How to Buy a Home in 2026 w/ MG The Mortgage Guy

21 Jan 2026 · 40 min · 14 chapters

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Earn Your Leisure Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title

How to Buy a Home in 2026 w/ MG The Mortgage Guy

Hosts

  • Rashad Bilal
  • Troy Millings

Guest

  • Matt Garland (MG The Mortgage Guy)

Episode Overview

In this episode of "Earn Your Leisure," Troy Millings engages with Matt Garland, a seasoned mortgage professional, to explore the real estate landscape as it approaches 2026. The discussion covers various myths, trends, and strategic advice for prospective homeowners, particularly focusing on building generational wealth through real estate.

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Key Topics Discussed

  1. Housing Market Predictions
  2. No Upcoming Housing Crash: MG asserts there's no imminent crash in the housing market, countering popular online narratives suggesting otherwise.
  3. Home Price Stability: The expectation is for home prices to remain stable or show only modest growth due to low inventory levels, with a projected appreciation of around 1.7% year-over-year.
  1. Understanding Interest Rates
  2. Current Trends: Interest rates are currently around 6% but are expected to decline to the high fours or low fives by 2027.
  3. Impact of Government Policies: Recent government initiatives, including the potential $200 billion bond purchase by Fannie Mae, are anticipated to affect interest rates favorably.
  1. Home Buying Strategies
  2. Down Payment Assistance Programs: Discussion about various programs available to help buyers with down payments, including NACA which offers 100% financing.
  3. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): New regulations allowing homeowners to create ADUs can enhance income potential and make homeownership more affordable.
  4. Co-buying Opportunities: Encouragement for families and friends to pool resources for home purchases, which is a common practice in various cultures.
  1. Mindset and Planning
  2. Importance of a Mortgage Plan: Stress on creating a mortgage plan with financial professionals to understand buying power and long-term financial strategy.
  3. Common Mistakes: High-income earners often mistakenly equate gross income with net income, leading to challenges in securing mortgages.
  1. Cultural Perspectives on Homeownership
  2. Comparative Ownership Rates: Discussion about the historical disparity in home ownership rates between Black and Brown communities versus their white counterparts, emphasizing the importance of homeownership for wealth building.
  3. Critique of Mainstream Investment Narratives: The hosts critique the notion promoted by some influencers that renting is preferable to buying a home for personal living, particularly for Black and Brown communities.
  1. Encouragement to Take Action
  2. Call to Action: Listeners are urged to take actionable steps towards homeownership, including researching down payment assistance programs and exploring investment opportunities.

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Key Takeaways

  • Homeownership as a Wealth-Building Tool: Despite differing opinions, owning a home remains a crucial step towards building generational wealth, particularly for marginalized communities.
  • Real Estate as a Long-Term Investment: Emphasis on buying real estate not just as a home but as an investment that appreciates over time.
  • Community and Family Support: Encouragement for innovative housing solutions such as multi-generational living and group buying to enhance affordability.

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Conclusion This episode of "Earn Your Leisure" provides invaluable insights into the current state and future of the housing market, making it a must-listen for anyone considering purchasing a home in the coming years. The conversation emphasizes that with the right information and strategies, homeownership can be accessible and financially rewarding, especially in the context of community support and resource pooling.

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For further insights and tips on financial literacy and entrepreneurship, don't forget to subscribe and follow the "Earn Your Leisure" podcast!

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

Tap a time to open that second in VO

Reflecting on Past Success

3:40 to 4:28

Discussion on the hosts' successful financial literacy journey over the years.

“We would love to highly favor, my brother.”

Real Estate Market Insights

4:30 to 8:01

Exploring the future of home prices and market dynamics leading into 2026.

“and it might just be some fly pictures of me and my family.”

Interest Rates and Market Predictions

8:02 to 10:40

Analysis of interest rate trends and implications for home buying in 2026.

“They quit quantitative tightening back in December and they're not calling it QE anymore with the easing.”

Navigating Home Buying Challenges

10:41 to 13:51

Advice on how to approach home buying amidst market challenges and affordability issues.

