The Biggest Housing Bill in Decades Skips South Florida

The Biggest Housing Bill in Decades Skips South Florida

Congress just passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — the biggest federal housing bill in decades — and it became law in July 2026. It bans large investors from buying up existing homes, streamlines construction, and pays localities to build. So does it help you buy a home in South Florida? In this episode of the South Florida Mortgage Report, Craig and Bill break down what the bill actually does, what it's supposed to fix, and the honest truth about where it lands — because the answer is completely different in Miami than it is in Jacksonville, Tampa, or the middle of the state. In this episode: * What the ROAD to Housing Act actually does (the investor ban, supply reforms, conversion pilot) * What it's supposed to fix — and why that's a national problem, not a South Florida one * Why it barely moves the needle here: the investor ban hardly applies, we're out of buildable land, and it's silent on the two things really pricing us out — insurance and the condo assessment crisis * Who it does help: Jacksonville, Tampa, and Florida's growth corridors * The one provision worth watching for South Florida * Why "wait for the housing bill" is bad advice for a South Florida buyer Program became law July 2026; effects are years out. Questions about what actually moves your numbers in South Florida? Contact Capital Partners Mortgage Services. **Subscribe for weekly market updates** on rates, inflation, jobs reports, and what actually moves mortgage pricing. 📍South Florida focus — national relevance. #MortgageRates #HousingMarket #RealEstate #Fed #FannieMae #FreddieMac #MBS #Refinance #HomeBuying #SouthFloridaRealEstate 🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUTH FLORIDA MORTGAGE REPORT 🔁 YouTube playlist (all episodes): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCOa_zSrotiecbiomGKhTzASCBToYQUea 📱 Subscribe & follow on your favorite platform: • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/south-florida-mortgage-report/id1834181574 • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QxG2PzPd3W9pJFqQnLAPS?si=5a667fbd60a44ce9 📌 HELPFUL LINKS 📩 Housing Newsletter: Stay informed with curated mortgage and housing insights delivered straight to your inbox: https://housingnewsletters.com/craiggarcia ✅ Pre-Approvals 24/7: Get started anytime: ⁠ Option 1⁠ https://loancenter.cp-mtg.com/dr/c/rhx8h ⁠ Option 2⁠ https://loancenter.cp-mtg.com/dr/c/w2o7v

Buyer's Market? Not So Fast.

Everybody's saying "it's a buyer's market" — but is there even a definition, and does South Florida actually qualify? Craig and Bill break down the one metric that decides it (months of supply), why the local line isn't the national one, and the reveal that settles it: in May 2026, Miami-Dade single-family sat at 5.2 months — a *seller's* market with prices up — while condos hit 12.9 months, a genuine *buyer's* market with prices down. Same county, same month, opposite leverage. The pattern holds tri-county (Broward and Palm Beach houses are even tighter; their condos are looser too). Plus: why buyers don't *feel* the leverage even where it's real, how to actually use it, and how to tell a real condo discount from a warning label. **Subscribe for weekly market updates** on rates, inflation, jobs reports, and what actually moves mortgage pricing. 📍South Florida focus — national relevance. #MortgageRates #HousingMarket #RealEstate #Fed #FannieMae #FreddieMac #MBS #Refinance #HomeBuying #SouthFloridaRealEstate 🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUTH FLORIDA MORTGAGE REPORT 🔁 YouTube playlist (all episodes): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCOa_zSrotiecbiomGKhTzASCBToYQUea 📱 Subscribe & follow on your favorite platform: • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/south-florida-mortgage-report/id1834181574 • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QxG2PzPd3W9pJFqQnLAPS?si=5a667fbd60a44ce9 📌 HELPFUL LINKS 📩 Housing Newsletter: Stay informed with curated mortgage and housing insights delivered straight to your inbox: https://housingnewsletters.com/craiggarcia ✅ Pre-Approvals 24/7: Get started anytime: ⁠ Option 1⁠ https://loancenter.cp-mtg.com/dr/c/rhx8h ⁠ Option 2⁠ https://loancenter.cp-mtg.com/dr/c/w2o7v

Florida Hometown Heroes 2026: Who Qualifies — and Who's Left Out

Florida's Hometown Heroes down payment assistance program is back for 2026 — and it's narrower than a lot of people realize. Plenty who assume they qualify won't. In this episode of the South Florida Mortgage Report, we break down where the program stands now, who's most often left out, and how agents and buyers can avoid a painful surprise at underwriting. If you work with clients in healthcare, education, public safety, or anyone who's self-employed, this is the one to hear before they make an offer. **In this episode:** - How the program narrowed — wide open two years ago, back to frontline heroes last year, and tighter still for 2026 - The four-part test that now decides eligibility — and why it's not about the job title - Who's often surprised they don't qualify now: self-employed, multi-site, and fully remote workers - The hospital-cafeteria-vs-pharmacy-cashier rule that captures the whole logic in one example - The good news most people miss — including the fact that only one borrower has to qualify - The two questions to ask every buyer before you write an offer The assistance itself: a minimum of $10,000 and up to $35,000 (5% of the loan) toward down payment and closing costs — a 0% second mortgage with no monthly payment. Real help, but not forgivable. Not sure whether your buyer qualifies? Capital Partners Mortgage Services will check them against the actual 2026 guidelines — reach out before you make a move. 📍 cp-mtg.com *Subject to eligibility, income limits, and available program funds. Not a commitment to lend. Equal Housing Lender.* **Subscribe for weekly market updates** on rates, inflation, jobs reports, and what actually moves mortgage pricing. 📍South Florida focus — national relevance. #MortgageRates #HousingMarket #RealEstate #Fed #FannieMae #FreddieMac #MBS #Refinance #HomeBuying #SouthFloridaRealEstate 🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUTH FLORIDA MORTGAGE REPORT 🔁 YouTube playlist (all episodes): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCOa_zSrotiecbiomGKhTzASCBToYQUea 📱 Subscribe & follow on your favorite platform: • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/south-florida-mortgage-report/id1834181574 • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QxG2PzPd3W9pJFqQnLAPS?si=5a667fbd60a44ce9 📌 HELPFUL LINKS 📩 Housing Newsletter: Stay informed with curated mortgage and housing insights delivered straight to your inbox: https://housingnewsletters.com/craiggarcia ✅ Pre-Approvals 24/7: Get started anytime: ⁠ Option 1⁠ https://loancenter.cp-mtg.com/dr/c/rhx8h ⁠ Option 2⁠ https://loancenter.cp-mtg.com/dr/c/w2o7v

