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| @THECLTMORTGAGEGUY |
CHARLOTTE, NC |
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| THE WEEKLY WRAP |
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| RATES · MARKET INTEL · WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU |
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| VOL 1 · ISSUE 24 |
FRIDAY · SEP 18 2026 |
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01 What to tell buyers | 02 Rates & next steps | 03 Tuesday live call
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| 01 · THE BIG STORY |
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| What to Tell Buyers After the Fed Hike |
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| Welcome back. Your phone is probably lighting up with the same question: “Did the Fed just make my rate worse?” Here is the simple answer you can use. The Fed raised the short-term bank rate on Wednesday. Your buyer’s mortgage rate follows a different market, and that market had already moved higher before the announcement. So the headline is new. The payment math mostly is not. When that question comes up, you do not have to carry the rate conversation alone. Send them to me. I will walk them through the numbers in plain English and keep you in the loop. |
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| Your job this week is calm and clear. Help buyers plan around the payment they can afford today, not a big drop that may not show up soon. If they are shopping seriously or under contract, introduce them to me as their lender and we will map timing together. Waiting for rates to “go back to normal” is a hope, not a plan. On Tuesday at noon we will unpack the Fed decision the useful way for agents: how it hits short-term, medium-term, and long-term mortgage rates, how to plan with clients in this market, and how to handle the objections and questions you are hearing right now. Bring your real conversations, and bring the clients who need a steady rate partner. |
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| 02 · MARKET UPDATE |
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| The Fed Hiked. Mortgage Rates Did Not Get Cheaper. |
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| Wednesday’s Fed move was widely expected. What a lot of buyers hoped for next, cheaper mortgages, did not show up. National 30-year averages moved higher again. Here is what that means for your conversations this week. |
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30-YR FIXED
6.95%
↑ FROM 6.76%
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DIRECTION
↑ Up
HIGHER FOR LONGER
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THE CATALYST
Fed Hike
INFLATION STILL TOO HIGH
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| FREDDIE MAC WEEKLY AVERAGE · SEP 17 2026 · NATIONAL SURVEY, NOT A RATE COMPANY QUOTE |
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| What happened: the Fed raised its short-term rate by a quarter point, and every voting member agreed. Chair Kevin Warsh said inflation is still too high and left the door open to more hikes if needed. Translation for your buyers: the Fed is not rushing to make borrowing cheaper. |
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| What matters for home loans: mortgage rates do not move one-for-one with the Fed. They follow longer-term market rates, and those stayed high. Think of it like this. The Fed sets the overnight bank rate. Your buyer’s 30-year payment follows a different path, and that path had already moved up before Wednesday. Freddie Mac’s national survey average for the 30-year fixed is 6.95% this week, up from 6.76% last week. That is a national average for context, not the exact quote I will give a specific buyer once we run their scenario. |
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| How to coach the conversation: if a buyer is waiting for rates to fall hard after the Fed meeting, reset that expectation. The meeting was expected, and mortgage rates did not get a break. Keep the focus on payment comfort, timelines, and getting them connected to a lender who will answer the hard questions with them. That is the seat I sit in for your clients. Text or email me an intro, or have them book at linktr.ee/thecltmortgageguy, and I will take the rate deep-dive so you can stay focused on the house. If they are under contract or close to choosing a home, loop me in early and we will talk lock timing together. Floating is a choice, not a plan. |
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Bottom line for agents: lead with payment reality, not Fed headlines. When rate talk gets sticky, send the client to me. I will handle the mortgage side and keep you in the loop so the deal keeps moving. |
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TUESDAY LIVE
Fed Decision Decoded: Short, Medium, and Long-Term Mortgage Rates
If your clients are confused about what Wednesday’s Fed hike means for their mortgage, this call is for you. We will break down how the Fed decision flows into short-term, medium-term, and long-term mortgage rates, then cover how to plan with buyers and sellers in a higher-for-longer market. We will also work through the real objections and questions you are getting: where rates are now, where they might be headed, and what to do when a client wants to wait. Jump on so you leave with clearer answers, and so you know exactly when to put me in front of your client as their lender.
TUESDAY · 12:00 PM ET · drop in, no booking needed
Have a topic for a future call? Just reply to this email. I read every one.
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| Ian Smith · VP of Lending, Rate |
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| [email protected] · linktr.ee/thecltmortgageguy · @thecltmortgageguy |
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| Ian Smith, NMLS #1465241 · Equal Housing Lender / © 2026 Guaranteed Rate, Inc. D/B/A Rate · NMLS ID 2611 / Rates shown are illustrative, subject to change, and are not a commitment to lend. |
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