Bene's Blog

More than two weeks into the federal government shutdown, the U.S. housing market is showing clear signs of stagnation. Both buyers and sellers appear hesitant to make moves amid ongoing uncertainty in Washington, D.C., and this slowdown is expected to persist until the political impasse is resolved. For the week ending October 11, national real […]

More Debt, More Expensive Borrowing The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is set to add trillions of dollars to the national debt over the next decade. With the government borrowing more, interest rates on U.S. debt are expected to climb. And when Treasury rates rise, borrowing costs across the economy—especially mortgages—tend to […]

The Big News Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—two of the most important companies behind U.S. home loans—might be taken public again by the end of 2025. Reports say the plan could value them at $500 billion, with the government raising around $30 billion. Their stock prices jumped about 20% on the news. Both companies have […]

I have been trying to get my husband to take out the shrubs that line the edges of my home.  He wants to keep them because a) they protect the paint and siding from direct sunlight on the south side, b) they are green and lush, and c) they conceal the front porch enough that […]