The Truth Behind The Headlines Recap

If you were on this morning's Truth Behind the Headlines, you already know oil just made a big move this week. If you missed it, here's the recap, the same way I'd explain it to you over coffee. I'll translate the headlines. You make the decision.

👉 Watch the Recap Video

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Here’s a quick recap of what we covered:

📝 Iran Agreement

The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding this week to end the war. The Strait of Hormuz is reopening, the naval blockade is lifting, and oil already dropped from over 110 dollars a barrel to around 75. Oil is one of the biggest pressure points behind inflation, so if this agreement holds, it could ease some of the weight that's been sitting on rates for months.

📈 Fed Meeting Recap‍

The Senate also confirmed Kevin Warsh as the new Federal Reserve chair this week, and his first vote as chair was unanimous to hold rates steady. That unanimous vote matters. The other Fed members don't answer to him, so when the whole room agrees, it's a sign they can actually work together going forward.

Warsh also said something I've been saying on this webinar for over a year. He wants the Fed to talk less and let the markets do the work, because all the projections have been creating more volatility than they solve. He also pointed out the Fed lowered its 2026 GDP growth projection from 2.4 percent to 2.2 percent. Slower growth sounds like bad news, but it's actually a signal that room for lower rates could be opening up.

This is exactly why I keep saying your mortgage is not just a rate. It's a strategy. The headlines move fast. What they actually mean for your file or your buyer's timeline is a different conversation, and that's the one I want you having with confidence.

We also introduced two programs this morning that solve real problems for real people.

• The first is a FORGIVABLE DOWN PAYMENT ASSITANCE PROGRAM. Buyers can get 3.5 to 5 percent toward their down payment and closing costs, with no income limit, and the program forgives that debt within 90 days once the solar installation is complete. It works with FHA guidelines and is available almost nationwide.

• The second is the DREAM BUILDER PROGRAM, built for buyers with an ITIN instead of a Social Security number. It opens the door to homeownership with 3.5 percent down. Hispanic households drove all of the homeownership growth in the country last year, adding more than 440,000 new owner households, the largest single year increase ever recorded for any demographic group. If you serve that community, this is a program worth knowing well.

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We also spent a few minutes on something I think about often. The thoughts that quietly hold you back before you even pick up the phone are real, and ignoring them has a cost. If there's a part of your business you've been avoiding, name it. That's the first step to actually moving past it.

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