“we might be in the high fours, low fives.”

Understanding Home Buying Challenges

14:00 to 15:00

Explore the difficulties average people face in buying homes today.

“How can the average person buy a home in today's economy?”

Strategies for Financial Improvement

15:00 to 17:06

Learn about alternative income sources and the importance of investing.

“hey, learn how to trade and watch Market Mondays.”

The Role of ADUs in Affordable Housing

17:06 to 19:32

Discover how accessory dwelling units can enhance home affordability.

“And you might not want to be the person who wants to house hack your way to wealth and do the 4-3-2-1 strategy or buy multifamilies and things like that.”

The Importance of Co-ownership in Real Estate

19:32 to 26:42

Discuss the benefits and trends of co-buying homes and multi-generational living.

“catch up with the times because they realize Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHFA, they realize that the times are changing and we have to make things happen for the consumer in today's 2020.”

Impact of Institutional Investors on Housing Market

26:42 to 28:00

Analyze the effects of government restrictions on institutional investors in real estate.

“and if co-ownership, multi-generational living situations works for you and yours, then I am 100 % with it as long as you got your paperwork together.”

The Role of Institutional Investors in Real Estate

28:00 to 30:40

Discussing the impact of institutional investors on the real estate market and the potential for government regulation.

“investors, I'm saying folks who own a thousand plus units, that's only 1 % of the buyer pool.”
Show all 14 chapters

Financing Family Compound Purchases

30:40 to 33:00

Exploring the financial structuring needed for buying family compounds and the associated challenges.

“Listen, I never heard you talk about this compound and generational multifamily house playwright.”

Investing vs. Living: The Real Estate Debate

33:00 to 40:40

Debating the merits of buying homes for living versus as investment properties, particularly for first-time buyers.

“It makes sense to buy a home from real estate from an investment standpoint.”

Down Payment Assistance Programs in 2026

40:40 to 42:02

Highlighting available resources and programs for down payment assistance for prospective homebuyers.

“All you guys got to do is just Google down payment assistance in my area.”

Understanding Mortgage Mistakes for High Earners

42:02 to 44:41

Learn about common mortgage misconceptions high-income earners have and the importance of a mortgage plan.

“I tell people all the time, my overnight success took me 23 years.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human.

0:31This year, we're talking honestly about mental health, relationships, and the patterns we're ready to release. If you're looking for clarity, connection, and healthier ways to show up in your life, Sacred Lessons is here for you. Listen to Sacred Lessons with Mike Delaroach on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This season on Dear Chelsea with me, Chelsea Handler, we've got some incredible guests like Kumail Nanjiani. Let's start with your cat. How is she? She is not with us anymore. G. Okay, great, great, great way to start. Maybe you will cry. Ross Matthews.

1:05You know what kids always say to me? Are you a boy or a girl? Oh my God. All the time. That's so funny. I know. So I try to butch it up for kids so they're not confused. Yeah, but you're butching it up. It's basically like Doris Day. No, I turn into Bea Arthur. Listen to these episodes of Dear Chelsea on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, hello, all my people. What's up? It's Questlove. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with the one and only A$AP Rocky. He reflects on his journey from Harlem roots to global icon status and discovering the hip-hop origin of his name.

1:40The ledge was on the TV. Rakim had the Buckethead Kangol join on. Pops is like, that's Rakim. That's who you named after. I just was like, damn the f*** I swag. Listen to the Questlove show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. earners what's up you ever walk into a small business and everything just works like the checkout is fast the receipts are digital tipping is a breeze and you're out the door before the line even builds odds are they're using square we love supporting businesses that run on square because it just feels seamless whether it's a local coffee shop a vendor at a pop-up market or even one of our merch partners square makes it easy for them to take payments manage inventory and run their business with confidence, all from one simple system.

