🎅 The Lending Letter 🏡

Monday, December 22nd: Final Week Before Christmas—And A Monday Morning Gift 📉

Happy Monday! ☕ If you're reading this, you're either (a) procrastinating on your holiday shopping, (b) the only person at the office who actually showed up, or (c) actually serious about understanding mortgage rates even when everyone else has mentally checked out. Respect. 🫡

Here's your Monday surprise: rates actually ticked DOWN slightly. Right as we enter the final sprint before Christmas. When most lenders are operating with skeleton crews and markets are quieter than your in-laws' house after you bring up politics. Let's talk about what this means and why this week might be more strategic than you think.

🎄 Monday Momentum: A Tiny Rate Drop During the Quietest Week

OK, so a 0.01% drop isn't exactly headline news. It's not like we're breaking out the champagne and calling your mom. But here's what IS interesting: rates moving down during Christmas week is like finding an extra $20 in your coat pocket—unexpected and oddly satisfying. 💸

According to Mortgage News Daily, we're sitting at 6.24% right now. That's actually the lowest we've seen since mid-last week, and it's giving some hope that maybe—just maybe—we might see some stability heading into the new year.

💰 Lender Promos: Your Year-End Power Play

📚 Education Break: The Real Cost of "Waiting for Better Rates"

Everyone's favorite topic. Let's do some actual math that'll make you think twice about sitting on the sidelines. 🧮

Scenario: You're eyeing a $400,000 home. You decide to wait for rates to drop from 6.24% to, let's say, 5.75% (a 0.49% reduction). That sounds smart, right?

🎁 For STR Investors: Your Christmas-to-New-Year Game Plan

If you're in the short-term rental game (or thinking about getting in), this final stretch of 2025 is actually strategic genius timing. Here's why: 🧠

1. Ski Season is LIVE Right Now
Mountain markets from Colorado to Vermont to Tahoe are printing money right now. Christmas week and New Year's week? Those are $300-$500+ per night weeks in good locations. If you close on a property in January and get it furnished by February, you're positioned for the tail end of ski season and then spring break. Connect with STR lenders here who understand seasonal cash flow modeling. 🎿

2. Warm Weather Markets Never Sleep
Florida, Arizona, Southern California—these markets are crushing it right now with snowbird season in full effect. According to AirDNA market data, occupancy rates in prime warm-weather STR markets are running 75-85% through March. That's real cash flow, friends. ☀️

3. Tax Accelerators Before Year-End
This is where it gets spicy. If you already own STRs, you have exactly 9 days to make moves that could save you serious tax money:

• Cost Segregation:Get a study done before year-end and potentially accelerate 20-40% of your property's value into immediate deductions. We're talking $30k-$80k in first-year write-offs on a $400k property. Do the math. 📊
• Furnishings & Upgrades: Need to furnish or upgrade that STR? 0% interest financing is available, and if you close before December 31st, you can write off up to $2,890 per item under Section 179. That hot tub, that high-end mattress, that espresso machine—all potentially deductible this year. 🛁

💳 Personal Finance Hack: The Christmas Bonus Strategy

📊 Monday Market Reality Check

Let's talk about what's actually happening in real estate right now, because the headlines don't always tell the full story:

Inventory is Still Tight (But Getting Better)
According to Realtor.com's latest data, active listings are up about 18% year-over-year. That sounds like a lot, but we're still way below pre-2020 levels. Translation: if you find something good, don't overthink it. Someone else isn't overthinking it. 🏠

Days on Market Are Creeping Up
The median days on market is now around 55-65 days depending on your market (per NAR stats), compared to the insane 14-30 day averages we saw in 2021-2022. This is actually good news for buyers—you have time to do real due diligence without feeling pressured to waive inspections or write love letters to sellers. ⏱️

Price Reductions Are More Common
About 1 in 5 listings is seeing a price reduction right now, according to Redfin's data center. That's significantly higher than normal. Know what that means? Negotiation opportunities. Sellers who've reduced price once are often more motivated than they'll admit. 💰

🎄 The December 22nd Bottom Line

Here's the Monday truth: while most of America is coasting through Christmas week in full holiday mode, a small group of informed people are making strategic money moves. Rates at 6.24% aren't dream-level, but they're workable. And the year-end window for tax advantages, motivated sellers, and strategic positioning is closing fast. ⏰

You have essentially one business week left in 2025 (December 23-30, minus Christmas). If you've been "thinking about" making a move—whether that's buying, investing, refinancing, or optimizing your current properties—this week is decision time. Not "let's revisit this in January" time. Actual decision time. 🎯

The people who win in real estate aren't always the ones who wait for perfect conditions. They're the ones who recognize good-enough conditions and execute while others are still analyzing. Be the executor, not the analyzer. 💪

🌟 Monday Wisdom

Real talk: you know what's more expensive than a 6.24% mortgage? Regret. Watching the perfect property sell to someone else while you were "waiting for better rates." Paying 8% more for that same house next year because you waited. Missing out on 12 months of rental income, appreciation, and tax deductions. 🤷

According to financial research, the "best time to buy" is almost never determined by rate conditions alone. It's determined by finding the right property, having your finances ready, and pulling the trigger when opportunity meets preparation. That time might be right now. 🎯

So power through this Monday. Answer those emails. Finish your last-minute tasks. But also—if you've been thinking about making a real estate move, stop thinking and start doing. The clock is ticking louder than your office's "optional" holiday party reminder. 🎅