Should you wait for rates to drop? A mortgage expert's blunt answer

Melissa Jones, founder of Keyvia Mortgage, brings nearly 30 years of financial industry experience to the table — and she is not here to sugarcoat anything. In this episode, Courtney and Melissa dig into where rates actually stand, how buyers can get creative with financing, and the honest mistakes that derail deals right before closing.

If you have been watching rates and wondering whether now is the time to buy or keep waiting — this episode was made for you. Melissa breaks down the current rate environment heading into Q2, explains creative loan tools most buyers have never heard of, and shares the one mistake she sees derail transactions again and again (that has nothing to do with your credit score).

In this episodeEpisode timestamps00:00Introduction — meet Melissa Jones and the story behind Keyvia Mortgage06:40Why Melissa left the corporate lending world and launched her own brokerage — "I didn't want to make other companies wealthy anymore"08:00What "Keyvia" means — and why the name perfectly captures her mission09:00Independent broker vs. big lender: where the savings actually come from10:30Where rates are right now heading into Q2, and what the Fed's latest decision means for buyers12:30"Should I wait for rates to hit 5%?" — Melissa's honest answer14:00Rate buydowns explained: the permanent buydown vs. the 2-1 buydown18:00What separates buyers who get approved easily from those who struggle21:00What "building lasting financial confidence" actually looks like in practice22:30The 20% down myth — and what mortgage insurance actually costs per month25:30What buyers can do right now to position themselves for approval27:30The most common avoidable mistakes Melissa sees buyers make32:00Why your lender choice matters as much as your loan program37:00What Melissa wishes real estate agents understood about the lending process43:00One piece of advice for every first-time home buyer45:30Commercial loans and how Melissa helps business owners find financing47:00How to reach Melissa and connect with Keyvia Mortgage