30-Year Mortgage Rate (Freddie Mac PMMS)

6.52% ↑ 4 bps

Daily rate now (MND)

6.66% flat through the week

What that means on a $400K loan (P&I)

~$2,534/mo ↓ ~$85/mo vs. a year ago ($1,018/yr)

10-Year Treasury (CNBC)

4.52% eased on Wednesday's CPI

Existing home sales (NAR, May release)

5-month high ↑ 3.2% MoM and YoY, median price all-time high $429,300

🚨 Next big rate mover: FOMC + Warsh's first press conference — Wednesday June 17 at 2:00 PM ET

Markets expect HOLD at 3.50-3.75%. The story is the dot plot and Warsh's tone in his first FOMC as chair. Markets closed Friday June 19 for Juneteenth.

Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), week ending 6/11/2026. Daily rate from Mortgage News Daily. Treasury yield data from CNBC. Existing home sales data from the National Association of REALTORS® Existing-Home Sales report, May 2026. Rates shown are national averages for a conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and do not represent a personal rate quote or offer to lend. Payment example assumes a $400,000 loan amount, 30-year fixed term, 20% down payment, and does not include taxes, insurance, or PMI. Your actual rate, payment, and costs may vary based on your financial profile. Rate ≠ APR. Not all applicants will qualify.

"Stronger employment momentum has helped existing home sales reach a five-month high. Importantly, we're seeing homebuyers look past the short-term rate fluctuations and actively enter the market, signaling renewed confidence in homeownership opportunities."

What to Say to a Buyer (acknowledge-reframe)

"[Name], I hear you on wanting to wait until things feel calmer. The reality is that the buyers who closed in May didn't wait. Existing home sales just hit the highest level we've seen since December, even with everything in the news. The people writing those contracts decided their plan mattered more than the news cycle. That doesn't mean you should rush. It means you should know that waiting may not get you the better deal you're picturing. Can we get on the phone over the weekend so I can show you what your specific numbers actually look like right now?"

What to Say to a Seller (story-connect)

"[Name], I just got the May numbers from NAR. The median sale price for homes that closed last month hit an all-time high. $429,300. Not the listing price. The closing price. And total sales were up over 3% year over year. The market everyone keeps saying is dead actually had its strongest month since December. Now the catch. Those record numbers belong to the homes that were priced right and prepped to look like the best house in the neighborhood. The ones that overshot are sitting. I want to walk through your place and show you exactly how I'd position it to be in that top group. When works this week?"

[name], one for you. Existing home sales just hit a 5-month high. Buyers are out here closing deals while everyone else assumes the market is stuck. Fed meets Wednesday so let's talk before then. Saturday or Sunday call?

[name], your pre-approval is probably 60+ days old at this point. Rates have moved. Worth a 10-min call this weekend to refresh the numbers so you're working with what's actually true today? No pressure either way.

[name], heads up. May median home price set an all-time record at $429,300. Sales hit a 5-month high. The homes positioned right are getting record prices. Want me to walk through and tell you what yours would actually do this summer?

[name], Fed meets Wednesday and rates could move either way after Warsh speaks. If a move or a refi has been on your mind, this is the week to know where you actually stand. Quick equity check this weekend, no strings?

Beat 1: Set the expectation calmly.

"Fed announcement is Wednesday afternoon. Markets expect them to hold rates steady, so the daily mortgage rate probably doesn't move much off the news itself. The thing that could move it is what the new Fed chair says in his press conference at 2:30. Just wanted you to know so the headlines this week don't catch you off guard."

Beat 2: Pre-commit them to action.

"If anything good happens with rates after Wednesday's announcement, do you want me to text you the same day so we can move fast? If anything bad happens, do you want a call to talk through your options?" The answer is almost always yes to both. You just got pre-authorized to be the person they listen to when the news hits.

Beat 3: Remind them where they stand.

Most buyers cannot remember their own pre-approval numbers 60 days into a search. Tell them. "Here's where you stand right now. Pre-approved at X. Payment at the kind of house you're looking at is Y. The list of things still in your range looks like Z." Three sentences. That's the value. You become the calm voice in their inbox the day the Fed prints. Everyone else is forwarding headlines.

Something happened in the housing market last month that the news barely covered.

Home sales just hit their highest level since December.

The median sale price hit an all-time record at $429,300.

Buyers are out there closing deals while everyone else is still waiting for the perfect moment. The people writing those contracts decided their life plan mattered more than the news cycle.

If you've been waiting on the sidelines because every article you read says it's a bad time, the actual data tells a different story. Message me. I'll tell you what's true for your specific situation, not what the news is saying.

Market Update — June 12, 2026

Two real updates this week that didn't get the attention they deserved. First, existing home sales hit their highest level since December. The National Association of Realtors reported sales up 3.2% from a year ago, and the median sale price set an all-time record at $429,300. The buyers who decided to move ahead are closing.

Second, the labor market came in stronger than expected. The May jobs report showed employers added 172,000 jobs, more than double the forecast, and earlier months were revised higher. Compared to a year ago, the typical buyer on a $400K loan is paying about $85 less per month, which adds up to roughly $1,000 a year that stays in your pocket.

The Federal Reserve meets Wednesday and is widely expected to hold interest rates steady. The bigger thing to watch is the tone from the new Fed chair in his first press conference. Either way, your specific situation is what matters most, not the headlines.

If you want a real look at whether the math works for you right now, hit reply. I'll connect you with my team to walk through the numbers.

This is a general market overview based on national averages from the Freddie Mac PMMS® for the week ending 6/11/2026 and the NAR May 2026 Existing-Home Sales report. Not an offer to lend. Your actual rate and payment will depend on your individual financial profile. Cole Brantley, NMLS# 1905939. Mpire Financial, NMLS# 2108504. Equal Housing Lender.

🍽 Next Lunch & Leads

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Thursday, June 18 at 12 PM ET. We go deeper. Listing descriptions that sell. Marketing copy that gets opened. Photo direction prompts. Bring lunch. Free to join.

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This week's question

"The median U.S. home sale price hit an all-time record in May. What was the dollar figure?"

Text the answer to

(813) 579-8812

First 5 correct answers before 12:00 PM ET today win. One entry per agent.

1. Text me the intro

Three-way text works best: "Cole, this is [client]. They're looking at a [purchase/refi]. Can you take it from here?"

2. I reach out within an hour

Same-day call or text. No phone tag. No long forms before they hear from a human.

3. Free 15-minute consult

No commitment. They get real numbers, real options, and a clear next step. You get a buyer who's actually qualified.

4. You stay in the loop

Updates at every milestone. Pre-approval, contract, appraisal, clear-to-close. You never have to chase the file.

🧠 Weird Stat of the Week

Economists forecast the May jobs report would show 80,000 new jobs. The actual number was 172,000. That is one of the biggest beats versus consensus in two years. The people whose job is to predict the labor market missed by more than 100%. Yet most of your buyers are still operating on the assumption that the economy is falling apart. Headlines lag reality. Your job is to close the gap.