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.

07/29/2026

Why have mortgage rates been climbing because of the conflict with Iran? Here is the simple chain reaction that most people never get a clear explanation of.

When the conflict began in late February it disrupted the flow of oil through a critical shipping route and prices jumped immediately. Higher oil prices make almost everything cost more to produce and ship. That fuels broader inflation across the economy. And when inflation heats up investors demand higher returns on bonds to protect themselves from that inflation eroding their purchasing power.

That pushes the ten-year Treasury yield higher and mortgage rates closely follow that yield. So up they went, peaking near 6.75 percent back in May. Every step in that chain connected directly back to what was happening in the Middle East.

Here is the encouraging part. A new peace deal framework just reopened the key oil shipping route. Oil prices have dropped in response. And mortgage rates have already started easing back down to their lowest level in a month.

This is how connected global events and your mortgage rate actually are. Your rate moves with the headlines in ways most people do not realize until they are in the middle of trying to buy or refinance.

The smart play right now is staying ready to act when rates dip rather than waiting for a perfect moment that may not hold. Reach out and let's make sure you are positioned to move when the opportunity is there.

07/24/2026

How will the new credit scoring model change whether you qualify for a mortgage? Here is the good news and there is a lot of it.

As of this spring lenders can now use newer models like VantageScore 4.0 and for a lot of buyers this is a genuine game changer. The old system judged your credit on a single snapshot in time. One moment, one picture, one number. But the new models look at a full 24 months of credit history which means they actually reward you for trending in the right direction. Steadily paying down a balance over time? That positive behavior now shows up in your favor in ways the old model never captured.

Even better these new models can count things the old scoring system ignored completely. On-time rent payments. On-time utility payments. For buyers who have been responsible with their financial obligations for years but lacked the traditional credit profile to show for it, this is a meaningful shift.

Estimates suggest this change could help around 5 million more people qualify for a mortgage, with first-time buyers and anyone with a thin credit file among those who benefit most. If you have been told your credit is not quite there yet this new landscape is worth revisiting with fresh eyes.

One smart and immediate move: ask your lender which scoring model they are currently using because the rollout is still expanding and not every lender has made the switch yet.

Reach out and let's take a look at what this could mean for your specific situation.

07/22/2026

Should you tap your home equity instead of refinancing your whole mortgage? Right now millions of homeowners are saying yes and the data shows exactly why.

The brand-new Mortgage Monitor just found that second-lien borrowing hit an 18-year high with more than half of all equity now being pulled through HELOCs and home equity loans. That is not a coincidence. That is millions of homeowners making a very smart financial decision.

Here is the thinking behind it. If you locked in a low first mortgage rate a few years ago refinancing your entire loan would mean giving that golden rate away permanently. A HELOC or a second mortgage lets you keep that low rate completely intact while still accessing the cash you need for whatever your goals are. Home improvements, debt consolidation, helping a family member, investing in another property. The equity is yours and now there is a way to use it without sacrificing the rate you worked hard to lock in.

And the timing makes this even more compelling. HELOC rates recently hit their most attractive level since 2022 making that cash easier and less expensive to reach than it has been in years. With trillions in home equity sitting available across the country this is a powerful tool that more homeowners should be exploring right now.

Reach out and let's look at what your equity could do for you without touching your existing mortgage rate.

07/15/2026

Should you buy now or keep waiting for rates to come down? Here is the question that actually matters.

After the Fed's June meeting rates ticked up and the signal is clear: higher for longer. So instead of trying to guess where rates head next, focus on something you can actually control: your negotiating power.

Here is the good news. Cooler competition in today's market means buyers often have real leverage that simply was not available a couple of years ago. Price reductions, closing cost credits, and rate buydowns are all on the table in ways they were not when the market was running hot. Sellers are more motivated. Inventory is sitting longer. The power has shifted toward prepared buyers.

The strategy that makes sense right now is straightforward. Lock in the right home and a strong deal today while competition is lower and negotiating leverage is real. Then refinance the rate later when the market shifts in your favor. You capture the asset at today's price with today's negotiating conditions and you get the rate benefit when it arrives.

You are not married to the rate. You are married to the home. The rate is something you can fix later.

Reach out and let's build your game plan together.

07/14/2026

You may have seen some headlines recently about the new federal housing bill called the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. Let me give you the simple, clear picture of what it actually means and why it matters for buyers, sellers, and investors right now.

The big picture is straightforward. This bill is focused on helping create more housing supply over time. It does that through several specific mechanisms. Speeding up certain construction reviews to reduce the time and cost it takes to get new homes built. Encouraging more housing options like townhomes and duplexes that can add meaningful inventory in areas where single family homes alone cannot keep up with demand. Limiting how many single-family homes the largest institutional investors can purchase, which helps level the playing field for everyday buyers competing against large corporate buyers. And reducing some of the costs tied to manufactured homes, which expands affordable homeownership options for more families.

Now this does not mean home prices are going to change overnight. Housing supply takes time to develop and the effects of this legislation will be gradual rather than immediate. But what it does show is that affordability and inventory challenges are being taken seriously at the federal level. That is meaningful.

For buyers, sellers, and investors this is a good reminder that the market is still moving and evolving. The people who are prepared, educated, and working with the right team are going to be in the best position to take advantage of what comes next regardless of how the market shifts.

Reach out if you have questions about how this affects your specific situation.

