The Fed just hit pause, but the risk of higher rates hasn’t gone away. If you’re a first-time home buyer waiting for mortgage rates to drop, there’s more to this decision than the headline. Inflation, rising borrowing costs, and growing housing inventory are creating a market where affordability remains challenging, but buyers may have more room to negotiate.

🏡 Thinking about buying your first home? Take our FREE Homebuyer Readiness Quiz to find out where you stand and what to focus on next:
https://buyrightborrowsmart.com/quiz

In this live episode of The Educated HomeBuyer, Jeb Smith and Josh Lewis break down the Federal Reserve’s decision to hold interest rates steady, the disagreement among Fed officials, and why another rate hike remains possible. We explain how inflation, oil prices, the 10-year Treasury yield, and mortgage spreads influence mortgage interest rates, including why a Fed rate hike doesn’t automatically mean higher mortgage rates.

We also cover our regular housing market updates, including national inventory, new listings, pending home sales, price reductions, and local trends in Orange County and Huntington Beach. With more homes sitting on the market and buyer demand remaining subdued, we discuss where buyers are gaining leverage and why conditions still vary by location, property, and price point.

During our live Q&A, we get into the practical side of buying a house: making an offer below asking price, using comparable sales to support your offer, negotiating seller-paid closing costs, and evaluating mortgage buydowns. We also discuss comparing Loan Estimates, spotting uncompetitive mortgage quotes, and why choosing the right real estate agent and lender can make a meaningful difference in your home buying experience.

In this episode, we cover:

• What the Fed’s pause means and what could influence its next decision.
• Why mortgage rates can move differently from the federal funds rate.
• How inflation, oil prices, Treasury yields, and mortgage spreads affect borrowing costs.
• Growing housing inventory and what it means for first-time home buyers.
• Whether the market is shifting in favor of buyers.
• How to make an aggressive offer supported by comparable home sales.
• Negotiating price reductions, seller credits, and closing cost assistance.
• What to consider before choosing a temporary or permanent mortgage buydown.
• How to compare mortgage quotes and evaluate your home buying team.

You don’t need to predict the next Fed decision to start preparing for homeownership. Understanding your budget, financing options, and local housing market can help you recognize an opportunity when it fits your situation. Our goal is to give you the education to buy right, borrow smart, and build wealth.

FREE resources and next steps:

✅ Take the FREE Homebuyer Readiness Quiz
Find out whether you’re ready to buy, getting close, or have a few things to work on first.
https://buyrightborrowsmart.com/quiz

🏡 Ready to become a homeowner? Start your stress-free journey today.
Connect with our team for help planning your next steps, understanding your mortgage options, or finding a trusted real estate professional in your area.
https://www.theeducatedhomebuyer.com/start

🎓 FREE Online Workshop: Your Guide to Buying a Home in 2026
Learn how to prepare for the home buying process and make informed decisions along the way.
https://www.theeducatedhomebuyer.com/workshop

💬 Have a home buying or mortgage question?
Visit BuyRightBorrowSmart.com and use the “Ask a Question” feature.

Subscribe to The Educated HomeBuyer for first-time home buyer tips, mortgage education, and weekly housing market updates. Share this episode with someone preparing to buy a home, and leave a rating and review if you found it helpful.

Buy Right. Borrow Smart. Build Wealth.

Using AI to buy a home in 2027 could end up costing you thousands of dollars if you're not careful. While tools like ChatGPT and Claude can be incredibly helpful for first-time home buyers, relying on artificial intelligence to determine home values, evaluate mortgage rates, or make financial decisions could lead to some very expensive mistakes.

More home buyers than ever are turning to AI for help navigating the home buying process. They're using it to search for homes, calculate mortgage payments, research neighborhoods, compare properties, and understand complicated real estate documents. And while AI can be a powerful tool, there's a big difference between using it to help you buy a house and allowing it to make decisions for you.

