Fox Valley Real Estate

Fox Valley Real Estate Founded by Tom Seaman (NMLS # 400629).

This is a public page with the goal to help everyone in our community get the most up to date real estate market information in Fox Valley.

05/28/2026

If you do not have a large pile of cash saved for a down payment and you are wondering if there are programs that can actually help you buy a home, the answer is a very clear yes and the data just confirmed it in a big way.

The Q1 2026 Homeownership Program Index dropped this week and revealed 2,679 active down payment assistance programs nationwide. That is an all-time high. These programs are designed specifically to help everyday buyers get into a home with less money out of pocket. Some offer grants you never have to pay back. Some offer interest-free loans. Some are tied to specific neighborhoods or income levels that far more people qualify for than most buyers ever realize. Even middle-class buyers are getting access to these programs, with some areas offering tens of thousands of dollars in interest-free assistance.

Here is the catch. Most lenders never bring these programs up because it takes extra work to apply for them. So you have to ask directly. When you talk to a loan officer, specifically ask which down payment assistance programs you qualify for in your area. A great loan officer will already have these mapped out and ready to present to you.

Follow me for more information that can help put you in your dream home faster than you thought possible.

05/27/2026

The buyers who said they were waiting until rates drop may not be waiting much longer. And the data is backing that up in a real way.

Pending home sales just posted their third straight month of gains. Signed contracts are up over 3% from last year. Purchase applications are running 8% ahead of where they were a year ago. This is not one busy weekend or one packed open house creating a false sense of momentum. This is a genuine and sustained shift in buyer activity that is showing up consistently across multiple data points.

The wait-and-see crowd is starting to turn into the active-buyer crowd and that matters for everyone in the market right now.

For sellers, waiting too long to list could mean coming to market right as more inventory arrives and competition for buyer attention increases. For buyers, waiting for perfect conditions may mean finding yourself competing against more people who had the exact same plan and decided to move at the same time you did.

The people who consistently do well in shifting markets are the ones who pay attention early, get prepared before the crowd catches on, and make smart moves while others are still deciding. That window is open right now but it does not stay open indefinitely.

If you have someone sitting on the sidelines, this may be exactly the right time to start that conversation.

05/26/2026

You keep hearing the housing market is shifting in buyers' favor, but is it actually a good time to buy? Let's look at the real data and let the numbers speak for themselves.

A record 34 percent of sellers cut their list price in February, the highest we have seen in years. Inventory has now crossed pre-pandemic levels in many parts of the country, meaning buyers finally have genuine choices again rather than fighting over whatever happens to be available. And the lock-in effect that kept so many homeowners frozen in their low rate mortgages is officially easing, with more sub-5 percent rate holders deciding to list anyway.

Here is why all of that matters for you specifically. When sellers cut prices and inventory grows, buyers gain real negotiating power on things that often matter more than the headline price, including closing cost credits, rate buydowns, and repair concessions.

Those savings can add up to thousands of dollars and meaningfully change your monthly payment. Less competition also means you can take your time, conduct proper inspections, and make a smart and informed decision instead of rushing into a bidding war and hoping for the best.

The buyers winning right now are the ones who are pre-approved, staying ready, and acting decisively when the right home appears. Follow me for more on how to use this shift to your full advantage.

05/21/2026

If you have been wondering why mortgage rates jumped again this month just when they seemed to finally be heading in the right direction, here is exactly what is happening.

Rates briefly dipped in late April and had a lot of buyers feeling optimistic. Then they climbed back up amid renewed tension over the Iran conflict, rising oil prices, and ongoing inflation concerns. Here is the key thing to understand about why that happens. Global events directly impact your mortgage rate because when uncertainty rises, investors move money into bonds for safety. That increased demand for bonds pushes yields down temporarily, but when tension escalates and inflation fears resurface, yields move back up and mortgage rates follow. The connection between geopolitical headlines and your monthly payment is more direct than most buyers realize.

The good news is that this volatility is actually creating real opportunities for prepared buyers. Rates are swinging daily, which means windows are opening where you can lock in a strong rate if you are positioned to move quickly. The buyers winning right now are the ones with their pre-approval ready, their down payment in place, and a loan officer actively watching the market for them. When rates dip even for a single day, they are ready to lock immediately.

Get fully prepared now so you can act when the next window opens. Build a small cushion into your budget for safety and stay in close contact with your loan officer for daily updates. Follow me for real-time market insights that keep you ahead.

05/19/2026

Big news. Kevin Warsh was just confirmed as the new Federal Reserve chair and everyone is asking the same question: what does this mean for mortgage rates?

Here is the truth most people miss. The Fed actually controls short-term lending rates between banks. Mortgage rates are driven by the long-term bond market, inflation expectations, and investor sentiment. Those are completely different levers and a new Fed chair does not flip a switch that instantly moves your mortgage rate in either direction.

Rate decisions still go through a 12-member committee regardless of who is in the chair. And with inflation currently sitting at 3.8 percent, the Fed will likely stay patient through Warsh's first few meetings rather than making dramatic moves in either direction. The good news is that industry leaders are pointing to one word to describe the outlook under new leadership: stability. And stability is exactly what buyers need to confidently plan their next move.

