Rates Are Up. Here’s How Smart Buyers Can Fight Back.

Mortgage rates are up — and Derick and Stephen aren’t here to sugarcoat it. Higher rates hurt affordability, and some buyers who qualified a few months ago don’t qualify today. But giving up isn’t the only option. This episode breaks down four strategies smart buyers can use right now: seller credits (which can be more powerful than a price reduction), permanent rate buydowns, temporary buydowns, and adjustable-rate mortgages. The goal isn’t to pretend rates aren’t high — it’s to show that an experienced loan officer’s job is to find the structure that still makes the deal work, even when the market isn’t cooperating.