Insights & Analysis
Market analysis, housing affordability research, and insights from 35 years in the mortgage industry.
February 2026
The origin story of the Seattle Housing Affordability Model — born from watching Option ARM resets devastate families, and 35 years of observing how buyers actually make purchasing decisions. I'm not asking anyone to trust me. I'm asking them to look at the data.
Read Article→January 2026
Current mortgage rates near 6.5% are below the 54-year historical average of 7.7%. The ultra-low rates of 2020-2021 were emergency measures — not a baseline to expect returning to. Understanding what actually drives mortgage rates helps homebuyers make informed decisions.
Read Article→February 2026
When a practitioner-built model and Federal Reserve research arrive at similar conclusions from different starting points, both deserve serious consideration. The SF Fed's findings on income and housing prices align remarkably with what SHAM has been showing for 35 years.
Read Article→February 2026
AI can produce a convincing answer to almost any mortgage question. That's exactly what makes it dangerous — and exactly why 35 years of domain expertise still matters. A framework for knowing when to trust AI and when to verify.
Read Article→For the latest SHAM data and Seattle market analysis, visit SeattleHousingFacts.com
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