JVM’s Blog

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2019 vs. 2026 Housing Inventory; So Many Interesting Takeaways!

In 1985, when I was motorcycling across America, I stopped at a dive bar in West Virginia for lunch because it was the only place around. It had that depressing, all-too-quiet,...

April 10, 2026 4 min read
Classic American modern house with siding trim and garage.

Uh Oh…Oil’s Up; Credit Scores – A Brief, Fascinating History – Pointing To Where We’re Going

Oil was way up this morning, as were gold prices – and I was very worried about the ceasefire collapsing! But… oil prices just fell again, suggesting that something is signaling to oil traders...

April 9, 2026 4 min read
Credit Scores – A Brief, Fascinating History – Pointing To Where We’re Going.

Ceasefire Pushes Rates Way Down; Will It Hold? Ask The Markets, NOT The Pundits

It was an amazing thing to behold! I watched the 10-year Treasury yield fall almost 15 basis points or 0.15% (a huge drop) very quickly when the ceasefire was announced yesterday. I also watched oil...

April 8, 2026 2 min read
Aerial view of a suburban residential neighborhood with single-family homes, driveways, green lawns, and tree-lined streets, representing the housing market, suburban real estate development, property values, and homeownership trends.

Why We Could See 9% Rates By June

Uh oh… There is a real risk we could see 8%+ mortgage rates over the next few months. Economist Steve Hanke is on the warpath, sharing post after post about the enormity of the threats to the...

April 6, 2026 3 min read
Large oil refinery and industrial processing plant with pipelines, storage tanks, and smokestacks producing energy, representing global oil production, energy industry infrastructure, fuel supply, and economic impact on inflation and interest rates.

$839K Listing Sells For $300K Over; Provides Two Great Appraisal Lessons!

Per our client’s agent, there were 22 offers – and our client’s $1,150,000 offer was not even in the running. So, we’re assuming the home sold for close to $1,200,000, but we won’t know...

April 3, 2026 3 min read
House appraisal of a 839k listing.

Trump’s Speech to Calm The Markets, Roiled Markets

On Friday of last week, JVM sent commandos into all of CrossCountry Mortgage’s offices in the SF Bay Area. The raid was very successful, as we shut down all of CrossCountry’s Bay Area...

April 2, 2026 3 min read
Trump affecting the roiled markets from his speech.

30% Down Requires No Appraisal Contingency Or Shortfall Funds, UNLESS…

This is a reminder that appraisal contingencies and/or proof of funds to cover appraisal shortfalls are unnecessary with large down payments. This is because lenders can easily shift financing from...

April 1, 2026 2 min read
Real estate agent showing a modern home interior to a young couple during a property viewing, discussing features and layout near large windows, representing home buying, house tour, property inspection, and real estate investment decisions.

Can Non-Citizens Still Get Mortgages?

Oil prices – which have been sparking inflation fears and driving rates higher – rose again over the weekend. But rates fell sharply today in the face of rising oil prices. Rates fell because the...

March 30, 2026 2 min read
Charming single-family suburban home with front porch, landscaped garden, and walkway leading to the entrance, representing homeownership, residential real estate, mortgage financing, and the housing market.

The Real (Much Bigger) War Behind The Scenes; Why Gold Crashed & It’s Good News!

Economies can’t handle interest rate shocks (the mortgage industry is a case in point), and the repercussions put politicians in deep peril. So, it is a certainty that nobody is freaking out...

March 27, 2026 4 min read
photo depicting gold price crash.

“I Make $30,000 Per Month, But My Credit Score’s 560; Can I Get A Mortgage?”

There are companies in college towns that make their money by renting apartments to college kids and keeping their security deposits when the kids move out – no matter what. It is an incredibly...

March 26, 2026 4 min read
A man with low credit score get's approved for a mortgage loan and purchases a house.

Fast Closes Are Back! How To Instantly Solve The Affordability Crisis – This Year!

This is something I thought I’d never see in this rate environment! Our extremely well-qualified buyers are repeatedly getting outbid in multiple-offer situations in the SF Bay Area – with as...

March 25, 2026 2 min read
Modern suburban single-family home with garage, landscaped yard, and sidewalk in a quiet residential neighborhood, representing homeownership, real estate market trends, housing affordability, and mortgage financing.

Seller Rent Back Rules; Two Forces That TERRIFY & BEAT Trump and All Presidents

President Trump was panicking last night. Guaranteed. Sheer panic. This is because, in what was the most interesting weekend in finance in the last 18 years, there were two forces that brought Mr....

March 23, 2026 3 min read
Family unpacking moving boxes in a new home with parents and child sitting on the floor, illustrating homeownership, moving day, real estate purchase, and settling into a new house.

Loan Officer vs. Mortgage Broker vs. Mortgage Banker vs. Direct Lender; What’s The Difference?

Interest rates shot way higher today, and I will explain why below. I. “2005 Mortgage Man” will be studied by anthropologists for centuries. This is because there has never been a more...

March 20, 2026 5 min read
different professionals discussing mortgage, representing the difference between each profession.

Watch Oil Prices For War Status; Danger: Arterial Through Streets!

When I want to know how the Iran war is going, I don’t check CNN (“We’re getting crushed! WWIII Is Here! Trump eats babies!”), and I never check Fox (“We’re kicking ass and taking names!...

March 19, 2026 3 min read
Oil pumpjacks at sunset with financial charts overlay
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