October | 2026

Welcome October

As fall gets underway, mortgage rates have moved back into the 7% range, keeping affordability at the forefront of the housing conversation. The Federal Reserve recently raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point.

While the Fed does not directly set mortgage rates, its decisions can influence broader financial markets, which in turn affect borrowing costs.

But today’s mortgage rate is only part of the story. Some homeowners still carry significantly higher interest rates on their existing mortgages. Others may have lower-rate ARMs with a reset date approaching that could put them in a very different interest-rate environment. Both can represent potential opportunities to explore when prospecting.

For real estate professionals, a changing market makes targeted prospecting more important than ever. In addition to identifying homeowners who may be ready to sell, there are opportunities to find homeowners who may soon need to decide on their financing, creating opportunities for title and lending professionals to help them explore their options.

Happy Fall All!

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Mortgage Rates Top 7%, Reaching Highest Point Since February 2025

Mortgage rates have climbed back above 7%, with Bankrate reporting the 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7.15% — its highest level since February 2025. The increase is keeping affordability and borrowing costs in focus as buyers and sellers navigate the current market.

Read the full story on👉 The MortgagePoint.

Title Toolbox Tips: Prospecting by Interest Rate

Who Is Still Paying 10% or More?

With mortgage rates around 7%, it's easy to assume most homeowners already have a lower rate. But that’s not necessarily the case.

Using Title Toolbox, we searched the Las Vegas, NV, market for properties with an estimated interest rate between 10% and 20% (Exhibit A).

Steps:

1. Conduct an Area Search: Clark County, Las Vegas, Nevada
2. Go to the Premier Data tab
3. Select the Mortgage Info tab
4. Select First Loan Estimated Interest Rate: Between 10-20
5. Get Count: 250 total properties

Exhibit A: Source- Title Toolbox

That’s 250 properties to explore further. We purchased the farm for just $20 to take a closer look at the records.

The goal isn’t to assume that every homeowner with a higher-rate mortgage wants to refinance or sell. Instead, use the interest rate as a prospecting filter and then layer in other Title Toolbox data —

such as equity, length of ownership, Life Events, and other property information — to determine which records may represent a meaningful opportunity.



Here’s what we found:

• Purchase dates: 1986–2026
• 37 of the 250 properties have an LTV above 80%, including many above 100%.
• 20 properties have second loans.
• 2 properties have had a bankruptcy filed in the last 12 months.
• 5 properties have had a Notice of Default filed in the last 12 months.
• 2 properties have had a Notice of Trustee Sale filed in the last 12 months.
• 1 property has had a probate case filed in the last 12 months.
• 33 properties have had liens filed in the last 12 months.
• 4 properties have had a Lis Pendens filed in the last 12 months.
• 4 properties have had an HOA lien filed in the last 12 months.



Among the 250 properties, additional financial indicators and recent Life Events may point to changing circumstances and create opportunities for targeted outreach. Layering this information with mortgage data helps turn a broad interest-rate search into a more focused prospecting list. At the very least, it’s worth reaching out to these homeowners and educating them about the possibility of obtaining a lower interest rate — then allow the Life Events to play out as you build and nurture the relationship.

Don’t Wait for the Reset — Find the Opportunity First

High interest rates aren’t the only opportunity. What about homeowners whose ARM is about to reset? This is where the timing becomes particularly useful.

We put this strategy to the test with a search in Las Vegas, NV, looking for ARM loans scheduled to reset within the next three months (Exhibit B).

Steps:

1. Conduct an Area Search: Clark County, Las Vegas, Nevada
2. Go to the Premier Data tab
3. Select the Mortgage Info tab
4. ARM Reset Date: Between 9/21/26 & 12/31/26
5. Get Count: 87 total properties

Exhibit B: Source- Title Toolbox

The numbers tell an interesting story: the median estimated current interest rate was just 3.63%, while the average was 4.04%. More than 62% had rates below 4%, and 77% were below 5%.

With mortgage rates around 7%, these homeowners may face a very different interest-rate environment as their reset dates approach.

And you don’t have to limit your search to the next three months. Depending on your prospecting strategy, you can look further ahead and identify ARM loans scheduled to reset down the road.



6-MONTH ARM Reset:

A 6-month search in Las Vegas, NV, showed an ARM reset of 176 properties.

12-MONTH ARM Reset:

A 12-month search in Las Vegas, NV, showed an ARM reset of 448 properties.

