Real estate advice with a mother’s heart and a broker’s backbone.

Mortgage RatesMay 22, 2026

Mortgage Rates Right Now: The Kitchen-Table Version

If you have been waiting for the perfect rate, I want you to hear this clearly: a plan built only around waiting can become a plan with no finish line.

By Mia RobersonOwner of Creed Realty · REALTOR®

Every few weeks, someone calls me and says, “Mia, should we wait until rates come down?” I understand the question. A mortgage payment is not a small thing. It affects your groceries, your savings, your peace, and the way your family lives every month.

But the honest answer is not as simple as “wait” or “go.” The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate moved around the mid-6% range in late May, with Freddie Mac’s weekly survey showing 6.51% for the week of May 21. That is not the number any buyer dreams about, but it is also not a reason to freeze your life in place.

Here is what I tell families at the kitchen table: buy the right home when the payment works, the need is real, and the plan is responsible. Do not buy because you are afraid of missing out. Do not wait just because you are hoping a headline saves you. A good decision is not made from fear in either direction.

If rates improve later, you may have the option to refinance. What you cannot refinance is the year of appreciation you missed, the rent you paid to somebody else, or the home that fit your family and passed you by because you were waiting on a perfect number.

For my agents, this is where our job matters. We are not here to pressure people. We are here to help them see the whole picture: payment, timing, inventory, negotiation, and long-term ownership. That is the kind of guidance families remember.

If you are trying to decide whether now is the right time, call the office and let’s talk through the numbers before you talk yourself out of the next chapter.

Fed WatchMay 23, 2026

Kevin Warsh Is the New Fed Chair. Here’s What That Means for Your Mortgage

A new Fed Chair matters, but he does not walk into your lender’s office and set your mortgage rate by hand.

By Mia RobersonOwner of Creed Realty · REALTOR®

Kevin Warsh being sworn in as Federal Reserve Chair is a big national headline. It is fair for buyers, sellers, and agents to ask what changes now. But I want to separate the headline from the homework.

The Fed influences the economy, but mortgage rates usually move with the bond market and inflation expectations. That means one person taking a new seat at the Fed does not automatically make a 30-year mortgage cheaper the next morning.

The housing market needs stability more than drama. If investors believe inflation is still too high, long-term rates can stay stubborn even when people are hoping for cuts. That is why the responsible answer is: watch the Fed, but do not build your family’s whole plan around one meeting.

For buyers, this means focus on what you can control: your budget, your preapproval, your location, and your willingness to move when the right home appears. For sellers, it means pricing and presentation still matter more than trying to guess the perfect rate week.

For agents, this is a leadership moment. Clients are hearing noise from every direction. They need somebody calm enough to explain what matters and honest enough to say what does not.

If a Fed headline has you unsure, bring the question to us. We will translate it into what it means for your actual move.

EconomyMay 24, 2026

From Overseas Conflict to Your Closing Table

When oil prices move, inflation worries move. When inflation worries move, mortgage rates can feel it.

By Mia RobersonOwner of Creed Realty · REALTOR®

Most people do not wake up thinking about oil markets, shipping routes, or global conflict when they are trying to buy a home in Virginia Beach or sell a house in Chesapeake. But sometimes the world feels far away until it shows up in a monthly payment.

When conflict abroad pushes oil higher, it can feed inflation concerns. When inflation concerns rise, investors often demand higher returns on long-term bonds. Mortgage rates tend to follow those long-term bond movements more closely than most people realize.

That does not mean families should panic. It means we should plan. A good real estate plan has room for the market we are actually in, not just the one we wish we had.

If you are buying, make sure the payment works even if rates do not fall quickly. If you are selling, understand that a buyer’s affordability may change faster than your asking price does. If you are an agent, explain this without making it scary. People need clarity, not fear.

The world can be noisy. Home still matters. Our job is to help you make wise decisions inside the noise.

If you are wondering whether the economy should change your timing, let’s talk before you make the decision alone.

Local MarketMay 20, 2026

Hampton Roads Is Not One Market. It’s Seven Conversations.

Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, and Newport News each need their own advice.

By Mia RobersonOwner of Creed Realty · REALTOR®

One of the easiest mistakes in real estate is talking about Hampton Roads like it is one neighborhood. It is not. Norfolk is not Chesapeake. Virginia Beach is not Portsmouth. Suffolk is not Hampton. Newport News has its own rhythm too.

That is why I get careful when someone asks, “How is the market?” My answer is usually, “Tell me where, tell me what kind of home, and tell me what you are trying to do.” Detached homes, townhomes, condos, first-time buyer price points, military relocation, and investor properties can all behave differently in the same month.

