{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"145 - Navigating High Interest Rates W\/ Stephen Lutche","description":"In this episode of The TMA Connection, Tim Markland sits down with Stephen Lutche of Cross Country Mortgage to break down the current state of the real estate market in October 2026. Stephen shares insights from his recent honeymoon in Saint Lucia and dives straight into the reality of 7.5% interest rates, explaining why buyers shouldn't sit on the sidelines. He details how seller concessions and 2-1 buydowns can dramatically lower monthly payments in the first two years, why local pre-approvals beat out big-box internet lenders every time, and how first-time home buyers can leverage down payment assistance and loan products tailored for local heroes. Subscribe to The TMA Connection on YouTube or stream full episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify by searching &quot;The Markland Advantage.&quot; ","author_name":"TMA Connection","author_url":"http:\/\/themarklandadvantage.com","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/43362834\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/item\/43362834"}