commission costs per transaction. As the industry continues to move toward transparency and lower consumer costs, platforms like this are worth having on your radar.

Do your research across a few of these before you make any calls. The information is free. What you do with it is up to you.

Follow the link in our bio to sign up and be among the first to know when our new home search portal launches at Home-ometry.com.

The week-to-week mortgage rate movement gets the headlines. The year-over-year picture is the one worth paying attention to.

Freddie Mac's latest data puts the 30-year fixed at 6.30% for the week ending April 30, up 7 basis points from the prior week. That's the number making the rounds. But the same report shows rates are 46 basis points lower than they were at this time last year, when the 30-year was averaging 6.76%. That's a meaningful difference on a real loan.

There's also no Federal Reserve meeting on the calendar for May, which removes one of the bigger drivers of rate volatility. Fannie Mae and the Mortgage Bankers Association are both forecasting rates to stay between 5.7% and 6.3% through the end of the year.

The point isn't that rates are great. The point is that the picture is more nuanced than any given week's headline. Buyers who understand how rates actually move, and what they can control in the process, are better positioned than the ones watching the daily news and waiting for a perfect moment that may not come.

Two things worth doing before you reach out to a lender. Search a mortgage marketplace first. Platforms like Bankrate, LendingTree, and Credible let you compare rates from multiple lenders without any obligation, giving you a realistic baseline before any conversation starts. Then take the time to find the right mortgage professional for your specific credit situation, not just whoever your agent recommends. Those two steps alone can change the outcome significantly.

Follow the link in our bio to sign up and be the first to know when our new home search portal launches at Home-ometry.com.

This week had a lot of news.

An $880 million acquisition reshaping the brokerage industry. A Federal Reserve meeting with no rate cut. Data showing some homes selling in days while others sit on the market for months.

All of it points to the same thing. The home buying process is more complex than most people realize, and the buyers who do well are the ones who understand it before they need to.

That's what Home-ometry.com is built around. Not selling you a home or a mortgage, but giving you the knowledge to make confident decisions on your own timeline, whatever your credit situation looks like.

We're currently upgrading our platform and building something we think is going to make the process a lot easier to navigate. Follow the link in our bio to sign up and be among the first to know when we launch.

Enjoy your Friday.

Some homes sell in a week. Others sit on the market for months. The difference usually isn't the home.

New Zillow data puts some numbers behind what buyers are experiencing right now. About 18.5% of homes went under contract within seven days in February 2026, and those fast-moving homes were 2.6 times more likely to close above asking price. The median active listing, on the other hand, has been sitting for 56 days.

It's a two-speed market. Well-priced, well-positioned homes are moving quickly. Overpriced ones are sitting, and sellers on those properties are starting to come to the table.

What separates the buyers who move quickly from the ones who keep missing out is almost always preparation. Knowing the difference between a pre-qualification and a fully underwritten pre-approval, understanding which loan program fits your credit situation, and knowing how to structure a strong offer are things most buyers try to figure out in the middle of a transaction, when it's too late to go back.

Home-ometry.com is upgrading. Follow the link in our bio to sign up and be the first to know when our new home search portal launches.