Market Updates
What factors are affecting the market right now, published every week by licensed Texas Brokers.
Mortgage rates follow inflation, and track the 10-year Treasury yield closely, when Treasury yields rise, mortgage rates typically follow. When we track markets and advise clients, it matters that we’re analyzing the data that actually drives pricing rather than the headline everyone else is watching.
Rates shown are industry averages, not quotes from J. Charles Lending. Our rates tend to run slightly below average. This is not a commitment to lend.
You Hire a Loan Officer, Not a Logo: 4 Questions to Ask Before You Choose a Lender
Why We’re Talking About This: The CrossCountry Story Industry news recently reported that CrossCountry Mortgage, one of the largest lenders in the country, sent…
PUBLISHED NOV 2026 ANALYSISA Hotter CPI Gives Back the Post-Election Rally, Why We’re Not Panicking
Key Takeaways Where We’ve Been: A Month of Improvement This is our first full market and mortgage rate update since the election, and it’s…
PUBLISHED NOV 2026 ANALYSISWhy Treasury Yields Have Fallen Since October, and What It Means for Mortgage Rates
The short version: The 10-year Treasury yield peaked near 5.3% (about 5.28%) on October 5 and now sits around 4.85%, a drop of roughly…
PUBLISHED NOV 2026 COMPARISONWho Should Be Buying a Home in Texas Right Now?
Texas is still a buyer’s market, and that makes right now a real opportunity for the right buyers. We aren’t back where we want…
PUBLISHED OCT 2026 ANALYSISA New Private Listing Site – Benefits and Potential Fallout
Four of the largest real estate companies in the country announced Open Real Estate, a shared listing platform that any brokerage can join for free.…
PUBLISHED OCT 2026 EXPLAINERHow Would Mortgage Rates Get Down to 5%?
Potential home buyers are obviously waiting for rates to come down, given the very low number of mortgage applications. Now we know that there…
UPDATED OCT 2026 EXPLAINERA Guide to Pre Qualify Yourself
If you are just starting out on your home buying journey, one of the first questions you should get answered is, Am I even…
UPDATED OCT 2026 ANALYSISThe Factors Needed for Rates to Drop
Last week we put together a Pre-Election game plan for home buyers. Over the weekend HousingWire’s Logan Mohtashami posted an article titled “Can Mortgage…
PUBLISHED OCT 2026 ANALYSISPre-Election Home Buying Game Plan: A How-To for Buyers and Realtors
Buyers can lock in today’s purchase price and still keep a shot at a lower rate if rates fall after Election Day on November…
PUBLISHED OCT 2026 ANALYSISInflation Came in Hot, But Mortgage Rates Fell: What It Means for Buyers
Inflation came in hotter than expected this week, and mortgage rates went down anyway. Average rates are roughly a quarter point lower than they…
PUBLISHED OCT 2026 ANALYSISWhy Mortgage Rates Rose After the Fed’s September Rate Hike
Key takeaways What happened after the September rate hike? The last two weeks have not been kind to the Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) and…
UPDATED OCT 2026 EXPLAINERThis Isn’t the 2021 Market: Why Today’s Buyers Have the Advantage
Short answer In 2021, low rates came with brutal competition: over-asking offers, no seller help, and buyers paying their own closing costs. Today the…
UPDATED OCT 2026 ANALYSISThe Fed Raised Rates. Here’s What It Means for Mortgage Rates
Market Update · September 25, 2026 By Charlie Braden, Broker/Owner, J. Charles Lending (NMLS #1283114) · Licensed TREC continuing-education instructor, Mortgage Markets Class The…
PUBLISHED SEP 2026 ANALYSISFed Hikes a Quarter Point – Here’s Why We Think It’s Actually Good News for Mortgage Rates
Fed Day happened yesterday, and the committee raised the federal funds rate a quarter point. Our honest first reaction: the data didn’t obviously call…
UPDATED OCT 2026 EXPLAINERFed Decision Day: Why Tomorrow’s Rate Move Matters Less Than You Think
Tomorrow marks the end of this month’s Fed meeting, and the market is laser-focused on one number. But before you brace for a mortgage…
UPDATED OCT 2026 ANALYSISYesterday’s Panic Subsides After CPI
PPI spooked markets, CPI calmed them, here’s what both reports mean for next week’s Fed decision and where mortgage rates go from here. These…
UPDATED OCT 2026 ANALYSISVantageScore vs. FICO: What the New GSE Policy Means for Your Mortgage
On September 3, 2026, FHFA Director Bill Pulte directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to approve every lender to use VantageScore, ending a limited…
UPDATED OCT 2026 ANALYSISAugust PPI and CPI Releases: What to Expect Thursday and Friday
The August Producer Price Index (PPI) is released tomorrow and could give us a preview of what to expect Friday when the August Consumer…
UPDATED OCT 2026 ANALYSISJobs Outperform – Dissecting the Numbers and What That Means for You
The raw numbers: Employment increased by 162,000 in August, well above the forecasted 56,000. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, and the labor…
PUBLISHED SEP 2026 EXPLAINERIs the Economy Actually as Bad as People Think? A Data-Driven Look
“I’m worried about the economy” is one of the most common objections we hear from prospective buyers right now and it’s completely understandable. But…
PUBLISHED SEP 2026