2:32One of the things we love most is seeing neighborhood businesses level up. There's this West Indian spot right in our community that started with a small takeout counter. Now with Square, they've been able to expand into a full sit-down restaurant and even started catering events across the city. That's the kind of growth that inspires us, and it's powered by Square. Square is built for all types of businesses, from the corner bagel shop that turned into a local chain to the specialty market with thousands of unique items to the stylist who's been holding you down for years if you're a business owner or even just thinking about launching something soon square is hands down one of the best tools out there to help you start run and grow it's not just about payments it's about giving you time back so you can focus on what matters most ready to see how square can transform your business visit square.com backslash go backslash EYL to learn more.

3:28That's square.com backslash go backslash EYL. Don't wait. Don't hesitate. Let Square handle the back end so you can keep pushing your vision forward. Matt. What's good? What's good? What's good, fellas? What's up, my boy? My brother, how you doing, man? We are blessed. Thank God for another day. What's poppin'? We would love to highly favor, my brother. Don't be mad at me, man. I meant to text you that that tsm thing man it just yeah i'm looking in the group text right now and i'm seeing that return group text drives here all right yo i just saw that it was the wi-fi damn that shit is crazy bro but i have called you i have called you so shout out to troy um i'm on my troy ish for 2026 stay low keep firing um you might not see me aftermarket mondays tonight live or anything for the rest of the year.

4:17I ain't mad at you. While I do a deep dive and get things right on my end. So shout out to Troy. I'm taking the page out of his book for 2026 and maybe for the near future. I might post once every other week and it might just be some fly pictures of me and my family. You still gotta post. You never know. But just the personal time, keep to yourself, my brother. I'm just gonna keep everything to myself. I ain't mad at you. Stay low. fire that's a fact my guy welcome back to the show look seven straight summers critics might not admit it but nobody in financial literacy did it quite like we did it we did it like seven straight summers there's nothing no one can tell me i don't want to hear no foolishness in 2026 from nobody thank you it's seven straight summers get your numbers up that's a fact that's a fact so matt garland licensed real estate professional loan officer um friend of the show has been on every platform that we've ever had invest fast earning a leisure market mondays i don't think you've been on blackout that's probably the only thing yeah yeah and we're gonna keep it away i got some issue to talk about for blackout that may be the only other time you see me on the internet this year let's set it up so let's talk about real estate we haven't talked about real estate in a while okay so we talk about stocks all the time is it a good time to buy stocks is a bad time to buy stocks so 2026 we here right now um will home prices drop in 2026 Hmm.

5:59Good question. In my professional opinion, no, there's not enough supply out there or inventory out there for home prices to really crash like the Internet is telling you. look a crash is unlikely right so 2026 i believe is going to be a flat year um existing home sales right now are still at a three low territory the national uh medium home price in 2025 is still up year over year 1.7 percent year year over year it's slow growth but if you look at the historic growth of home appreciation, if you look back like 65 years, homes generally appreciate around 3 % on average, right? What we saw during the pandemic was unicorn years when homes were appreciating 20 plus percent.

7:00But nationally, where we have 1.7 on average is still appreciation and it's compounded. Everybody type in chat, compounded. That's the beautiful thing about investing, right? Everything compounds. So appreciation, whether it's slow growth, whether it's flat, whether it's skyrocketing, you still got to account for the other years prior to it, right? And the people who are in the market, meaning they own real estate, those are the ones who are going to win. And the people who are going to sit on the sidelines and try to double dutch their way into, you know, you know, double dutch, right? Everybody from the hood, when you kind of like, you know what I'm saying?

7:40One foot in, one foot out, you double dutching it, right? You folks are going to be the ones who are going to lose out on this appreciation and lose out on this potential to change your net worth. So I would humbly say, I don't think home prices are going to drop. I don't think there's going to be a crash. I'm kind of like a broken record when it comes to this subject. And I still have been doing it wrong. I've been saying this for five years Six years These are facts, MG, when we talk about investing We always talk about callous events There's a couple things that are coming up this year We're getting a new Fed chair I know you were excited about this$200 billion mortgage bonds Thing that Trump is talking about All that's going to affect interest rates We're down here, what is it, today's the 19th At 6 % How do you see interest rates heading into the rest of 2026?

