Mortgages with Samantha - Certainty Home Lending

09/23/2026

🏡 Mortgage rates are making headlines this week… but don’t let the headline stop you from shopping.

New mortgage data released today showed the average 30-year fixed reached 7.12% in the latest weekly survey. But here’s the important part: mortgage rates move daily, and your actual rate depends on your loan type, credit profile, down payment, points and overall scenario.

Higher rates are also making buyers get more creative. ARM usage increased to 9.8% of applications, as borrowers looked for ways to lower their initial payment.

And ARMs aren’t the only option. Depending on the scenario, we can look at seller-paid rate buydowns, closing-cost credits, different loan programs and other strategies to make the numbers work.

So no—this isn’t me telling you to stop shopping. 😅

Get preapproved. Know your numbers. Shop when you’re ready. And if the market improves while you’re looking, even better.

A headline tells you what the market is doing. Your preapproval tells you what YOU can do. 🏡🔑

Mortgages with Samantha - Certainty Home Lending 📍 Licensed in GA and AL

Samantha Radloff | NMLS: 2697235
Guaranteed Rate, Inc. DBA Certainty Home Lending, NMLS 2611
VP of Mortgage Lending
Direct: (404) 345-5991 (Call/Text)
Office: (706) 534-6521
[email protected]
Branch NMLS: 827864

09/17/2026

Mortgage Market Update 🏡📊

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at what actually moves mortgage rates.

This morning, fewer people filed for unemployment than expected. Normally, that sounds like great news—and for the economy, it can be. But for mortgage rates, strong employment data can actually work against us.

Why? A strong job market gives the Federal Reserve more room to keep interest rates higher while it continues fighting inflation. That can put upward pressure on the bond market, which directly affects mortgage pricing.

There is some good news this morning: oil prices are coming down, which helps ease inflation concerns, and the 10-year Treasury is back below 5% for now.

In simple terms:
Strong jobs = good for the economy, but not always good for mortgage rates.
Lower inflation = generally good for mortgage rates.

This is why mortgage rates can move even when the Fed isn’t making an announcement—and why I watch the bond market and economic data every day for my borrowers. 🏡

Know your numbers now. Decide when to move later.

Mortgages with Samantha - Certainty Home Lending

Samantha Radloff | NMLS: 2697235
Guaranteed Rate, Inc. DBA Certainty Home Lending, NMLS 2611
VP of Mortgage Lending
Direct: (404) 345-5991 (Call/Text)
Office: (706) 534-6521
[email protected]
Branch NMLS: 827864

09/09/2026

09/03/2026

⚠️ Meaningful late-day improvement: Treasuries held onto the post-ADP recovery into the close.

After surging as high as roughly 4.81%–4.82% this morning, the 10-year Treasury finished Wednesday around 4.78%. That means the softer ADP employment report produced a roughly 3–4 bp reversal from the day’s worst levels, rather than the relief disappearing later in the session.

That’s useful for mortgage pricing because today’s move suggests the bond market is at least beginning to respond to evidence of labor-market weakening. However, Brent crude still closed around $95.63, so the inflation pressure that caused this week’s selloff hasn’t gone away.

🟢 Mortgage pricing: Modestly favorable versus this morning. This isn’t enough to call a broader bond-market reversal yet, but closing near 4.78% instead of 4.82% on the 10-year reduces immediate MBS pressure and is a much better setup for Thursday’s rate sheets than today’s early trading suggested.

The bigger test remains Friday’s employment report. A weak payroll number could build on today’s recovery; a strong report could quickly put 4.80%+ back in play.

09/01/2026

Mortgage markets are under pressure this morning as escalating tensions around the Strait of Hormuz push oil prices higher and reignite inflation concerns. MBS are currently down 7 ticks, while the 10-year Treasury is testing year-to-date highs near 4.80%, keeping rate sheets under pressure. Geopolitical risk is arriving at a time when investors were already questioning whether inflation is fully contained.

Adding to the selloff, Treasury yields continue to face a powerful supply headwind. Bloomberg notes the long bond is experiencing its worst stretch since 2006, with 30-year yields recently reaching their highest levels since 2007. Markets are also preparing for roughly $215 billion of corporate bond issuance this month, adding to already elevated Treasury borrowing needs and forcing investors to absorb another wave of fixed income supply.

The combination of higher oil prices, record government deficits, heavy bond issuance, and an important Fed meeting later this month is creating a difficult backdrop for rates. Until the market sees relief on inflation, supply, or geopolitics, Treasury yields appear biased toward the upper end of this year's range, with mortgage rates likely moving higher alongside them.

08/31/2026

🏢 Condo financing guidelines have changed.

If you’re buying or selling a condo in Georgia or Alabama, or you’re a real estate agent helping a client with a condo purchase, it’s more important than ever to get the lender involved EARLY.

Some condo transactions may require additional documentation, condo project review, and longer approval timelines depending on the loan program and property.

The earlier we review the financing AND the condo, the better chance we have of identifying potential issues before they become closing-day problems. 🙌

Have questions about condo financing or condo loan requirements in GA or AL? Let’s connect!

🏡 Mortgages with Samantha - Certainty Home Lending
📍 Licensed Mortgage Loan Originator in Georgia & Alabama

08/28/2026

Well… the Fed basically just said “don’t get too comfortable.” 😂👀

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh spoke at Jackson Hole this morning, and the message was pretty clear:

Inflation is still too high, and another rate hike is NOT off the table.

Markets were hoping for a little reassurance. Instead, Warsh said the Fed still has work to do and could raise rates again if inflation doesn’t continue moving toward their 2% goal.

Naturally, the bond market didn’t love that. 😅

What does this mean for mortgage rates?

For now, it’s not favorable for mortgage pricing. It doesn’t mean the Fed will hike again, and it definitely doesn’t mean mortgage rates automatically jump because the Fed changes its rate.

It DOES mean the upcoming jobs and inflation reports just became even more important.

And this is exactly why I keep saying: don’t try to perfectly time the mortgage market. Rates can change quickly based on one report, one speech, or sometimes one sentence. 😂

Get preapproved. Know your numbers. Be ready when the opportunity makes sense for YOU. 🏡

And yes… I’ll be over here watching the bond market so you don’t have to. 😂📉

Mortgages with Samantha - Certainty Home Lending 📍 Licensed in GA and AL 📍

08/27/2026

📰 🚨 THIS could be a game changer for a lot of future homebuyers.

Fannie Mae is modernizing the way credit is evaluated, adding VantageScore 4.0 as an approved credit scoring model and paving the way for FICO 10T. 🏡

Why does that matter?

These newer models can look at credit differently — including things like on-time rent payments and trended credit data — potentially giving a more complete picture of someone’s actual creditworthiness. (fanniemae.com⁠)

Translation: someone who may not look as strong under the old scoring system could potentially look different under the newer models.

⚠️ This does NOT mean every lender can use VantageScore 4.0 today. Fannie Mae is currently rolling it out to a limited group of approved lenders, (US! 💃🏻) with broader implementation still ahead. (singlefamily.fanniemae.com⁠)

But this is absolutely something to watch.

If credit has been the thing holding you back from buying a home, don’t assume your “no” today will always be a no. 👀

The mortgage world is changing — and this change may open doors for a lot of people. 🔑🏡

Read the Fannie Mae announcement⁠: https://www.fanniemae.com/newsroom/fannie-mae-news/credit-score-updates-advance-modernization

Fannie Mae announced upcoming updates to its Selling Guide to allow for the use of VantageScore® 4.0, effective immediately, and the future use of FICO® Score 10T credit scores for loans delivered to Fannie Mae.