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The Fed Just Raised Rates for the First Time in 3 Years. What Happens to Mortgage Rates Now?

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The Federal Reserve raised rates for the first time since 2023 during the September FOMC meeting. Here’s what the latest Fed hike means for mortgage rates, housing and buyers. The Fed just raised rates for the first time since 2023 At its September 16 meeting, the Federal Reserve unanimously voted to hike its benchmark rate by 25 basis points, bringing the target range to 3.75%–4%. For housing, the timing matters. Mortgage rates were already moving higher heading into the meeting, with the average 30-year fixed now above 7%. And while a Fed hike doesn’t automatically push mortgage rates higher, the message from Chair Kevin Warsh was that inflation is still the problem the Fed is focused on solving. Here’s what the decision means for housing, mortgage rates and what comes next. What the Fed Said About the Rate Hike The Fed’s policy statement ran three short paragraphs, and the third was devoted entirely to inflation: “Inflation remains elevated. Today’s policy action will support a time...
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Rollerball, Rivalries, and Football Today

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“Just Thinking" I found myself thinking about football this week. The NFL has wrapped up Week One, college football is in full swing, and high school football has once again turned on the Friday night lights. One thing that cannot be denied is that, even though practices begin in the heat of summer, football has always been the first true sign that fall is on its way. These days, Halloween decorations and candy start appearing in stores before August is over, and the Spirit Halloween stores have popped up in a shopping center near you. Like it or not, the slow march toward the end of the year has begun, and it began with kick off of the Patriots vs Seahawks game last Wednesday night. From there, it’s a straight run into the fourth quarter of 2026, bringing with it Halloween, the end of Daylight-Saving Time, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the welcoming in of the New Year. But before I launch into a full-blown rant about how quickly the year seems to be slipping away, I wanted to shar...
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Location: 649 Main St, Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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Selling This Fall? You Want To Get These 4 Things Right

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  Selling your house this fall is absolutely doable. But there’s something you need to know about this time of year.  Buyer activity typically starts to slow while the number of homes for sale climb – and you need the right strategy to get attention in this type of market. The good news? There’s a lot you can control. From how you price and present your house to how you negotiate and respond to feedback. Here are four things you’ll want to get right this fall.  #1: Price To Get Buyers’ Attention In the fall, there are typically fewer buyers looking and more homes for them to choose from. So, you want to make the most of every buyer who comes across your house. And your price is one of the first things that can make them stop and take a closer look – or keep scrolling.  That’s why this isn’t the time to start high “just to see what happens.” If buyers think your house is overpriced, they have plenty of other options to move on to. And that could leave you sitting and ...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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The Best Time To Buy a Home in 2026 Is Almost Here

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Want to buy a house this year, but not sure if the timing’s right? Seasonally, it may actually be a better time to buy than you expect. Yes, mortgage rates have been ticking up lately – and that’s creating some real challenges with affordability. No one’s arguing that. But there are also predictable trends that happen this time every year that can put some wind back in your sails. According to research coming out of Realtor.com , nationally, the week of September 27 – October 3 will be the best time to buy this year for this very reason: “ The week of September 27–October 3 brings together the market conditions buyers value most —elevated inventory, less competition and prices that have eased from their seasonal high— giving prepared buyers a way to offset high rates with savings on price and room to negotiate with confidence ." But that’s the national best week. Depending on where you live, your local sweet spot may come a little earlier or later ( see map below ): It all depend...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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Never Forget 9/11 & Visiting the Dentist

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“Just Thinking" I was at the dentist yesterday, and it was a bit of a milestone. He is my new dentist, the first new one I've had in probably 15 years. Come to think of it, I believe he's only the fourth dentist I've ever had. When we were kids, we went to Dr. Johnson. He was a mean old bastard who used to yell at my sisters when they cried. After that, I moved on to Dr. Krammer in San Bruno. He had a great office, and I stayed with him for years, even after I moved to the East Bay. Eventually, I bounced around a bit before landing with Dr. Steve, a great guy whose office was in a beautiful old Victorian in Pacheco. Unfortunately, the building burned down earlier this year, forcing him to close the practice. That led me to my newest dentist. Uncle Abe referred me to Dr. Connor, who seems like someone I'll be able to stick with for quite a while. As it turns out, he's a young guy that graduated from Alhambra High School a year ahead of Chris and Kylee. While sit...
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East Bay buyers gain negotiating power

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Check Out This Weeks Newsletter Homes are selling at a steady pace, but buyers have more time and choices Home sales remained steady in July across the East Bay, but buyers have more time to make decisions, more homes to choose from and, in some parts of the market, more room to negotiate than they did during the pandemic housing boom. House hunters in the East Bay are finding a much different market than they would have encountered a few years ago. Homes are taking longer to sell, bidding wars are less common, and buyers generally have more breathing room before making an offer. In July, the typical home sold in 42 days, compared with 37 days during the market frenzy of July 2021. Sellers also received about 101.5% of their asking price on average, down from nearly 110% during the summer of 2021. That does not mean demand has disappeared. A total of 1,811 homes sold in July, almost identical to the 1,831 sold a year earlier. But today's buyers are competing in a market that looks ...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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Data Centers Are Moving Closer to Homes. What Does That Mean for You?

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Data centers probably weren't on your list of things to think about when buying or selling a home. School districts? Sure. How close you are to family? Absolutely. A large building full of computer servers down the road? Probably not. But that may be changing. Data centers are popping up in more communities across the country. And as they do, buyers and homeowners are starting to wonder what having one nearby could mean for everything from home values to utility bills. So, let's get into what the data actually says. Because there's a lot more nuance here than if they’re “good” or “bad.” Data Centers Are Showing Up in a Lot More ZIP Codes According to Realtor.com, back in 2015, only about a dozen ZIP codes had a large data center. But by the first half of 2026, that number had climbed to more than 100 – and it's projected to rise even further by the end of the year ( see graph below ): That's a pretty dramatic increase in just over a decade. HousingWire shows a lot ...
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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