8:32Man, I love I love anytime I hear the government talking about buying bonds or buying treasuries, which not for nothing since December of 2025, what a lot of people don't even realize is that the feds have already started buying treasuries again. They quit quantitative tightening back in December and they're not calling it QE anymore with the easing. It's like I like to call it QE light what they're doing right now because you remember during pandemic, they were buying trillions of dollars, billions of dollars worth of bonds. And that's why we saw this significant drop in interest rates the way we did.

9:14But the Fed is already buying treasuries right now since December. And when Trump came out and said that he wants Fannie Mae to buy 200 billion dollars worth of bonds, that hasn't happened yet. But if you add that on top of what the Fed is already doing, I think 2026 is going to be a great year for interest rates. You know, rates hit a three and a half year low recently. They're right around 6 % right now. But you can definitely get, if you're looking at a 30-year mortgage for a primary residence, you can definitely get in the high fives, mid fives, just depending on the product, the program, and your credit score.

9:53So rates are definitely lower than what they were a year ago. And if you look at refinance applications, refinance applications up like 120 percent. December home sales, you know, one of the best numbers of 2025 was in December for the amount of homes that sold. So with rates coming down and Trump keep talking about the housing market, man, I love it. Anytime he's talking about the housing market, man, I get a rush because I already know it's just a matter of time before the floodgates open and there's going to be a lot of buyers that are going to hit the market once they start seeing rates in that mid low fives on a regular basis.

10:37and that's just going to bring a lot more competition out there. So I think rates by this time next year, by 2027, we might be in the high fours, low fives. Really? What a beautiful thing. Okay. How much do you think appreciation will happen in houses? And then for anyone who's new tonight, and maybe they haven't heard you speak, there's now a perfect time to buy, and can you talk to them about how important it is to not miss out on this opportunity because the prices of homes have gone up so much in the last five or six years? So that's a good question. I think there's always an opportunity cost for anything that you do, right?

11:16A good friend of ours hit me up tonight, was telling me he just got an offer on a house that he's not even trying to sell for a million dollars more than what he paid for two years ago, right? That's funny. I told him to call you. Shout out to the good friend, right? He called you too? Yo, this tripling of the opinion. So a good friend is making his rounds and calling the experts. You know what I'm saying? But, like, and guys, I'm glad. And this, I didn't know he called y 'all, right? But that's just what's happening. He has time in the market and people are out there wanting to buy. We're not talking about, you know, a small house.

11:56We're talking about, you know, a multimillion dollar home. So if folks are new to me, please understand there's no better time to buy real estate than when you can afford to buy it. Right. I don't care what the market is doing. You got to look at your individual goals. Right. Look at your credit. Look at your assets. Look at your income, your job security. If you're self-employed, look at your business. Look at your net. If you're self-employed to see if you can really afford it, because homes are not just your mortgage payment. You have expenses that come with maintaining that house and especially the way taxes and insurance are increasing rapidly across America.

12:37It's not about what that payment is for your first year. You got to be looking at five years down the road. So if you can afford real estate, then I believe absolutely you should go ahead and buy, but buy smart, right? Stop buying at market prices. Stop buying at these retail prices. You can look on Zillow and MLS and work with realtors, but you got to learn the art of negotiation. Right now, the ball is in your court as a buyer, but that is going to be short lived if these rates go down. Because as these rates go down, it's going to bring more buyers into the market, which is going to create bidding wars.

13:13And I don't want to hear nobody in the comments talking about, oh, he's crazy. There ain't going to be no bidding wars. You ask some realtors in some of these markets today, they still have bidding wars happening and they haven't dropped down over the past couple of years now. every market is different. Every market is local, but I definitely think people should definitely buy if you can afford to buy. Real estate is vastly become a luxury item. The average home, first time home buyer is in their 40s for the first time ever. Less and less people are buying home, can afford to buy a home. So, okay, for the people that's okay, I understand real estate's an investment, but how can you buy a home?

