30-Year Mortgage Rate (Freddie Mac PMMS)

6.69% peak of 2026 (week ending 8/6)

Daily rate this week (MND)

~6.58% 3-week lows after CPI matched

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

~$2,549/mo $29/mo cheaper than at last week's peak

10-Year Treasury (CNBC)

4.65% easing on soft jobs + in-line CPI

July existing home sales median price (NAR)

$434,100 record for July, +2.0% YoY, 37 straight months of gains

🚨 Next big rate mover: Jackson Hole Aug 27-29

Warsh's speech is now THE event since the Fed removed forward guidance. Between now and then: FOMC July minutes on 8/20, PCE inflation on 8/26. CME FedWatch now pricing 64% chance of September hold (up from 52% before Wednesday's CPI print). September FOMC decision on 9/16.

Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), week ending 8/6/2026. Daily rate from Mortgage News Daily and Zillow. Treasury yield data from CNBC. Home price data from the National Association of REALTORS® July 2026 Existing-Home Sales Report, released 8/11/2026. 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.

Call: Friend or acquaintance who told you earlier this year they felt priced out (SOI/community)

"Hey [name], you crossed my mind this week. I'm seeing a pattern with folks in my sphere who told me back in the spring they felt priced out. The market has moved in ways that make some of those conversations worth reopening. Not saying anything has magically changed, but a couple of the numbers you were watching moved this week. Would you be open to grabbing a coffee this weekend so I can walk you through what your actual picture would look like today? No pressure, just the honest read from someone who knows your situation."

Call: Homeowner who paused a fall listing because they thought rates were killing demand (story-connect)

"Hey [name], I know back in June you told me you wanted to list this fall but were worried rates were pushing buyers out. I want to update you honestly. Sales in July came in a hair below June but the median price hit an all-time record for the month, meaning the buyers who are shopping are still writing offers. And this week rates actually eased for the first time in over a month. What I'm seeing is that priced-right listings in your zip code are still moving in about 30 days. The buyer pool is smaller, but they are serious. If a fall listing still fits your life, we should sit down and pick the number this week. Coffee Saturday morning?"

[name], quick update. You told me a while back you wanted to wait for rates to come down before making a move. They just eased for the first time in over a month. Not a huge drop, but a real one. Worth a 20-minute check-in this weekend so you can decide with fresh numbers instead of guessing?

Hey [name], the affordability picture actually improved a little this week even with prices at records. Sounds like a paradox but the numbers back it up. If you have been running the "should I buy this year or next" question in your head, worth 20 minutes so I can pull the real read for your situation. Coffee this month?

Hey [name], just wanted to send you a straight update. Home prices hit another record last month and it is officially the 37th straight month of gains. Your place has never been worth more. If you ever want the real number for it, no pressure to do anything with it, I can pull the comps for you this weekend. Just say the word.

Hey [name], if a fall listing has been in the back of your mind, this week is a good week to have the conversation. Rates eased. Buyers who paused are starting to reengage. Priced-right listings in your area are still selling in about a month. Worth a coffee to walk through the real numbers?

Group 1: Every buyer who told you "when rates come down, I'll buy."

What just happened: Their condition triggered, at least a little. Rates eased 10 to 15 basis points this week after the soft jobs report and in-line CPI. Not a crash. Not a savior. But it is the first meaningful break in six weeks and the market is now pricing in the Fed holding through September.

What to say: "You told me you were waiting for rates to break. They just did, a little. Not enough to change everything. But enough that we should stop guessing and look at your real numbers this weekend."

Group 2: Every buyer with a pre-approval that expired 60+ days ago.

Why they matter now: Rates moved. Their job situation may have moved. Their credit may have cycled. Their pre-approval is stale, which means they are basically off the field. A refresh takes me 15 minutes on the phone. Puts them back in the game with a real, current number instead of a summer guess.

What to say: "Your pre-approval is a couple months old and a lot has moved. I want to refresh it this week so you know exactly what you qualify for today. No pressure to shop, just the current number."

Group 3: Every seller who paused a listing thinking "the market killed demand."

