Hi Reader,

I normally just send a newsletter on Mondays, but it's been a busy week in the markets and I wanted to share some findings that might be helpful.

Wednesday, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate by 0.25%, its first increase in more than three years. And today, Freddie Mac reported the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 6.95%.

For buyers, and the agents working with them, that can sound discouraging.

But, on the heels of this, the mortgage industry responded. And, since I'm a mortgage broker, I have access to 125 lenders. That becomes important when problems need solving.

Here are some exciting tools in my toolbox that I am using that I wanted to share with you. Maybe they will solve some important problems for your clients:

1. Ease buyers into the payment with lender-paid 12 months at a full percentage point lower

Temporary lender-paid 1-0 buydowns that reduce a buyer's effective payment rate by a full percentage point for the first 12 months.

For example:

Note rate: 6.75%​
​Year-one payment: based on 5.75%​
​Years 2–30: based on 6.75%

That can give a new homeowner a meaningful first year of lower payments while they adjust to the other costs that come with buying a home.

This is one of the reasons it helps to have access to multiple lenders instead of a single bank's product menu.

And, because it is lender-paid, there's no hidden "gotcha." What you see is on the loan estimate is what you get at closing.

This tool can really be effective with people focused intently on rates.

2. A condo that doesn't fit the conventional box isn't necessarily a dead deal

This one is particularly important for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut agents.

As of August, Fannie Mae retired its Limited Review process and Freddie Mac retired its Streamlined Review process for most condo loans. For many attached condo projects, lenders now need to perform a more comprehensive project review unless the transaction or project qualifies for an exemption or waiver.

That review can dig into things like:

• reserves and the building's budget
• delinquent common charges
• critical repairs and deferred maintenance
• special assessments
• project insurance
• overall project eligibility

Fannie Mae's Full Review, for example, generally requires that no more than 15% of units be 60+ days delinquent on common charges.

For sellers, that creates a very real issue: a perfectly good apartment can become harder to finance because of something happening at the building level.

But there is another side to this.

Lenders know this is a pain point, too.

There are non-warrantable condo programs specifically designed for properties that don't fit Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac requirements.

They are often very competitive, too. As a broker, I am not limited to one lender's interpretation or one product shelf. I can shop across lenders and look for programs built around the particular issue with the building.

“Non-warrantable” does not automatically mean “unfinanceable.”

This tool can take away the anxiety related to worrying about whether a condo will kill a deal.

3. Higher loan limits are opening up more options

Loan limits continue to move with housing prices.

For 2026, the standard one-unit conforming loan limit increased nationally from $806,500 to $832,750.

NYC is a little different because it is already a high-cost market. The conventional one-unit high-balance limit remains $1,209,750 in 2026, but the FHA one-unit limit increased from $1,209,750 to $1,249,125.

That matters because the line between a conforming, high-balance, FHA and jumbo loan can materially change the financing options available to a buyer.

Sometimes moving a buyer into a different loan category can make a scenario work that didn't work before.

4. Building a house? There are better construction options, too.

Another product I'm excited about is the One-Time Close New Construction loan.

Instead of arranging construction financing and then obtaining an entirely new permanent mortgage when the home is finished, the borrower can have:

one approval + one closing + one down payment + one credit report + one mortgage.

A major lender currently offers its One-Time Close program on conventional loans, including high-balance loans and certain ARMs, as well as VA loans. Conventional financing can go as high as 95% LTV, with an 11-month maximum build period.

The buyer can even have an opportunity to modify the rate lower if the market improves during construction.

That's a very different orientation from, “Go find a construction loan and then we'll talk again when the house is finished.”

This tool can take away the complexity of managing multiple loan sequences.

5. And then there is the tool I care about most: getting buyers comfortable

This is probably the biggest part of what I do.

Especially with first-time buyers, the obstacle isn't always qualification.

Sometimes they qualify just fine.

They're simply nervous.

What if rates go higher?
What if rates go lower?
What if I buy at the wrong time?
What if the payment feels too high?
How much cash should I actually keep after closing?
Should I put more down or preserve reserves?

Those aren't questions that should be answered with a rate quote and a payment calculator.

I spend a lot of time showing buyers different scenarios so they can understand the tradeoffs and make a decision they actually feel comfortable with.

Because ultimately, I don't think my job is to convince somebody to buy a house.

My job is to help them understand whether, and how, the numbers can work and most importantly, meet their goals.

Send me the problem.

Rates change. Guidelines change. Buildings have issues. Buyers have unusual income. Deals don't always fit neatly into the standard underwriting box.

That's where I come in.

If you have a buyer you're not sure can qualify, a condo you're worried won't finance, a client intimidated by today's payment, or simply a scenario you want another set of eyes on, send it to me.

And especially, if you have a rate sensitive buyer, I can scour the market and identify the potential savings across 125 lenders to make sure they have the absolute best deal.

I am here to solve problems.

-Nicole

Nicole Hamilton Bernheimer | NMLS #2354049

nicole@homeownering.com, 917-650-0167

​More about me​