John Cassels

Veterans Left 8 Billion in VA Home Loan Benefits Unclaimed. Here Is the Real Cost

TEAM CASSELS | EAST VALLEY MORTGAGE VETERAN BENEFIT ALERT May 2026 5 min read A comprehensive analysis by Veterans United Home Loans, published in October 2025 and covered by Rolling Out, Newsweek, and Military.com in May 2026, found that 58,000 VA home loans went unclaimed in 2024 alone. Those

35% of Buyers Regret Their Home Purchase. Here Is What They Missed

TEAM CASSELS | EAST VALLEY MORTGAGE BUYER EDUCATION May 2026 5 min read An estimated 35% of American homebuyers regret their purchase, according to Finance Monthly's 2026 analysis of the US housing market. The most common reasons: unexpected maintenance costs they did not see coming and location choices that

Sellers Are Playing Ball. This Is the Most Buyer-Friendly Spring in 4 Years

TEAM CASSELS | EAST VALLEY MORTGAGE BUYER OPPORTUNITY May 2026 5 min read Every headwind that typically freezes a housing market hit at once this spring: mortgage rates climbed to a nine-month high, inflation held above 3%, consumer sentiment dropped, and geopolitical uncertainty rattled financial markets. Realtor.com senior economist Jake

The Delinquency Headlines Are Scary. Here Is What They Are Not Telling You

TEAM CASSELS | EAST VALLEY MORTGAGE CREDIT INTELLIGENCE May 2026 5 min read Credit card and auto loan 90-day delinquencies have reached levels last seen around 2008 and 2010. Social media economists are circulating the charts. The headlines are alarming. HousingWire lead analyst Logan Mohtashami addressed this directly in his Friday

Canadian Buyers Ranked Phoenix Their Third-Favorite US Market. The East Valley Is Why

TEAM CASSELS | EAST VALLEY MORTGAGE MARKET INTELLIGENCE May 2026 5 min read This is what 66.9% of Phoenix's international home-shopping demand is looking for. Single story. Tile roof. Desert landscaping. Blue Arizona sky in February. New data from Realtor.com, published May 30, 2026, confirms what East

1,000 Americans Become Millionaires Every Day. Most of Them Own a Home

TEAM CASSELS | EAST VALLEY MORTGAGE WEALTH INTELLIGENCE May 2026 5 min read According to the UBS Global Wealth Report, approximately 1,000 Americans crossed into millionaire status every single day in 2024. There are now 24 million millionaires in the United States, representing 41% of all millionaires globally despite the

The Iran Deal Changed Rates. The Fine Print Matters More.

TEAM CASSELS | EAST VALLEY MORTGAGE RATE INTELLIGENCE May 2026 5 min read A US-Iran peace deal is materializing. Bond markets reacted immediately. The 10-year Treasury yield pulled back from its conflict highs. East Valley buyers watching financing costs are asking the right question: does this mean rates are headed back

Move in With Mom. The Data Finally Proves It's Brilliant

TEAM CASSELS | EAST VALLEY MORTGAGE FAMILY STRATEGY May 2026 5 min read Multigenerational homes, properties with in-law suites, granny flats, guest houses, or attached casitas, now sell for a median of 09,000, about 65% above typical listings. They attract 13.5% more views. They command 62 per square foot

The Airbnb Co-Host Just Solved the Biggest Problem East Valley Investors Had.

TEAM CASSELS | EAST VALLEY MORTGAGE INVESTOR INTELLIGENCE May 2026 5 min read Over 100,000 Airbnb listings now have co-hosts. Co-hosts are independent operators who manage short-term rentals on behalf of homeowners, handling everything from guest communication to cleaners to 2am Wi-Fi crises, in exchange for 10% to 22% of

A New Study Says Zero-Down FHA Loans Are Nearly As Safe As 3.5% Down Loans. East Valley First-Time Buyers Should Know: The Path to Zero Already Exists.

TEAM CASSELS | EAST VALLEY MORTGAGE FIRST-TIME BUYER ALERT May 2026 5 min read The Urban Institute just released a study concluding that the FHA could offer zero-down payment mortgages to first-time homebuyers without significantly increasing default risk to its insurance fund. The additional default risk: 12 basis points. That is

Most People Think You Cannot Make Payments on a Reverse Mortgage. That Assumption Is Costing East Valley Homeowners Control of Their Equity.

TEAM CASSELS | EAST VALLEY MORTGAGE REVERSE MORTGAGE INSIGHT May 2026 5 min read One of the most persistent and costly misconceptions about the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage is that it works like a one-way street. The loan balance grows. You lose equity over time. There is no turning back. That

Home Price Growth Is at One-Third Its Pre-Pandemic Pace. For East Valley Buyers Who Have Been Waiting, the FHFA Data Finally Makes the Case.

TEAM CASSELS | EAST VALLEY MORTGAGE MARKET INTELLIGENCE May 2026 5 min read The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported this week that U.S. home prices rose just 1.7% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to a year earlier — a pace that is one-third what it was at the