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The Mostly Real Estate Podcast, with Declan SpringAuthor: Declan Spring
Conversations with East Bay real estate agents, creatives, and community voices shaping todays local market.The Mostly Real Estate Podcast with Declan Spring spotlights the people shaping East Bay real estate top producers, rising stars, and agents known for creative marketing or unique insight. Each conversation explores the craft, challenges, and character of this dynamic market.Produced by Declan Spring and Denitsa Shopova, founders of The Home Factor, a Berkeley-based real-estate and creative-media team, the show celebrates collaboration, storytelling, and community across the East Bay.CA DRE#01398898 Language: en-us Genres: Business, Careers, Entrepreneurship Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Why Rate Shopping Might Be A Bum Steer: Real Lending Insights From Brady Thomas - #72
Friday, 6 February, 2026
Ideas for the show or to want just to support us? Send us a text!The smartest edge in a choppy market isn’t a flashy rate quote, it’s certainty. We sat down with Brady Thomas, owner of LaSalle Mortgage, to map how real buyers win: a fully underwritten pre-approval, a lender who calls the listing agent, and a plan that balances affordability with speed to close. Along the way, we translate rate noise into plain English: the Fed doesn’t set mortgages, the 10-year Treasury and risk spread do, and trust in institutions shapes bond demand. If jobs cool, rates can fall, and housing can heat up, even as the broader economy softens.We also go deep on ADUs, the East Bay’s favorite form of quiet density. Permitted ADUs with a kitchen, bath, and separate entrance can now count toward qualifying income on homes with up to four total dwelling units. Single-family parcels may support multiple ADUs, and appraisers can use rent surveys so lenders can include 75% of fair market rent. The catch: the ADU must exist and be permitted. Bonus rooms and low-ceiling would-be In-Laws won’t count for rental income, though they can still add appraised value. For financing builds, most owners lean on cash, family help, cash-out refis, or HELOCs; renovation loans exist but come with guardrails because half-finished projects spook lenders.Brady also previews his new Field Report, a hyperlocal survey of the top Inner East Bay agents that reveals what actually worked in 2025 and where the 2026 market is heading. The throughline is clear: buyers are pickier, preparation matters, and positioning beats passive listing. Enjoy the conversation, grab the Field Report from the show notes, and if this helped you, share it with a friend. Subscribe for more hyperlocal insights, and leave a review with your biggest question about rates or ADUs, we’ll tackle it all on a future show!Brady Thomas is a licensed Mortgage Lender NMLS# 396946Click this link to receive your copy of The Field ReportFollow Brady on Instagram @peptalkmortgageDeclan Spring is a licensed CA REALTOR® DRE#01398898