14:00How can the average person buy a home in today's economy? What are some programs? What are some tips? What are some hacks? What are some advice that you would give somebody that just feels defeated in the marketplace? place? Good question. If you feel defeated and you don't know if you can afford to buy the home, because let's face it, affordability is definitely an issue in most cases. But I'm going to be real with you guys. I've been doing this for 23 years. 2026 makes 23 years I've been in the mortgage business. I'm not just a content creator. I am a licensed professional. Allow me to reintroduce myself matt garland and mls number 58700 better known as mg the mortgage guy i've been doing this for a long time this is my jordan year and since i've been in this game people couldn't afford a house there's always been an affordability issue just depending on where you live and where your income is i think where people got to focus if you can't afford to buy a house right now that's okay hey, learn how to trade and watch Market Mondays.

15:10Big facts. And learn how to create another source of income. Like you guys were talking about all these great stocks earlier, right? Let's talk MU, right? Because Troy hit me a couple weeks ago about MU. And I'm going to just be very transparent with everybody here tonight. We have how many people? Almost 5 ,500 people watching us live right now. When I looked at the contract price, I kind of took a step back. I said, holy smokes, this thing is expensive. And I think it was at like$260 at that moment, Troy. And I texted her, I said, yo, bro, I got a lot going on. I don't know if I want to buy a couple contracts of this right now.

15:47But what I said to myself, I said, you know what, Matt? Scare money don't make money. Let me at least put it in the stock. Let me not buy some contracts because this is a long-term play. So I'll start feeding my long-term portfolio. And I'll put a couple dollars into it. So that way I can have time in the market, even though I didn't go for the options. I went for the stock and fed my long-term portfolio. That one stock right now is up 29 % since I purchased it. And I have some gains right now. So if you're someone who cannot afford a home and maybe you have 10 ,000, you have 15, you have 20 ,000, you have shows like Market Monday out here that's teaching you every single week for free.

16:31For free. And giving you plays and things that you can now go ahead and research and now you can make extra money. Right. So that's for that crowd, for the folks who don't have the money, who may have limited savings. You have to learn how to invest and pick up this skill set, because even for myself, y 'all, and I'm being very transparent with y 'all. when I saw that I said you know what Troy this is my year when I'm going to learn this game like I'm no real estate and by this time next year I'm going to beat the S &P by a landslide I even told y 'all when I came on this backstage like this is my year to beat the S &P by a landslide because I am a believer in this and I'm a believer in y 'all teaching right so that's number one Rashad learn how to learn a skill set to make more money now if you are someone who can buy a house, but you feel like it's still not affordable.

17:26And you might not want to be the person who wants to house hack your way to wealth and do the 4-3-2-1 strategy or buy multifamilies and things like that. Well, the zoning laws are changing nationwide, where many cities and states are now allowing not just for one ADU, an ADU for those who don't know is an accessory dwelling unit, is basically like a tiny home in your house, on your house, on your property, right? So many of us live in these states where even New York just approved where you can have an ADU in your backyard or convert your basement into an ADU, right? Because they understand affordability is an issue.

18:09These states have these options to where you can have ADUs, but Fannie Mae just came out a couple of weeks ago and now they have expanded their ADU rules, which allows you now, and they will give you the money for rehab as well, where you can now have a single family unit and put up to two ADUs on that property. Right. And Fannie Mae will allow you to use one of the ADUs rent, at least 30 % of that rent to allow you to qualify for the mortgage as well. So if you're buying a primary residence and you have the capability and the town allows you to have an ADU, whether it's a detached garage, attached garage, a basement, you can build it on your property.

19:00This is a great way for someone who probably can't afford to live on their own or afford that mortgage 100 % to now supplement their income on a single family. And if you are someone who lives in an area where there's a lot of duplexes, Fannie Mae allows you to now put up to two ADUs on that duplex as well, as long as you don't exceed four tonal units on the property. So what we're starting to see on the mortgage side, mortgage guidelines are now starting to catch up with the times because they realize Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHFA, they realize that the times are changing and we have to make things happen for the consumer in today's 2020.

19:46What if mind control is real? If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have? Can you hypnotically persuade someone to buy a car? When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such good feelings. Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you? I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused. Can you get someone to join your cult? NLP was used on me to access my subconscious. NLP, aka Neuro Linguistic Programming, is a blend of hypnosis, linguistics, and psychology. Fans say it's like finally getting a user manual for your brain.