The honest picture: Sales dipped 1.7 percent last month but the median price hit an all-time record for July and marked the 37th straight month of year-over-year price gains. Buyers are not gone. They are just choosier. Priced-right listings in most markets are moving in around a month. The pause was never "no demand." It was "no urgency." Rates easing plus a fall window opening changes that.

What to say: "You paused because you thought demand died. It did not, it just got picky. Priced-right listings in your zip are still selling. Let's pick your number this weekend so you can catch the fall buyer pool."

If you have been waiting for a sign that the housing market was going to give you a break, this week was the closest thing you have gotten in months.

Rates eased. Not a crash. Not a savior. Just enough of a step down to let the buyers who paused this summer take another honest look at their real numbers. Meanwhile home prices hit ANOTHER record last month, which is the 37th straight month prices have gone up year over year. That combination means the buyers who commit right now are still buying into an asset that has appreciated every single month for over three years.

Not saying rush. Not saying wait. Saying: check your real numbers instead of guessing based on the news.

Text me. 20 minutes. My lender pulls the current math for your specific situation. You leave the conversation knowing exactly where you stand. Both a "let's go" and a "not yet" are wins.

Market Note — August 15, 2026

Quick note if you own a home or have been thinking about buying one. The story shifted this week and here is the plain read.

Rates eased for the first time in over a month. Not a big move. Just enough to signal that the peak we have been climbing since June may be behind us. The Fed is now expected to hold rates steady at their September meeting instead of raising them again, which is a real shift from where things stood two weeks ago.

Home prices hit another record. The median existing home sold for $434,100 last month, an all-time record for July and the 37th consecutive month prices have gone up year over year. Sales cooled a bit but the affordability picture actually improved compared to a year ago because wages have grown.

The job market showed real weakness. The economy actually lost 23,000 jobs in July after two months of downward revisions. This is what convinced the bond market that the Fed will not raise rates again this year. It is also the kind of number that can change your financial situation without you seeing it coming, which is why it is worth a real conversation.

Whether you are thinking about buying, thinking about selling, wondering what your home is worth right now, or wondering if it is time to refresh a pre-approval that has been sitting for a few months, hit reply. My team can pull real numbers for your specific situation in about 20 minutes. Not a sales call. Just the honest picture.

Better to make a real decision with real information than a good guess based on the news.

This is a general market overview based on national averages from the Freddie Mac PMMS® week ending 8/6/2026, the National Association of REALTORS® July 2026 Existing-Home Sales Report (released 8/11/2026), the BLS Employment Situation for July 2026 (released 8/8/2026), and the BLS Consumer Price Index for July 2026 (released 8/12/2026). Not an offer to lend and not a personal home valuation. Cole Brantley, NMLS# 1905939. Mpire Financial, NMLS# 2108504. Equal Housing Lender.

🍽 Next Lunch & Leads

Voice-First Content: Turning Deals Into a Weekly Social Machine

Thursday, August 27 at 12 PM ET. Live walkthrough of the Story Dump workflow above plus 2 or 3 other voice-first AI tools you can set up in 15 minutes. Bring lunch. Free to join.

Grab Your Seat →

This week's question

"How many jobs did the U.S. economy add in July? (Watch for a trick answer.)"

Text the answer to

(813) 579-8812

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

1. Reach out to me first

Text, email, or call me with the client's info and any notes about their situation. More context up front means better first conversation.

2. Introduce us in a 3-way text

Example: "Hey [name], this is Cole Brantley, the mortgage broker I told you about. He's going to reach out to set up a time to talk through your options."

3. I take it from there

I reach out 7 times over 4 days with calls and texts to set a consultation. After every conversation, you get a recap of where things stand and what's next.

4. Long-term follow-up (no one gets forgotten)

If the client doesn't respond after the first week, they move to biweekly follow-up from my call center team. No lead dropped. Lower-intent client? Just note it up front and we match whatever cadence you want.

🧠 Weird Stat of the Week

July marked the 37th consecutive month of year-over-year home price gains per NAR. That means every homeowner in your database who bought before July 2023 has spent more than 3 years watching their asset appreciate every single month. The calls you make this weekend to homeowners will land differently when you open with that fact instead of a rate update.