For sellers, this means your pricing strategy should not come from a headline. It should come from your property type, condition, city, neighborhood, and competition. For buyers, it means you may have more room in one area than another. The right agent should help you see those differences before you write an offer.

For agents thinking about Creed, this is the work. We are not here to memorize scripts. We are here to understand people and places well enough to give advice that actually fits.

Local knowledge is not a slogan. It is the difference between guessing and guiding.

If you want to know what is happening in your city, not just the whole region, reach out and we will look at your specific market.

First-Time BuyersMay 18, 2026

You May Be More Ready Than You Think

You do not need to feel fearless to buy your first home. You need a clear picture and someone honest in your corner.

By Mia RobersonOwner of Creed Realty · REALTOR®

Some of the best homeowners I know started the conversation by telling me they were not ready. They were nervous about credit. Nervous about down payment. Nervous about the monthly payment. Nervous about asking questions they thought they should already know.

Let me say this like I would say it at my own table: you are allowed to start with questions. You are allowed to need help. You are allowed to learn before you leap.

The first step is not always writing an offer. Sometimes the first step is looking at your income, your debts, your savings, your lease timeline, and the kind of payment that lets you sleep at night. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has helpful homebuying tools, but a guide on a website still cannot replace a local conversation.

The goal is not to make you house poor. The goal is to help you understand what is possible, what needs work, and what timeline makes sense.

If you find out you are ready, wonderful. If you find out you need three months, six months, or a year, that is still progress. Clarity is not pressure. Clarity is a gift.

If you are a first-time buyer, call us before you count yourself out.

Selling StrategyMay 16, 2026

The Most Expensive Words in Real Estate: “Let’s Wait”

Waiting can be wise when it has a plan. Waiting without a plan usually just feels safe.

By Mia RobersonOwner of Creed Realty · REALTOR®

I am not against waiting. Sometimes waiting is the right answer. What I am against is waiting with no numbers, no plan, and no understanding of what the wait is costing you.

For a seller, waiting can mean more competition later, a missed spring window, or small repairs turning into bigger ones. For a buyer, waiting can mean another year of rent, fewer choices, or home prices moving while you stand still.

The question is not, “Should I wait?” The better question is, “What has to be true for waiting to help me?” If the answer is clear, we can plan around it. If the answer is just “maybe rates will drop,” then we need to be honest about the risk.

I believe in executing early when the plan is sound. That does not mean rushing. It means preparing before the market forces your hand.

A calm plan beats a last-minute scramble every time.

If you are thinking about selling later this year, start the conversation now so later does not surprise you.

RelocationMay 14, 2026

Two States, One Standard

Virginia or North Carolina, your family should not have to start over with a stranger.

By Mia RobersonOwner of Creed Realty · REALTOR®

Relocation is emotional even when it is exciting. A new job, PCS orders, family changes, school zones, commute times, and selling one home while buying another can make the whole process feel like too much at once.

That is why consistency matters. Creed Realty has offices in Virginia and North Carolina, with Hampton Roads as our headquarters. When a family crosses a state line, they still deserve the same standard of service, the same care, and the same steady communication.

For military families, the VA home loan benefit can be powerful, but it still needs the right plan. Eligibility, occupancy, timing, lender communication, and local market strategy all matter.

For agents, relocation is one of the clearest examples of why a brokerage needs systems and support. A client should not feel dropped just because the geography got complicated.

Two states. One standard. That is the promise.

If a move across Virginia or North Carolina is on your horizon, call us before the deadline starts making decisions for you.

Career With CreedMay 12, 2026

If You’re Building a Real Estate Career, Choose the Room Carefully

The brokerage you choose shapes your confidence, your habits, your standards, and your staying power.

By Mia RobersonOwner of Creed Realty · REALTOR®

I care about clients. I also care deeply about agents, because healthy agents serve families better. If an agent is unsupported, confused, isolated, or treated like a number, that eventually shows up in the client experience.

If you are new to real estate, you do not just need a license. You need training, accountability, encouragement, and people who will answer the phone when you are standing in the middle of a situation you have never handled before.

If you are experienced, you may not need hand-holding, but you may need a room that respects your production, your leadership, and your desire to build something with more ownership and more purpose.

Creed Realty is built on service. “We Exist To Serve” applies to the public, but it also applies inside the brokerage. We want agents who care about families, care about craft, and want to grow in a culture where support is not just a recruiting phrase.

The right room will stretch you, steady you, and remind you why you started.

If you are wondering whether Creed is the right next room for your career, let’s have an honest conversation.