07/08/2026

Can you really trust AI to shop your mortgage and guide your home purchase? The newest data has some surprising answers worth paying attention to.

A brand-new survey found that 76 percent of buyers are now comfortable letting AI shop lenders for them and 89 percent would happily share their financial details to get personalized mortgage advice. Those numbers show just how powerful these tools have become and how quickly buyer attitudes toward AI in the mortgage process have shifted.

And honestly AI does some things really well. Comparing loan options across multiple lenders quickly, organizing paperwork, running payment scenarios fast, surfacing programs a buyer might not have known to ask about. For the heavy lifting of information gathering and number crunching these tools are genuinely useful.

But here is where it gets important. The buyers who win are the ones who let AI handle that heavy lifting and then bring in a great loan officer to read between the lines, catch what a screen could miss, and fight for them when it actually counts. An algorithm cannot pick up the phone and advocate for your file when an underwriter has a question. It cannot notice that your situation qualifies for a program the standard comparison missed. It cannot bring judgment and experience to a situation that does not fit neatly into a dropdown menu.

Use both and you get the best of what is available: speed and efficiency from the technology plus a real human in your corner when the stakes are highest.

Reach out and let's talk about how to put both to work for you.

07/06/2026

There is a $500,000 house on Zillow right now. You can rent it for $2,500 a month or buy it for $3,400 a month. I ran the numbers on both and one side comes out $24,000 ahead in year one. Let me show you which one.

If you rent, that $2,500 leaves your pocket every single month. After 12 months you have paid $30,000 and built absolutely nothing. No equity, no ownership, no return. Just gone.

Now look at the buyer. Yes, you are paying $3,400 a month. But every single month $450 of that payment goes directly toward your loan balance. That is your money. You are keeping it. And at 4 percent appreciation, that $500,000 home gains approximately $1,600 a month in value.

That is $2,050 a month building your net worth while you live in the home.
After 12 months the renter built nothing. The buyer gained over $24,000 in equity and appreciation combined.

That $900 monthly difference between renting and buying is not a cost. It is the best investment you will make every single month. You are not spending more. You are building more.

Share this with someone who is thinking about buying a home in 2026 and doing the rent versus buy math in their head.

07/06/2026

There are some big national housing headlines worth paying attention to right now and I want to break them down clearly so you know what they actually mean for buyers and sellers in today's market.

Mortgage rates are still being impacted by inflation concerns and global events, especially with ongoing conflict overseas creating uncertainty. But the good news is that rates have been more stable recently and that stability gives buyers a significantly better chance to plan, budget, and move forward with confidence.

We are also seeing positive housing policy updates including FHA changes designed to reduce costs and make financing more efficient for buyers who use government-backed loan programs. That is a real and tangible improvement in the affordability picture for a meaningful segment of buyers.

And on the seller side something important is shifting. Sellers are starting to become more realistic about pricing, which could create genuine opportunities for buyers who paused earlier this year and have been waiting for conditions to improve.

So if you have clients sitting on the sidelines right now this may be exactly the right time to reconnect, revisit their numbers, and see what options are available to them in today's environment.

Reach out and let's talk through what this means for your specific situation.

07/03/2026

Here is how wealthy people buy million dollar homes without spending a dime of their own money. I learned this from a wealth advisor who only works with multi-millionaires and the strategy is more accessible than most people realize.

Let's say someone has $1 million in stocks and wants to buy a $1 million home. Most people would sell $200,000 of their stocks for the 20 percent down payment. But that triggers $40,000 in capital gains taxes. That is like throwing away the cost of an entire kitchen renovation for absolutely no reason.

So instead they take out a loan against their portfolio. They keep their stocks, use part of them as collateral, and the brokerage lends them the $200,000 at around 5 percent interest. Because it is a debt rather than a sale there is no tax event. The $40,000 tax bill disappears entirely.

And here is where it gets even better. Their stocks keep growing at around 10 percent per year while they are using borrowed money at 5 percent to buy the home. They are earning more on the assets than they are paying to borrow against them. The wealthy understand this spread intuitively. The rest of us were never taught it.

This is why the rich keep getting richer. They never sell their assets. They borrow against them.

And here is what most people do not know. You do not need a million dollars in stocks to use this strategy. Most brokerages will let you start with a portfolio of $100,000 or more.

Follow for more smart buyer strategies that most people never learn about.

06/30/2026

Something big just happened in Washington and as your loan officer I want to be the one to break it down for you before the headlines confuse the picture.

Congress just passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act with strong bipartisan support. This is the most significant housing legislation in nearly two decades and it matters directly to buyers, sellers, and homeowners throughout the country.

Here is what it means in plain terms. The legislation encourages more homes to get built which addresses the inventory shortage that has been one of the most persistent challenges in the housing market for years. It opens up more mortgage options for everyday buyers expanding access to financing beyond what currently exists. And it helps level the playing field so regular families get a fairer shot against large institutional investors who have been competing for the same properties.

The bill is at the President's desk now so the full timeline and implementation details are still unfolding. I am tracking every development closely and will keep you updated as this becomes clearer.

Here is what I want you to know right now. The smartest move you can make in a moment like this is having a loan officer who turns major headlines into a real and personalized plan for your specific situation. Generic information is everywhere. A strategy built around your goals, your timeline, and your financial picture is what actually makes a difference.

That is exactly what I am here for. Reach out and let's talk through what this legislation means for you specifically.

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Greenville, WI
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