Todd Sevier · October 20, 2026

Building equity without realizing it

Mortgage Market Update

Todd Sevier

Todd Sevier

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Building equity without realizing it

One of the best parts of owning a home is that your payments work for you, not just your lender. Let me explain how.

National Mortgage Rates · October 16, 2026

Conventional 30-Year

7.28%

FHA 30-Year

7.13%

VA 30-Year

6.93%

Rate trend

Source: Optimal Blue daily mortgage indices via FRED

Rates shown are national mortgage index rates and are provided for informational purposes only. Actual rates vary based on credit profile, loan amount, and market conditions. Please contact us for a personalized rate quote.


Equity Building

How your mortgage works for you over time

Every payment you make builds equity—that's the portion of your home's value you actually own. Early on, most of your payment goes toward interest, but as time passes, more goes straight to ownership. This matters because equity is your financial cushion. It can help you refinance on better terms, tap into cash for home repairs or other needs, or give you options down the road you might not expect today. The sooner you understand how your specific loan builds equity, the better you can plan ahead.

If you'd like to see how your current mortgage is building equity, I'm happy to walk you through it.

Tip of the Week

Your loan officer can run a credit simulator to show exactly which actions will move your score the most.

Tips for Homeowners

Year-End Tax & Mortgage Planning

1.

Consider making your January mortgage payment in December to get an extra month of deductible interest in the current tax year (consult your tax advisor first).

2.

If you plan to sell next year, now is a good time to document improvements — receipts and records add to your cost basis and reduce taxable capital gain at sale.

3.

Review your W-4 withholding if you bought a home this year — your mortgage interest deduction may mean you're having too much withheld from each paycheck.

Have questions about how any of this affects your mortgage or home purchase? We're here to help — reach out to the Todd Sevier team any time and we'll walk you through your options.

Your Mortgage Advisor

T

Todd Sevier

Todd Sevier

todd@ottermortgage.com

You are receiving this from Todd Sevier.  Unsubscribe