Chuck Barberini Real Estate

Mortgage Rates on Watch After Bond Yields Slide Post-Tariff Announcement Check out This Weeks Newsletter President Trump officially made his tariff announcement yesterday, placing a 10% blanket tax on all foreign imports, plus a 25% tariff on cars and a sliding scale for individual countries. In a Rose Garden speech, he called it a “declaration of economic independence.” What followed? Stocks dipped. Bond yields fell. While tariffs typically stir inflation concerns, the housing market will want to pay close attention to the 10-year Treasury Yield. Yesterday, it dropped from 4.23% to 4.11%. Today, it has dipped even further (4.062% at the time of this posting). First the Bonds, Then Mortgage Rates When the 10-year yield drops, mortgage rates tend to follow. After yesterday’s decline, HousingWire’s Logan Mohtashami wrote: “Since we believe in the close relationship between the 10-year yield and mortgage rates, we expect mortgage rates to decrease (today) if bond yields continue to declin...

  “Just Thinking” A little this and that for todays “Just Thinking” Family and Legacy and a new chapter. Our family has grown. Last night, we joyfully welcomed Bella Blaze Barberini into the world. Arriving five weeks early, this tiny peanut simply couldn’t wait to meet us. Though she made an early entrance, Bella is healthy and doing well. She'll be spending the next couple of weeks in the NICU so that the medical team can keep a close eye on her and ensure everything continues to go smoothly. Karissa is recovering beautifully and is in great spirits. And Charlie? He’s absolutely over the moon. As I reflect on this moment, I’m reminded once again that family and legacy are what matter most. We’re feeling incredibly blessed today. On This Day in 1970, Apollo 13 launched NASA’s third mission to the Moon with  astronauts James Lovell, John Swigert, and Fred Haise. But just two days into the journey, an oxygen tank exploded, crippling the spacecraft and turning the mission into a...

  “Just Thinking” Since the Giants are playing their home opener today, I thought that I would put together something with a Giants flair. I follow the Giants beat writer Maria Guardado, she wrote this week about the fact that it has been 25 years since Oracle Park opened its doors and became the new home for the Giants.  Oracle Park has had four different names since its opening in 2000; Pacific Bell Park (2000–2003), SBC Park (2004–2005), AT&T Park (2006–2018) and now Oracle Park (2019–present). The ballpark has witnessed its share of history, including three World Series title runs, three no-hitters and several performances for the record books.  The following are Guardado’s top 10 moments at Pack Bell, SBC, AT&T Oracle Park: 1. Aug. 7, 2007: Barry Bonds crowned the Home Run King, by hitting his 765 th  home run, breaking Hank Aarons 33-year-old record. I was fortunate to be at this game with my boys, sitting in Roc’s Club level seats behind home plate, wh...

  More homes are finally hitting the spring market. Will buyers take the plunge? It's springtime, and "For Sale" signs are popping up in front of homes across the country. But with so much uncertainty in the economy, it's an open question whether the spring housing market will be hot … or not. Let's check out the forecast. Mortgage rates and home prices are both high It's certainly not the cheapest time to buy a home. The average 30-year mortgage rate is now 6.65%, down a bit from January, but still pretty high. Many analysts predict that mortgage rates will linger around this level for now, especially since the Federal Reserve has indicated it's unlikely to cut interest rates until later this year. Selma Hepp, chief economist at real estate analysis firm Cotality, says market volatility  could  bring down mortgage rates. That's because mortgages typically follow the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds, which are affected by investors' worries about th...