20:23It's about engineering consciousness. Mind Games is the story of NLP. its crazy cast of disciples, and the fake doctor who invented it at a New Age commune and sold it to guys in suits. He stood trial for murder and got acquitted. The biggest mind game of all? NLP might actually work. This is wild. Listen to Mind Games on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Run a business and not thinking about podcasting? Think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ad-supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined.

21:02So whatever your customers listen to, they'll hear your message. Plus, only iHeart can extend your message to audiences across broadcast radio. Think podcasting can help your business? Think iHeart. Streaming, radio, and podcasting. Let us show you at iHeartAdvertising.com. That's iHeartAdvertising.com. A new year doesn't mean erasing who you were. It means honoring what you've survived and choosing how you want to grow. It means giving ourselves permission to feel what we've been holding and knowing that it's okay to ask for help. I'm Mike Dallarocha, host of Sacred Lessons. This podcast is a space for men to talk openly about mental health, grief, relationships, and the patterns we inherit, but don't have to repeat.

21:47Here, we slow down. We listen. we learn how vulnerability becomes strength and how healing happens in community, not in isolation. If you're ready to let go of what no longer serves you and step into the year with clarity, compassion, and purpose, Sacred Lessons is your companion on your healing journey. Listen to Sacred Lessons with Mike De La Rocha on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Sacred Lessons with Mike De La Rocha and start listening on the free iHeart radio app today. New year, new goals, and in this economy, a better money plan is more necessary than ever. I am Matt.

22:27And I'm Joel. We are from the How to Money podcast, and every week we help you to spend smarter, save more, and make sense of what's going on out there. If you want 2026 to be the year you finally feel in control of your money, we're here to give you the tools and advice to help you make it happen. Listen to How to Money on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. six markets. So to me, I think this is a home run and you can get a hundred percent of your rehab costs. This is a game changer right here. Well, let me, let me just follow up if I can, cause I'll, what do you think about from a standpoint of, of a group buying as far as like you, you, you, you deal with people that get mortgages, right?

23:08So I'm interested to see your perspective as far as I'm assuming a lot of your clients are, are black because I never forget in our neighborhood, it was a house, a Mexican family moved in years ago. And it was a joke at first because it was like eight cars in the driveway. But then every year the house got bigger and then eventually there wasn't as many cars. So other communities buy real estate in tandem. And then they live in it together. And then they might refinance or get on their feet. I don't really see too many people in our community do that. So is that something that I think needs to at least be thought about?

23:56And another thing that needs to be thought about as well is the encouragement of marriage. If you really think about it, marriage is something, a lot of people think, like if you don't have money, you can't afford to be married. It's actually the exact opposite. If you're on a lower economic spectrum, that's like one of the first things you should do, because that's actually going to help your situation from an economic standpoint is two incomes as opposed to one. The less money you have, that should be the more reason why you're actually getting married. Facts. But you see this. So what do you think just from that social construct?

24:35Man, I think it's, look, if we look at Hispanic brothers and sisters, they've been doing this for decades. This is nothing new, right? This is something that's been happening all over New York where we're from. I love it personally. It gives you the opportunity to group economics, right? It's just another form of it. Now, obviously, you got to have your paperwork together. You have your agreements, have an attorney write something up and make sure that you're protecting your interests as well. But we're starting to see more co-buying that's happening, especially if you can get a duplex. You have basically two families and two households are putting their money together, and now they're in a duplex and each has one side right um so i love it rashad i think it's something that we're going to continue to see a trend i'm starting to see a lot more marketing uh around that like where we starting to have more like family compounds and i'm starting to see more listings being sold like that shout out to boosie too i know boosie has a family compound he brought a couple of acres and now he's building like a whole neighborhood just for him and his kids and his family but even if you see just regular houses I've seen a lot on TikTok just in Florida like multi-generational living right like that's just becoming a thing because it's just more affordable for everyone to live under the same roof because look you said earlier Rashad that housing is a luxury I think the opposite it's a necessity because if you don't have a home or if you don't rent somewhere where you gonna be homeless right so it's like having a Home is a luxury.