If you want to know where mortgage rates are actually headed, stop watching Fed headlines and start watching the bond market. That is where the real story lives.
Follow me for more on what is actually moving the market right now.

05/19/2026

The rules for credit scores on mortgages just changed in a massive way, and this could genuinely be the news you have been waiting for.

On April 22nd, HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac officially rolled out VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T for mortgage underwriting. This is the biggest credit scoring shakeup in 30 years and the implications for buyers who have been on the sidelines are significant. The new models now factor in on-time rent payments and 24-month credit trends rather than just a snapshot of your score on a single day. That is a genuine game changer. It rewards people who have been paying rent reliably for years and gives lenders a much fuller and more accurate picture of how you actually handle money over time.

An estimated 5 million previously rejected buyers could now qualify under these new models. If you have been told no in the past, this is the moment to circle back and get re-evaluated with fresh eyes. Even if your traditional score felt borderline, the new system may put you over the qualification line because consistent rent payments and steady payment history finally count toward your mortgage approval in a meaningful way.

Reach out and ask your loan officer to run your numbers under the new models. Follow me for more updates that can help put you in your next home.

05/18/2026

Mortgage rates climbed to their highest levels of the year this week and once again oil prices were a major driver behind the move. Here is what is actually happening and what it means for buyers right now.

Higher energy costs push inflation higher across the board and the latest numbers confirm that pressure is building. Consumer inflation rose at 3.8 percent year over year while core inflation, which excludes food and energy, also moved higher. Wholesale inflation saw a significant jump as well, signaling that businesses are absorbing rising costs that will eventually work their way through to consumers. One of the most important takeaways from this week's data is that inflation is now rising faster than wages, which directly impacts household affordability and purchasing power in a very real way.

On the consumer side, retail spending remains solid overall but a split is emerging. Higher income households continue spending while lower income consumers are beginning to pull back. That divergence is worth watching closely as it tends to be an early signal of broader economic stress.

Looking ahead, markets will keep watching oil prices, global events, and Fed communication closely for any clues about where rates are headed next. For buyers who are actively shopping, the takeaway is to stay prepared, stay in close contact with your loan officer, and be ready to act when the right opportunity presents itself.

Follow me for more real-time market updates that actually help you make better decisions.

05/15/2026

The Fed just held rates steady for the third time this year, and this was Jerome Powell's final meeting as chair. Here is what that actually means for your mortgage right now.

When the Fed holds rates steady it typically creates a window of stability, and that stability is genuinely a buyer's friend. It gives you time to shop, plan, and get fully prepared without the market shifting underneath you every week. But here is what most people miss entirely. Mortgage rates do not move in lockstep with the Fed. They follow the 10-year Treasury yield and investor expectations about what comes next. That means rates can still drift lower even during a hold period if the bond market believes cuts are coming later this year.

A new Fed chair often brings a fresh tone to the market as well. With the next meeting in mid-June we have a meaningful runway of more predictable policy ahead of us, which creates a real opportunity for buyers who use this window wisely.

If you are shopping right now, build a cushion of 0.250% to 0.500% into your numbers until you have a signed contract. That buffer keeps you in control no matter which direction rates move before closing. Buyers who get prepared during quiet periods like this one consistently win when the market shifts.

Follow me and I will keep you ahead of the curve.

05/12/2026

I want to share something a little different this week. Less market data, more business strategy.

There is a stat I keep thinking about. NAR surveyed nearly 50,000 agents and found that while 68% have used AI in some form, only 17% say it has made a significant positive impact on their business. That gap says everything.

The agents winning with AI right now are using it for the time-consuming tasks that eat into their day. 68% are writing listing descriptions with it. 59% are creating social media content. 53% are drafting emails and newsletters. That is an hour or more back in your day, every single day, that you can redirect toward clients and conversations that actually move the needle.

But here is where it gets really interesting. PwC just released their Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2026 report and they are calling the next phase agentic AI. These are tools that plan and act with minimal prompting and run continuous processes around the clock. Not just helping you write things but actually doing things on your behalf while you sleep. This second wave is just starting to hit residential real estate and the agents who figure it out now will have a real edge over the ones who discover it two years from now.

The agents winning with AI are not the most tech-savvy people in the room. They are the ones who treat it like a junior assistant and put it to work consistently.

Follow along for more ways to grow your real estate business.

05/05/2026

Something just changed in mortgage underwriting that every real estate agent needs to know about and every buyer who has ever been told no needs to hear.

On April 22nd, HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac officially rolled out VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T for mortgage underwriting. This is the biggest credit scoring update in 30 years and the implications for your buyer pool are significant.

Here is what changed. The new models now factor in on-time rent payments and 24 months of credit trends, giving lenders a much fuller and more accurate picture of a buyer's real financial habits rather than just a snapshot of their debt history. The result is that an estimated 5 million buyers who were previously turned down may now qualify for a home loan under the new guidelines.

Think about what that means for your business. Every past client who walked away disappointed. Every person who came close but could not quite get there. Every renter who has been paying on time for years but could not get credit for it in the traditional model. This update changes the conversation for all of them.

Now is the perfect time to reach back out, reconnect, and get those clients paired with a loan officer who understands these new guidelines and knows how to position their file correctly.

Follow me for more updates that help you grow your business in today's market.

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Greenville, WI
54942

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