In this episode of The Educated HomeBuyer Podcast, Jeb Smith and Josh Lewis discuss how first-time home buyers can use AI to their advantage in 2027 without making costly mistakes. We break down two important decisions you should never rely on AI to make, along with four practical ways artificial intelligence can help you become a more informed and confident home buyer.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why AI can get home values wrong: ChatGPT, Zillow, and other automated valuation tools don't always account for property condition, renovations, location, views, or other factors that influence what a home is actually worth.
• Why you shouldn't rely on AI for mortgage rates: Your mortgage interest rate depends on your credit score, down payment, loan program, discount points, and other financial factors that AI may not accurately evaluate.
• How AI can help you understand purchase contracts: Learn how to use AI to review real estate contracts, identify important deadlines, understand contingencies, and prepare questions for your real estate agent.
• Using AI to review home inspection reports: Discover how AI can help organize inspection findings, identify potential concerns, and explain repairs without unnecessarily creating fear about the condition of a property.
• Understanding mortgage documents: Learn how AI can help explain loan estimates, closing disclosures, mortgage fees, and other documents you'll encounter when financing your first home.
• Reviewing HOA documents and disclosures: Find out how AI can help you navigate lengthy HOA rules, financial statements, and seller disclosures so you know what deserves closer attention.
• Should you buy a house now or wait until 2027? Understand why AI shouldn't make this decision for you and how to evaluate your personal finances, affordability, and long-term goals instead.

Are You Ready to Buy Your First Home?

Before you start searching for homes, it's important to understand where you stand financially and what steps you should be taking to prepare for homeownership.

Take our FREE Am I Ready to Buy a Home Quiz:
https://buyrightborrowsmart.com/quiz

In less than two minutes, you'll get a personalized home buying readiness score along with educational resources designed to help you prepare for buying a house. Whether you're planning to buy in 2027 or you're still a year or two away, this is a great place to start.

Need Help Buying a Home?

Buying your first home doesn't have to be overwhelming. Whether you're trying to figure out how much house you can afford, improve your credit, save for a down payment, get pre-approved for a mortgage, or find the right real estate agent, we're here to help.

Get Your Personalized Home Buying Roadmap:
https://buyrightborrowsmart.com/roadmap

We'll help you understand where you are in the home buying process, answer your questions, and put together a plan based on your financial situation and goals. We can also help connect you with experienced real estate and mortgage professionals to guide you through the process.

Higher mortgage rates, more homes for sale, and fewer buyers competing for properties are creating opportunities in the housing market that we haven't seen in years. While many first-time homebuyers are waiting for interest rates to come down, those who are prepared to buy may have more negotiating power than they realize.

In this episode of The Educated HomeBuyer, Jeb Smith and Josh Lewis break down what's happening in the 2026 housing market, why home builders are offering major incentives, and how buyers can take advantage of price reductions, seller concessions, and mortgage rate buydowns.

We discuss rising housing inventory, homes sitting on the market longer, and why real estate conditions vary dramatically from one city to another. We also take a closer look at mortgage interest rates, inflation, the Federal Reserve, and what these trends could mean for anyone planning to buy a house in 2026 or 2027.

In This Episode:

• Why the current housing market is creating opportunities for homebuyers
• How rising housing inventory and price reductions are changing negotiations
• Why home builders are cutting prices and offering closing cost credits and mortgage rate buydowns
• What today's mortgage rates mean for first-time homebuyers
• Temporary vs. permanent mortgage rate buydowns and how to compare them
• Why local housing market conditions matter more than national headlines
• How to compare mortgage lenders, including VA loan options
• How to prepare financially if you're planning to buy your first home in 2027

Are You Ready to Buy a Home?

Take our FREE Homebuyer Readiness Quiz to find out where you stand and what you should be working on before buying your first home. It takes less than two minutes and gives you personalized next steps.

Take the FREE Homebuyer Readiness Quiz

Need Help Buying a Home or Getting a Mortgage?

Whether you're ready to buy now or planning for 2027, Jeb and Josh can help you understand your options, prepare financially, and connect with experienced real estate and mortgage professionals.

Get Started With Jeb and Josh

Get Your Homebuying Roadmap

Have a Question for the Podcast?

Visit BuyRightBorrowSmart.com to submit your question or email us at info@buyrightborrowsmart.com.

The Educated HomeBuyer is hosted by real estate professional Jeb Smith and mortgage expert Josh Lewis. Our goal is to help you buy right, borrow smart, and build wealth through real estate.