26:24Correct, correct, correct. Being a homeowner. It's definitely a luxury, but I think it's also a necessity in my opinion, right? Because I'm just an advocate of ownership, just me personally. And I encourage people to buy, buy smart. and if co-ownership, multi-generational living situations works for you and yours, then I am 100 % with it as long as you got your paperwork together. Because paperwork... Indians do that a lot also. The Indians do it a lot in Queens too. And like you said, it'd be like a whole three, four families living in a one single family, four, five bedroom house and they chop the whole house up.

27:12and they stack their money, then they help the other person get the other house and then it just continues to cycle. You look up five years, everybody is a homeowner. I just think in our community, we have too much ego and too much pride and we need to leave that back in 2025 and be smart about buying real estate. MG, something happened last week. I would love to get your opinion on. We saw the administration put a ban on large institutional investors from buying single family homes. I want to know your thoughts, good, bad, and different. What does that mean for pricing? What does it mean for inventory?

27:49Just your thoughts around it. They talking about it, but nothing has happened yet. I think if you really look at institutional investors, and when I'm saying institutional investors, I'm saying folks who own a thousand plus units, that's only 1 % of the buyer pool. Right. I think everybody let's call a spade a spade. Right. And folks probably like what I'm about to say right now. But like if you look at institutional investor, it's a small piece of the overall pie of what's being purchased right now in certain states like Atlanta and Sunbelt states like like like Arizona, things like that. You might have a higher population, certain parts of Florida, a higher population of institutional investors buying up real estate.

28:40But if you look at the grand scheme of things, there are more mom and pop investors buying investment properties than there are institutional investors. And for me, I'm curious to see how they will regulate that or what's going to be the government's definition of institutional investors. Me personally I think these institutional investors Are smart And they're going to find a loophole And they're still going to buy So I don't think it's going to stop anything It might slow down Until they figure out all the mechanics Of how to get around it But I don't think it's going to stop anything I think it's good for the press And I think it's good for Trying to get votes Short term short term, I think it's good market manipulation too at the same time.

29:31I mean, I think we got to pay attention to that because who are these institutional investors? They're the ones who put in, they're the biggest donors too at the same time. So you think, guys, let's be real here. Do you think the money is going to let anybody stop them from getting money? Like that's going to hurt folks politically when it comes to raising funds, right? These are the masters of the universe for crying out loud. So like you got to really look at what's really happening. And I don't think it's really going to do much. I think if anything, once you start having that level of government intervention, there's nothing stopping them from trying to stop the everyday mom and pop like us from buying homes.

30:13What if they come back and say, well, if you buy over 50 units, you are now institutional investor. Now we're all screwed because everybody wants this. Well, I'm not going to say everybody, but most people, as you start growing and growing, you want to continue to grow and grow and scale. Why not? Right. So me personally, I want to see how that plays out. But right now it's just a rant on social media. Listen, I never heard you talk about this compound and generational multifamily house playwright. How do you structure? Let's say I want to buy a compound for me, Xander, my mom, dad, cousins. in terms of finance and how do you structure that?

30:56Good question. Good question. So first, first things first, you will have to get a, first of all, you have to find the land that can fulfill that. Right. And let's just say if you're going under 10 acres, under 10 acres is easier to get funding. If you want good financing, like good construction loans, you know, a paper type of rates and stuff like that under 10 acres is doable. Um, you have to get a construction loan to do something like that. You probably wouldn't be able to get a construction, a permanent loan, but you'll have to get a construction loan, which is typically like 12 to 18 months.

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31:36But most lenders who are going to do something like that, they're going to fund the first initial house, right? That primary house is going to be the one you're going to get the construction loan and build that up. And then when you want to do the other homes on there, you will have to get separate loans for those. If you want to get financing for it, you have to get loans for those properties to now do the construction for that as well. So it's not something that I've seen happen right away when people are doing these family compounds. That's why, look how many years Boosier has been talking about the family compounds and he's been slowly but surely just build and build and build.

