The Real Estate Show

Radio Show Notes 02/04/26 Wednesday:

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Midweek Market Report: Mortgage Rates Stabilize—Are You Busy, Broke, or Finally Building Wealth?

By Eric Willner, Investor, Coach, and Host of The Real Estate Show, America’s longest running daily radio show about real estate.

Welcome to The Real Estate Show – South Florida’s #1 Real Estate Radio Show and America’s longest running daily radio show about real estate.
My name is Eric Willner, known as The Voice of Real Estate and founder of America’s longest running daily radio show about real estate, and the creator of The Automatic Landlord System for owning cash-flowing real estate profitably and hassle-free.

This show is a virtual real estate seminar in every episode.

And today is the Wednesday Midweek Mortgage & Market Report Edition of The Real Estate Show—the day each week where we zoom out, check the financial dashboard, look under the hood of the housing market, talk mortgages, money, momentum… and most importantly, talk strategy.

Because Wednesday is about clarity.

It’s about asking yourself a tough but necessary question:

Busy, Broke, or Building? How to Tell Which Path You’re Actually On

Everyone Is IN Real Estate—The Only Question Is HOW

Let’s reset the conversation right here.

Everyone is IN real estate.
You’re either IN it… or you’re ON it.

• You’re IN real estate because you own it.
  You searched it. Negotiated it. Closed on it.
  You benefit from pride of ownership, tax advantages, forced savings, equity growth, long-term appreciation, and leverage—one of the most powerful wealth-building tools ever created.
• Or… you’re ON real estate.
  You pay rent.
  Or you work for a company that pays rent—and that rent is built into your paycheck.
  Either way, you’re funding someone else’s wealth plan.

That’s not judgment. That’s math.

And here’s the bottom line that most people never calculate:

For a homeowner who pays off their mortgage, financial freedom means living on a dramatically reduced budget.

For a renter, financial freedom requires building a much larger nest egg—just to keep up with a perpetual, ever-increasing rent payment.

Same goal. Two very different paths.

Busy, Broke, or Building? Let’s Call It What It Is

This week’s theme started on Monday for a reason.

Because most people feel busy, but don’t know if they’re actually making progress.

Being busy doesn’t mean you’re building.

And being broke doesn’t always mean you don’t earn money—it often means you don’t own assets.

So let me define these clearly:

• Busy:
  Your calendar is full. Your phone never stops. Your income depends on showing up tomorrow. No margin. No leverage. No exit strategy.
• Broke:
  Not just low cash—but high dependency. Debt with no strategy. Income that disappears when you stop working. No assets working while you sleep.
• Building:
  You own assets.
  You have a plan.
  You use time, leverage, tax strategy, and financing intentionally.
  You are playing the long game.

Wednesday is where we separate motion from momentum.

Did You Know? Three Questions You Should Be Asking Right Now

Let me drop three Did You Know? questions that tie directly into today’s market—and today’s theme.

Did you know… that mortgage rates have now stabilized in a narrow range for months, creating one of the clearest planning windows we’ve seen since 2022—yet most buyers are still waiting for a “perfect” rate that may never arrive?

Did you know… that rising cancellation rates are actually shifting power back to prepared buyers—those who are positioned, qualified, and decisive—while casual buyers get shaken out?

Did you know… that homeowners who bought years ago are increasingly feeling pressure—not because homeownership failed, but because they never built a financial buffer or written plan?

Busy. Broke. Or Building.

That’s the fork in the road.

Today’s Show Is About ONE Thing

Today’s show is about:
Busy, Broke, or Building? How to Tell Which Path You’re Actually On—
and why understanding that distinction is critical to succeeding in real estate.

Before we get into the meat of the show, let me remind you about this week’s FREE Workshops, because education is the difference between reaction and strategy.

 This Week’s FREE Workshops

1?? Path to Home Ownership – Introduction

 1st & 3rd Tuesdays at 8pm (Online by Invitation) Text PATH to 561-861-2366

Do finances challenge you?
Most people say YES.

That’s why we built The Financial Edge.

Because education moves the needle.

2?? Financial Edge Academy – Wednesdays

 Every Wednesday at 8pm & 8:30pm Eastern Text EDGE to 561-861-2366

We believe in a 3-Pronged Approach:

1. Everyone should buy a house—be a homeowner.
2. Everyone should have that house in financial order, with a written financial/life plan.
3. Everyone should own a business that pays them and gives them tax benefits.

