September 2025 Recap

September was intense; WOW… Below is a little update on myself and the country, followed by a real estate market update. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out!

First off, It was my birthday month, and the older I get the more angst I seem to get about turning a year older, especially since I have things that I still want in life that are somewhat time conscious [ie having kids haha] although I vowed this year that I wasn’t going to try and plan something epic that I couldn’t afford or get an idea that I waited until the last minute to plan which then again upped the angst. It turns out having cupcakes for breakfast with my Dad, getting my free birthday Pumpkin Chai from Starbucks, doing a little bit of solo shopping, hanging out with my animals and watching a little football was the perfect low key birthday I wanted and needed. My mom was supposed to take me bull riding the next day but had to postpone things. Still looking forward to that though!

Whew, now for the heavy stuff. A stabbing in Charlotte a few hours away, a public, pre-meditated assassination of Charlie Kirk, a few other mass shootings including children, a freak flood in Arizona, a couple hurricanes to prepare for just-in-case and then the latest shooting less than an hour from here in Southport [where I grew up and still have family and friends there and visit once a week or so]. Did I mention I actually knew the shooter in Southport and had to go to the police about him back in 2019 for stalking after he was convinced we had this whole very detailed past together even though we had never met? Yeah, there’s that, which took me down a rabbit hole along with speaking with a few other girls who had similar instances. It was weird emotionally and also made me so frustrated and angry that there were so many red flags and instances that “just weren’t bad enough” for institutions to take any action. Going back to the stabbing in Charlotte and the Charlie Kirk assassination; I found out about both of these moments, shortly after they happened [as I know many others did as well] because they were put on social media and came up organically after what was probably a cute animal video I was watching previously. Then, to keep scrolling after my nervous system just got shocked to see another happy video seconds later. We weren’t meant for this and have become so desensitized to it which is very sad. Yet, still I feel a sense of safety which is odd and a blessing I know in it’s own sense.

Business wise though, mid August until about mid to late September there is always a lull in the real estate market due to kids going back to school, navigating new schedules and having to do a little bit more planning in order to get down to the beach to look at properties or prepare your home for showings even if you are local. It’s like this every year however, with the storms and all the acts of violence, even more apprehension on moving forward with a large purchase such as buying a home took the forefront. Interest rates are still high despite the feds dropping a quarter point which for investors, means things probably still aren’t cash flowing. I know I keep saying this as well but pricing is still all over the place. We have new sellers who are selling for the first time since pre-covid times. Then, we have owners who purchased at the height of the covid market where people were pulling money out of stocks and investing in real estate, skyrocketing sale prices due to low supply and high demand. Those owners who are trying to sell again now are having a hard time getting market value but can only drop their price so much without letting go as a short sale. Then, we have our new constructions where pricing has been up and down, and now is going to end up shooting up again with the additional new tariffs that just went into place this past week.

This brings me to this oh so wonderful shutdown we are now in. HUD has a contingency plan that’s going to keep many housing programs alive, though often in a reduced capacity. The Federal Housing Administration [FHA] will continue to endorse new single-family mortgage loans, except for certain types, such as HECMs and Title I, but others such as processing certain types of condominium project approvals, are suspended.

At the same time, essential FHA operations, including paying claims, servicing mortgages, loss mitigation, and managing foreclosed properties (“REO/HUD Homes”) move forward, often via contractors. Importantly, borrowers may turn to private flood insurance if the National Flood Insurance Program lapses during the shutdown. During a potential lapse, the NFIP may not sell new or renewal flood insurance policies. Existing NFIP policies will remain in effect until their expiration date, and claims will continue to be paid until funds run out. NFIP policies may be assigned from seller to buyer during a lapse, and most lending regulators have issued guidance providing flexibility. Private market flood insurance is also an option, but remember is not regulated so make sure you do all of your due diligence before going down this route.

USDA will not issue new direct loans or guaranteed loans, and scheduled direct loan closings will not take place. Pending conditional commitments for guaranteed loans will be reviewed and, if possible, USDA may issue the loan note guarantee. Guaranteed loan closings without a previously issued guarantee may still proceed, but only at the lender’s risk. Disbursements on existing construction loans may continue when necessary to protect USDA’s property interests. All pending loan servicing actions, including guaranteed loss claims, must be documented and secured to allow for timely processing after the shutdown ends. Rental assistance will continue only if a threat to USDA’s property interests becomes imminent (after 30 days), and funding remains available under existing rental assistance agreements.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will continue to guarantee home loans during the government shutdown, and lenders may keep processing applications. However, some VA staff and support functions may be reduced, which may slow down approvals, appraisals, and certificate of eligibility requests. Veterans seeking a new loan or refinance should check with their lender for updated processing times during an extended shutdown. 

I don’t want to write you all such a long book but there was some pertinent information I wanted to relay along with some general updates which you all I’m sure are curious about as well.

If I didn’t cover something you are curious about, please reach out! I am always down for a chat about real estate, the area in general, food suggestions, photography services, upcoming events, beaches, how cute your pets are…any and all of it!!

Thanks a bunch and talk soon!

Jenna
910-523-1018
Jenna@saltyairliving.com