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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 23 |
FRIDAY · SEP 11 2026 |
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01 25 years since 9/11 | 02 Rates swing, limits rise | 03 Tuesday live call
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| 01 · THE BIG STORY |
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| Twenty Five Years On, We Remember Those Who Were Lost on 9/11/01 |
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| Twenty five years ago, I was a kid in a classroom. My teacher was from New York, and that morning her sister was inside the South Tower. I still remember watching her face as the news came in. Even at that age, that was the moment it stopped being something happening far away on a screen and became painfully real. |
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| Most of us carry a memory like that from that day, a specific place, a specific person, the exact moment the world seemed to stop. Twenty five years on, we still remember the people who died on September 11th, and we still remember where we were when it happened. To everyone who lost their life that day, and to the families who carry that loss still, we remember you. |
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| 02 · MARKET UPDATE |
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| Rates Ran at 5 Percent, Then Friday's Inflation Data Pulled Them Back |
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| It was a tense, two sided week. Rates climbed hard on inflation fears and briefly stared down 5 percent, then a calm inflation report on Friday let some of the pressure out. Here is how it played out, and one bright spot on affordability to close. |
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30-YR FIXED
6.76%
↑ FROM 6.71%
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DIRECTION
↑ Up
INFLATION FEARS MIDWEEK
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THE CATALYST
Inflation Data
IN-LINE CPI EASED THE 5% SCARE
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| For most of the week the pressure kept building. By Wednesday the benchmark interest rate that mortgages track had pushed above 4.80 percent, and by Thursday it briefly tested 5.00 percent, a level it had not seen in years, as oil crept back toward triple digits and the market leaned into fears that the Fed might have to tighten again. Heavy government borrowing only added to the strain, forcing investors to demand higher yields to keep absorbing the steady supply of new bonds. |
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| Friday changed the tone. The monthly inflation report came in about as expected, and with no ugly surprise, both stocks and bonds rallied. The benchmark yield eased back toward 4.91 percent and mortgage bonds outperformed, a welcome breather after two tense weeks. It also left Fed Chair Kevin Warsh in a tricky spot, since his recent hawkish message leaned on the risk that inflation could stall, and Friday's data did not clearly back that urgency. For buyers and the agents guiding them, the run at 5 percent scared everyone, but cooler than feared inflation pulled rates back from the edge. |
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| There is good affordability news to close on. Rate is among the first lenders to roll out the expected 2027 conforming loan limits, beginning September 14, which lifts the ceiling on a one unit conforming loan to $845,000. For your buyers, that means more of them can stay in conforming financing instead of jumping to a jumbo loan, a real edge when both prices and rates are stretched. Call it one more tool in the toolbox, landing right when affordability needs the help. |
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Bottom line: an in-line inflation report just pulled rates back from the 5 percent brink, so if your buyer has been waiting for a window, this is the one to act on. |
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TUESDAY LIVE
The Rule Change That Unlocks Buy Before You Sell
Starting November 1, Fannie Mae is scrapping the old lease requirement on a departing home. That means your clients may be able to qualify for the next house using the market rent on the one they are leaving, no signed tenant, no chicken and egg. On Tuesday I will break down who it helps, the new reserve and documentation rules, and where the traps are. Bring a real scenario and we will run it live.
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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