The Prospecting Opportunity

An upcoming ARM reset doesn’t automatically mean a homeowner will sell or refinance. It simply gives title and lending professionals a date to work toward. By identifying these homeowners before the reset, title professionals can connect with lending partners early and start a conversation about what the upcoming change could mean for the homeowner.

Take Your Search a Step Further

Once you’ve identified and saved a target group of properties, take your search a step further with Sell Score and Refi Score, optional add-ons that help you prioritize opportunities in your list.

Steps:

• Available on any “Saved Farm” in Title Toolbox
• Go to Saved Farms and “Select” the Farm you want to analyze.
• Above the List of records, click the button labeled “Sell & Refi Scores”.

For our example, we looked at the 87-property ARM-reset search. Fifteen properties had a Refi Score of 50% or higher, including scores as high as 73% (Exhibit C).

Exhibit C: Source- Title Toolbox

Sell Score and Refi Score add another layer of insight to help you prioritize the properties in your prospecting list and identify opportunities that may warrant a closer look.

Final Takeaway

Interest-rate data can add another dimension to your prospecting strategy. Whether you’re identifying properties with higher-rate mortgages or getting ahead of upcoming ARM resets, Title Toolbox helps you uncover properties that may deserve a closer look.

Start with mortgage data, then layer in property information, Life Events, and Sell Score & Refi Score to help prioritize the records that stand out. For title professionals, this approach can also provide a natural starting point for conversations with lending partners before a homeowner reaches a potential decision point.

Don’t just follow the interest-rate headlines. Use the data to find the opportunities.

With a few clicks, Title Toolbox makes it easy to share your data and research with clients and prospects.

If you need assistance with Title Toolbox to help expedite your marketing efforts, please contact ttbhelp@benutech.com for questions and Jim DuBois at jdubois@benutech.com for one-on-one training.

September News Highlights and Life Event Trends

National:

• ‘October is the Best Time For Homebuyers to Score a Deal in These Major U.S. Metros. October is the best time for homebuyers to score a deal in 16 major U.S. metro areas, including many places in the Midwest and on the East Coast. (REDFIN NEWS) More>

Mortgage:

• Demand for Riskier Mortgages Rises Along With Interest Rates. More borrowers choosing ARMs [adjustable-rate mortgages], with the ARM share back to 8 percent. (CNBC) More>

Rent:

• Here’s Where Rental Demand is Heading and What it Means for Future Home Sales. Rental demand is typically a leading indicator of home sales. Buffalo, New York; Chicago; and Houston are seeing the biggest growth in out-of-town searches on Zillow, followed by New Orleans and Dallas. (CNBC) More>

Trending:

• 59% of Mortgage Holders Say They’re ‘House Poor,’ and Half Have Struggled to Pay Their Mortgage in Full. Half (50%) of Americans with a mortgage say their payment has gone up over the past two years, and for 22%, that increase has been significant. (LENDINGTREE) More>

• Gen Z Buyers Willing to Cut Spending, Accept Higher Rates. 78% of Gen Z homebuyers would be willing to curb their lifestyle spending in order to afford a home, compared to 77% of millennials, 69% of Gen Xers and 50% of baby boomers. (REAL ESTATE NEWS) More>

• Foreclosure Filings Keep Climbing as Bank Repossessions Surge. August's data shows that foreclosure activity continues to trend above year-ago levels, particularly in completed foreclosures, which saw a notable annual increase. (MPA) More>

• Americans Don’t Just Want Nice Homes… They Want Nice Neighbors. The characteristics that individuals prioritize—such as a safe street, a well-maintained block, and amicable neighbors who respect personal space—frequently appear in affordable mid-sized metropolitan areas, rather than being limited to the most expensive locations. (MORTGAGEPOINT) More>

• How Many Retirees Fully Own Their Homes? What Federal Reserve Data Reveals. About 73% of retiree homeowners are mortgage-free by their late 60s, rising to over 90% by their mid-80s. (INVESTOPEDIA) More>

• Study: Where is Gen Z Moving to? San Antonio has emerged as the primary relocation destination for Generation Z individuals, whereas Houston represents the most sought-after location for millennial relocations. (MORTGAGEPOINT) More>

Please forward this to your clients so they can get the latest Title Toolbox Tips and Training.

If you have feedback or questions, please contact ttbhelp@benutech.com

Some material contained here may not apply to your company.

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