Hometown Heroes is Back! $35,000 for Teachers, Nurses, Police, Firefighters, And More

The Florida Hometown Heroes Program is officially returning, and if you're a teacher, nurse, law enforcement officer, firefighter, military member, childcare worker, or another eligible public servant, this could be one of the best homebuying opportunities of the year.In this special breaking news episode of the South Florida Mortgage Report, Craig Garcia and Bill Mei explain what we know so far, who is expected to qualify, and why you don't necessarily have to wait until July 13th to begin the home buying process.In this episode we discuss:✅ Florida Hometown Heroes returns with $50 million in funding✅ Up to $35,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance✅ Zero interest and no monthly payments✅ Expected eligibility requirements✅ Why now is the time to get pre-approved✅ Important program dates✅ How the funds are likely to be reservedIf you've been waiting because you didn't have enough money for a down payment, this program could help make homeownership possible.📅 Important Dates• July 7 – Expected mortgage rates announced for the program• July 13 – Reservations open and funds become availableFunding is limited and has historically been exhausted quickly, so preparation is key.**Subscribe for weekly market updates** on rates, inflation, jobs reports, and what actually moves mortgage pricing. 📍South Florida focus — national relevance. #MortgageRates #HousingMarket #RealEstate #Fed #FannieMae #FreddieMac #MBS #Refinance #HomeBuying #SouthFloridaRealEstate 🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUTH FLORIDA MORTGAGE REPORT 🔁 YouTube playlist (all episodes): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCOa_zSrotiecbiomGKhTzASCBToYQUea 📱 Subscribe & follow on your favorite platform: • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/south-florida-mortgage-report/id1834181574 • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QxG2PzPd3W9pJFqQnLAPS?si=5a667fbd60a44ce9 📌 HELPFUL LINKS 📩 Housing Newsletter: Stay informed with curated mortgage and housing insights delivered straight to your inbox: https://housingnewsletters.com/craiggarcia ✅ Pre-Approvals 24/7: Get started anytime: ⁠ Option 1⁠ https://loancenter.cp-mtg.com/dr/c/rhx8h ⁠Option 2⁠ https://loancenter.cp-mtg.com/dr/c/w2o7v

The New Sheriff and the Hidden Lever — What Kevin Warsh's Fed Means for Your Mortgage

Kevin Warsh held his first FOMC meeting as Fed Chair on June 17th — and the story wasn't what happened to rates (nothing). It was everything else: forward guidance eliminated, the dot plot he refused to submit, five task forces launched to overhaul the Fed's entire operating model — and the one tool that connects directly to your mortgage rate. Craig Garcia and Bill Mei break down who Warsh actually is, why the Fed cutting rates can *raise* mortgage rates, the 1990s Greenspan-AI parallel, and the three documented balance-sheet tools that could move 30-year rates by 40 to 115 basis points without a single change to the Fed funds rate. Plus why the sequence — inflation credibility first, balance sheet second — is everything.Chapters:00:00 The Fed's New Leadership and Market Reactions02:26 Understanding Kevin Warsh's Approach to Inflation04:49 The Shift in Forward Guidance and Its Implications07:09 Market Volatility and Communication Changes09:51 The Role of AI in Economic Reporting12:32 The Relationship Between Fed Rates and Mortgage Rates15:14 Trends Over Numbers: A New Perspective on Inflation16:51 AI and Economic Productivity Gains18:37 The Housing Market Dynamics20:32 Understanding the Fed's Balance Sheet23:49 Quantitative Tightening and Its Impact25:59 Potential Fed Strategies for Housing28:27 Exploring Operation Twist31:11 The Importance of Fed Credibility32:16 Advice for Home Buyers34:07 Looking Ahead: Future Implications for Housing**Subscribe for weekly market updates** on rates, inflation, jobs reports, and what actually moves mortgage pricing. 📍South Florida focus — national relevance. #MortgageRates #HousingMarket #RealEstate #Fed #FannieMae #FreddieMac #MBS #Refinance #HomeBuying #SouthFloridaRealEstate 🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE TO THE SOUTH FLORIDA MORTGAGE REPORT 🔁 YouTube playlist (all episodes): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCOa_zSrotiecbiomGKhTzASCBToYQUea 📱 Subscribe & follow on your favorite platform: • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/south-florida-mortgage-report/id1834181574 • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QxG2PzPd3W9pJFqQnLAPS?si=5a667fbd60a44ce9 📌 HELPFUL LINKS 📩 Housing Newsletter: Stay informed with curated mortgage and housing insights delivered straight to your inbox: https://housingnewsletters.com/craiggarcia ✅ Pre-Approvals 24/7: Get started anytime: ⁠ Option 1⁠ https://loancenter.cp-mtg.com/dr/c/rhx8h ⁠Option 2⁠ https://loancenter.cp-mtg.com/dr/c/w2o7v