  “Just Thinking” Well, beat the drum and hold the phone the sun came out today we’re born again, there’s new grass on the field. The 2025 Giants took the field yesterday in Cincinnati to open the new season with an exciting come from behind 6-4 victory that featured some exciting 9 th  inning heroics. It’s the first time that Giants won on opening day when trailing through 8 innings since they beat the Mets back on April 10, 1968. Speaking of San Francisco, I watched Bullitt again, but having not seen it in such along time it felt like I watched it for the first time. Bullitt is remembered for its heart pounding car chase through the streets of San Francisco, but it was much more, it was a gritty action thriller that rewrote the rules of the genre with Steve McQueen at its fast-paced core.  The movie came out in 1968 with Steve “The Cooler King” McQueen at the height of his career. McQueen plays a hard as steel police lieutenant Frank Billett, who is charged with protect...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter NAR economists weigh in on home sales and mortgage rates—and how the election results, the economy and changing buyer demographics could impact your real estate business in the year ahead. The last two years have been tough for many people who work in home sales or who were in the market to buy or sell, but the worst may be over, Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of REALTORS®, told a crowd of real estate professionals during NAR NXT, The REALTOR® Experience, in Boston on Friday. Yun released a rosier forecast for the housing market for 2025 and 2026, with an outlook for higher home sales and moderating mortgage rates. Also speaking at Friday’s Residential Economic Issues and Trends Forum, NAR’s Deputy Chief Economist Jessica Lautz shared new NAR data that looked at who’s buying homes today. The data shows growth in all-cash buyers, multigenerational purchases and single buyers. On the selling side, homeowners are feeling ric...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter For nearly half of Americans, home is more than just a place to live—it’s a sanctuary, a workspace, and an investment in their future. According to new research from Fannie Mae, 44% of consumers say their home has grown more important in recent years, compared to just 10% who say it has become less important. And it’s not just about finances—security, location, and lifestyle upgrades are now major driving forces behind homeownership demand. This shift in consumer sentiment is reshaping the market, influencing buying decisions, and pushing inventory pressures even further. Here’s what the latest research reveals about why homes have taken on new importance—and what it means for real estate agents and homebuyers moving forward. Why Home Matters More Than Ever With housing affordability at historic lows, many homeowners recognize they couldn’t afford their current home in today’s market—making them value what they already have even more. The top reaso...

  “Just Thinking” It’s hard to believe, but this week marks the 5 th  anniversary "15 Days to Slow the Spread" initiative, The two weeks turned into two plus years, and it seems so surreal, five years ago our way of life was turned on its head and our lives were changed forever. The lockdowns, that started in March of 2020 varied widely by region and triggered some seismic shifts in daily life, work, and society. Here are some of the most notable changes, based on how they reshaped things at the time and lingered afterward: One of the biggest and most impactful changes was school closures, schools went to virtual teaching with little time to prep. Teachers turned into Zoom wranglers, while kids stared at screens instead of blackboards relying on parents to became co-educators. Studies show that the learning loss was brutal with reading and math scores dropping significantly. The two years of virtual school had a huge impact on the social development of the students. The mass ...

 "Just Thinking" March 14th (3/14) is celebrated as  Pi Day , honoring the mathematical constant π (3.14159...), often marked by math-related activities and, of course, eating pie! It was during this week in 1894 that Coca-Cola began selling its drink in square glass bottles, initially available only in Mississippi. Before this, Coke, like beer, it was only served on tap. There are many notable birthdays on this day in history; Albert Einstein (1879) – the most influential physicists of all time. Billy Crystal (1948) – Comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Michael Caine (1933) – famous British actor. Quincy Jones (1933) – Music producer, composer, and arranger. Stephen Curry (1988) –Golden State Warriors Superstar. Yesterday I performed my yearly pilgrimage to the tax man. The anxiety starts kicking in the week before as I gather all my forms and start working on receipts and organizing all of the necessary paperwork. Again, I promise myself that I will spend an hour or so each...

  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter The decision to sell a home is rarely just about dollars and cents — and in 2025, the fear factor is more real than ever. According to new data from Clever Real Estate, 91% of homeowners admit they’re delaying selling due to at least one major concern. From sky-high mortgage rates to the sheer headache of packing, sellers are putting off moves — even if they want (or need) to make a change. If you’re a listing agent trying to bring hesitant clients off the fence, priority number one is understanding exactly what is holding your sellers back.  Read on for the top 10 possible reasons.  #1. Mortgage Rate Paralysis This one’s no surprise. Over 60% of homeowners with mortgages have rates below 4%, thanks to the unicorn years of 2020 and 2021.  Compare that to today’s rates hovering closer to 6.75%, and the math just doesn’t math. Why swap a low monthly payment for a much higher one? For many sellers, the fear of trading a dream rate for a...