That’s the Financial Edge.
And we can be your financial team.

 Here Are the Top Trending Topics for Today’s Update

Let’s talk mortgages—because this is the Midweek Mortgage & Market Report.

According to Bankrate, here’s where we are right now.

Today’s National 30-Year Mortgage Interest Rate Trends

As of Tuesday, February 3, 2026:

• 30-Year Fixed: 6.22% (up slightly)
• 30-Year Refinance: 6.49% (down 6 basis points)

That’s another flat, stable week—and stability equals planning power.

Since rates hit a 2025 low of 6.25% in late October, they haven’t moved much.

And let me say this clearly, because it still gets misunderstood:

 The Federal Reserve does NOT dictate mortgage rates.

Yes, the Fed sets short-term rates.
Mortgage rates move based on investor sentiment, mortgage-backed securities, and are closely tied to the 10-Year Treasury yield.

Last week proved it again.

The Fed held rates steady—yet mortgage rates dipped to 6.18%, matching the lowest level since 2022.

Housing economists from the Mortgage Bankers Association and Fannie Mae expect rates to remain between 6% and 6.5% for the foreseeable future.

Michael Fratantoni of the MBA said this level of rates could support a stronger spring market—not a breakout, but a healthier one.

And here’s the psychology:

Bill Banfield from Rocket Mortgage says when rates dip below 5.99%, buyer demand jumps 30%.

Why?

Because rates in the 5s flip a mental switch.

If you want to position yourself before the crowd moves,
 Text EDGE to 561-861-2366
Get educated. Get prepared. Get ahead.

Top Rate Offer we’re seeing: 5.63%
National averages:

• 30-Year Fixed: 6.22%
• 15-Year Fixed: 5.66%
• 10-Year Fixed: 5.56%
• ARMs? Not popular right now.

And tomorrow—on the ATM Edition – About The Money—we’ll talk about how people are getting rates in the 4s and investor loans in the 5s.

Prepare Early—This Is Where Builders Win

Whether you need a mortgage now or next year, preparation is everything.

Get a PQ. Know your numbers.
We also have inside info on two new mortgage products and a DPA program that’s about to make waves—including soft credit pull options.

 Text LOAN to 561-861-2366

Busy people react.
Builders prepare.

Big News Article #1 – Affordability Is Pressuring Homeowners Too

Let’s rewrite the headline in real terms:

Housing Pressure Isn’t Just Squeezing Buyers—Unprepared Homeowners Are Feeling It Too

Key takeaways, in plain English:

• Late mortgage delinquencies rose to about 0.20%, up from last year, according to VantageScore
• Still nowhere near 2010 crisis levels—but the trend matters
• Homeownership requires maintenance reserves, not just a mortgage payment

Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows overall delinquencies remain historically low.

Americans owe over $13 trillion on mortgages, per LendingTree.

Home prices are easing—but still elevated, with long-term appreciation shown by the S&P Case-Shiller.

This matters because homeownership done without planning leads to stress.
Homeownership done with strategy leads to freedom.

That’s Busy vs. Building.

You can read more at AutomaticLandlord.com.

Big News Article #2 – Cancellations Are Surging

Let’s rewrite this one honestly:

Homebuyers Are Walking Away—And That’s Creating Opportunity for the Prepared

According to Redfin:

• Over 40,000 contracts canceled in December
• That’s 16.3% of deals—highest since tracking began
• Sellers now outnumber buyers by 47%

Chen Zhao from Redfin said buyers are getting selective—and that’s good news if you’re ready.

Markets like Atlanta, Jacksonville, Tampa saw higher cancellations.

Why does this matter?

Because fear creates negotiation leverage.

Buyers who are qualified, educated, and confident are stepping into opportunities others walk away from.

That’s not being busy.
That’s building.

Final Call to Action

Before we wrap…

 Text EDGE to 561-861-2366

Don’t just listen.
Use this show.

Use it to get educated.
Use it to get positioned.
Use it to start building assets.

Thank you for spending part of your day with me on The Real Estate Show—a literal seminar in every episode.

Tune in tomorrow for the ATM Edition – About The Money.

And please—share this show with someone who should own real estate, but hasn’t started yet.

I’m Eric Willner.
This is The Real Estate Show.
And now… you know the difference between Busy, Broke, and Building.