The Real Estate Show

Radio Show Notes 12/17/25 Wednesday: 

Read a summary of the show below or

Listen Here

Watch Live Facebook Video Here

Midweek Market Report: Why Flat Mortgage Rates Are a Loud Signal for Smart Real Estate Buyers

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, founder of America’s longest-running daily radio show about real estate, and 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.

This is the show where we zoom in, slow things down, and connect the dots between what’s happening in the economy, what’s happening in mortgage markets, and what’s happening in your life, your finances, and your future.

And today, we continue the conversation we started on Monday and Tuesday, because this week’s theme is hitting people right between the eyes:

Your Biggest Expenses Are Trying to Tell You Something

Let me say it plainly, because this is the foundation of everything we do here.

Everyone is IN real estate.
Every single person listening to me right now is IN real estate.

The only question is whether you OWN it…
or you’re ON it.

Either:

• You are IN real estate because you OWN it. You searched for it. You negotiated it. You closed on it. You have the pride of ownership, the tax benefits, the long-term appreciation, leverage, inflation protection, and control.

Or:

• You are ON real estate. You’re paying rent directly… or indirectly. If you rent your home, you pay. If you work for a company, that company pays rent — and that rent comes out of the revenue that you help generate.

Either way, you pay for real estate.

The Bottom Line

For a homeowner who eventually pays off their mortgage, financial freedom means living on a dramatically reduced budget, making retirement and independence attainable.

For a renter, financial freedom requires building a much larger nest egg, just to keep up with perpetual, ever-increasing rent — with zero control and no finish line.

That’s not opinion.
That’s math.
That’s reality.

Your Biggest Expenses Are Trying to Tell You Something

Your housing cost.
Your taxes.
Your debt.
Your transportation.
Your insurance.

These are not random numbers on a spreadsheet.

They are signals.

They are telling you:

• Whether your money is working for you… or against you
• Whether you’re building equity… or paying someone else’s
• Whether you’re moving closer to freedom… or further away from it

And real estate sits right in the center of that conversation.

Did You Know?

Let me ask you three market-driven, newsworthy, thought-provoking questions, all tied to today’s theme:

Did you know… that even with mortgage rates still above historic lows, homeownership today can lock in your largest monthly expense — while renters face unlimited increases tied to inflation and supply shortages?

Did you know… that investors are now making up the highest share of homebuyers in five years — not because homes are cheap, but because smart money understands what rising rents and flat rates are signaling?

Did you know… that when mortgage rates flatten, as they are right now, it often signals the calm before the next major housing demand cycle — and the people who move early win the most?

That’s what today’s show is about.

Your Biggest Expenses Are Trying to Tell You Something

…and knowing how to interpret those signals is the difference between hoping for success in real estate and planning for it.

Before We Get Into the Meat of the Show…

Let me remind you about this week’s FREE workshops, because education is the bridge between where you are and where you want to be.

 Path to Home Ownership – Introduction

1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 8pm Eastern – Online by Invitation
 Text PATH to 561-861-2366

Do finances challenge you?
Most people say YES.

And that’s why we created The Financial Edge.

The Financial Edge is education.
It’s clarity.
It’s knowing how money actually works.

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 and life plan.
3. Everyone should own a business that pays them and provides tax benefits.

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

 Financial Edge Academy – 101 Overview

Every Wednesday Night at 8:30pm Eastern – Online by Invitation
 Text EDGE to 561-861-2366

Here Are the Top Trending Topics for Today’s Update

Let’s talk mortgages, rates, and what they’re really telling us.

Mortgage Rate Snapshot – From BankRate.com

Here’s the reality, rewritten in plain English, my voice:

On Wednesday, November 26, 2025, the average national 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.26%, essentially flat week over week.

If you’re looking at refinancing, the average 30-year refinance rate is 6.52%, also flat.

Flat is not boring.
Flat is information.

Rates are sitting near the lowest levels of the year, just slightly above the 2025 low of 6.25% back in late October.

And here’s the twist most people miss…

Inflation is still above the Fed’s 2% target.
Jobs numbers are slowing.
And the Federal Reserve cut rates again last week.

Yet mortgage rates didn’t drop.

Why?

Because the Fed does not control mortgage rates.

As Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors, reminds us:

“There are many factors that influence mortgage rates. It is never a one-to-one relationship with the federal funds rate.”

That’s your signal.

Mortgage markets move based on:

• Inflation expectations
• Bond markets
• Investor confidence
• Global capital flows

Not headlines.

So let me ask you:

When would NOW be a great time to consult your mortgage professional?

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

 Text LOAN to 561-861-2366

Top rate offers right now:

• 5.63% top offer seen
• 6.26% national average – 30-year fixed
• 5.63% 15-year fixed
• 5.55% 10-year fixed
• ARMs? Not popular right now.

And tomorrow on the ATM – About The Money Edition, I’ll show you how people are getting rates in the 4’s and investor loans in the 5’s.

 MID-SHOW CALL TO ACTION 

If you are serious about understanding money, credit, real estate, and taxes —
 Text EDGE to 561-861-2366
This is how you stop guessing and start planning.

Preparation Beats Prediction

Whether you need a mortgage today or years from now, you should be getting a PQ — a proper pre-qualification — to know exactly where you stand.

And here’s something important:

We have inside information on:

• Two new mortgage products about to take the U.S. by storm
• A Down Payment Assistance program
• And soft credit pull / free options

That’s why staying connected matters.

Recent Headlines We’ve Been Watching

Over the last few weeks, we highlighted articles like:

• “Refinance demand for FHA loans jumps 24%”
• “Investors are making up the highest share of homebuyers in 5 years”
• “Mortgage demand from homebuyers hits highest level since September”
• “In a volatile week for interest rates, mortgage demand pulled back”

This week, search trends show people are asking:

• “Is now a good time to buy?”
• “Should I refinance?”
• “Are investors still buying?”
• “Will rates drop further?”

Those questions point right back to today’s theme.

Your biggest expenses are trying to tell you something.

Big News – Article One

Mortgage Rates Move Higher After the Fed Rate Cut — Loan Demand Drops

Here’s what that means in real life.

Key Points, simplified:

• The average 30-year fixed rate rose to 6.38%
• Refinance applications dropped 4% for the week
• Yet refi demand is still 86% higher than last year

Translation?

People are reacting emotionally instead of planning strategically.

Mike Fratantoni from the Mortgage Bankers Association said:

“Mortgage rates inched up last week following the FOMC meeting, as investors interpreted the comments to signal we are near the end of this rate-cutting cycle.”

That tells us something critical.

Markets believe we’re nearing stability, not chaos.

And when rates stabilize, real estate wins.

Why does this relate to today’s theme?

Because homeowners with fixed mortgages have certainty.
Renters have exposure.

Owning locks in your biggest expense.
Renting leaves it open-ended.

That’s why purchase applications are still 13% higher year over year.

That’s why refinancing is still strong.

That’s why this is the reason to own a home now.

You can check all of this and more at AutomaticLandlord.com.

Next Article

Zillow Shares Are Getting Crushed — Here’s Why

Let me rewrite this in plain English.

Google is testing putting real estate listings directly into search results.

Not ads.
Listings.

That shook Wall Street.

Zillow dropped more than 9% in a single day, losing $1.6 billion in market cap.

Why does this matter to you?

Because tech platforms come and go.
But ownership doesn’t.

Search engines change.
Algorithms change.
Portals change.

But people will always need:

• Homes
• Shelter
• Places to live
• Places to invest

This is another reminder that real estate is not an app — it’s an asset class.

And when platforms fight for traffic, the winners are the owners, not the spectators.

That’s why this headline supports today’s theme.

Your expenses are telling you:

• Don’t outsource your future
• Don’t rent your retirement
• Don’t wait for permission to build wealth

 FINAL CALL TO ACTION 

If you’ve been nodding your head today, it’s time to take action.

 Text EDGE to 561-861-2366

Get educated.
Get a plan.
Get positioned.

Conclusion

Thank you for listening — but don’t just listen.

Use this show to get started in real estate investing.

Share it with someone who should own real estate.

Tune in every weekday to The Real Estate Show — a literal seminar in every episode.

And don’t miss tomorrow’s ATM Edition – About The Money, where we break down how to fund your future the smart way.

I’m Eric Willner,
The Voice of Real Estate.

See you tomorrow.