Keller Williams St. Louis Realty - Beth Rogers

09/23/2026

The Latest on Down Payment Assistance

While many would-be buyers still believe that a 20% down payment is mandatory, even more of them are unaware of their state's down payment assistance programs.

For fast access to your state's down payment assistance options, visit the Down Payment Resource web site:

Get the help you need to buy your new home -- From down payment assistance and calculators, understanding mortgages, and housing programs. Achieve your home buying goals.

09/21/2026

Tell the Right Story With AI-Enhanced Listing Photos

When reviewing a new listing's photos, you may notice that the lighting or focus could be improved. Photo editing and AI tools make this fast and easy. However, the results need to accurately represent what potential buyers will see during a walk-through. Adding or altering features with AI even has its own nickname: housefishing.

For example, an agent may use AI to "repair" a damaged wood floor in a listing so that it looks brand-new. But anyone who views the property, expecting to see move-in ready wood floors, will doubt the agent's integrity. Loss of trust during a major financial transaction could result in a lost sale, a negative review and more.

09/18/2026

A Historic Look at Adjustable-Rate Mortgages

Research carried out by Redfin found that, over the last 50 years, many homebuyers would have saved money by choosing an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) instead of a fixed-rate loan. This is because these buyers often had the opportunity to refinance to a fixed-rate mortgage with a lower interest rate before their first rate adjustment.

If you are hesitating to buy because of higher interest rates, I can refer you to trusted lenders, so they can introduce you to one or more ARM products.

09/16/2026

Employment's Up...So Why Do Economists Expect a Rate Hike?

We all know that when unemployment rises, this is considered bad news for our economy as well as job seekers. This is why you may be wondering why you're seeing news that suggests that the Federal Reserve is considering increasing interest rates soon, even though more jobs became available last month. Here's why.

While the labor market rebounded in August, with nonfarm payrolls increasing by 162,000 and upward revisions adding 55,000 jobs during June and July, these numbers didn't ease concerns with rising inflation. This is because recent increases in energy and gasoline prices have continued, driven by the Middle East conflict.

09/14/2026

More Fresh Listings Debut for Fall

More homeowners decided to list their homes recently, which resulted in fresh home listings reaching their highest level since August 2022. There were 383,795 new listings appearing during the four-week period ending August 30th, while active listings rose 2.4% year-over-year to about 1.51 million.

On a regional basis, active listings increased 10.5% year-over-year in the Midwest.

09/09/2026

Rates Return to Mid-2025 Levels

After another failed ceasefire in the Iran war, oil prices increased, pushing bond yields and mortgage rates higher.

According to Mortgage News Daily, the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate loan increased by 6 basis points to 6.87% on Monday, August 31st. It's the highest level since June 2025.

09/02/2026

Interest Rates Hit a Three-Week High

Data for the week ending August 21st from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) found that mortgage rates reached their highest level in three weeks, with the 30-year fixed rate up slightly at 6.78%.

The MBA's Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 1.0% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

Joel Kan, CMB, MBA Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist, also observed that applications for new mortgages had slowed during the past two months, with applications 5% behind last year's pace.

08/31/2026

Will the MOVE Act Gain Traction?

A new bill may assist homeowners trapped by "golden handcuffs" — mortgages with low rates that keep them from moving to a new home with a new, higher mortgage rate.

08/09/2026

Stop by my open house from 1-3:00 pm this afternoon!!!
Trivia question ... Who was the famopus St. Louisan who lived in this house?

08/07/2026

New Research Finds Fewer Homeowners Than We Thought

According to recent data released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, only about 53% of adults own homes. This is considerably below the commonly cited 65% homeownership rate.

The main reason for this disparity is that the Census Bureau and the Minneapolis Fed calculate homeownership rates differently.

According to Minneapolis Fed researchers, about 14% of U.S. adults live in owner-occupied homes without owning the property.