32:19Add into it, add into it. It's something that takes time and a lot of capital because construction, even if you are getting loaned, you're always paying for something out of pocket. So if someone is looking to do a family compound, you better have some capital with you because there's a lot of expenses out of pocket that you're going to have to cover too, but it's not too far-fetching. And it's something that we're starting to see all over because there are areas where you can get two, three, four, five acres and start building and build your compound. The growing theme on social media is that it does not make sense to buy a home to live in.

33:01It makes sense to buy a home from real estate from an investment standpoint. But you should rent where you live, invest your money, stock market, other investments, And if you do buy real estate, that real estate should be an investment property because you're not generating cash flow from where you live. It's not a good investment. The taxes is going to kill you over the course of time. What do you say to the people, Grant Cardone's champion this for a long time, that say buying real estate and living in that property that you buy is a bad decision? Okay. Let's talk about this. I'm glad you brought this up.

33:46So first of all, rest in peace, Dr. King. Right? This is MLK Day. Everybody type MLK in chat. 68 years ago, a week after Dr. King was assassinated, they passed the Fair Housing Act. Right? We are now, what, 58 years later? And if you look at the home ownership rate, Rashad, 42 % in 1968. And if you look at 2025, we're around 44%, 45 maybe. So in 58 years, our home ownership rate only went up 3 % compared to our white counterparts like Grant Cardone, who, by the way, purchased his first home. And if he's vocal about how that got him started in real estate. Yeah. Right. Our white counterparts were in 68.

34:45They were what? 65%. And now today they're standing at 75 % homeownership rate. So I think what we have to start doing as black and brown people is stop letting these people like Grant Cardone trick us out of our generational wealth. Because these folks have their generational wealth. And if you look at someone like Grant Cardone, and I think Grant Cardone is a very smart businessman, but you have to look at everything with a grain of salt. First of all, if you are a first-time homebuyer and you are out here trying to buy a rental property, first things first, banks don't like you. You're a first-time homebuyer.

35:30banks don't like to fund investors if they're a first-time homebuyer and when i hear folks say oh your first deal should be commercial it should be six units it should be ten units you definitely ain't going to get no loan from doing something like that because the banks don't want to mess with a rookie you have no skin in the game where's your experience right so you have to look at from a funding perspective, what they are saying, is that even reality or is it just for likes and views? Now what you're saying, okay, your home is not an asset. The expenses go up. It's going to keep, you got to keep paying for it.

36:08It's not an asset, but if it's grows in appreciation and you're able to tap into that appreciation, pay for your college, pay for a business, right? Invest into other real estate. Is it not still some sort of an asset? Now I get the whole, If it's not paying you, it's not technically an asset, but I think as black and brown people, we can't go by that. Our circumstances are completely different. Let's talk about another thing. To buy a rental property, how much down payment do you need? 20%, 30 %? Folks can't even come up with 3%. So how the hell do you think they're coming up with 20%, 30%, 40 % down?

36:52In today's market to buy an investment property when they ain't got it. And then that's when you see people doing all the credit card plays and the business funding and now getting themselves into that matrix of debt. Because like you said, Rashad, I see this firsthand. People call me every day, all day crying about their debt because they did all these different plays or they listened to this person and they thought it was going to happen the way they thought it was going to happen. like they said it was going to happen and it didn't. So I think we got to take everything with a grain of salt.

37:27And this is why I said earlier, you should only buy real estate if you can afford it. There's nothing wrong with renting. Absolutely nothing wrong with renting. You need a place to live. And if you are going to rent, I think you should look into real estate investing and learn about real estate investing. And if you have an opportunity to buy an investment property your investment property in a place like Ohio or Michigan or somewhere where it's cheaper. And if you don't have to put so much out of your pocket to acquire it, and if you can get some sort of funding for it, great, terrific, go for it.

38:06But for the average person who is afraid of out-of-state investing, who don't live in these cities, who live in New York, they live in DC, they live in LA, they live in florida and they want to be in their hometowns like you're not buying an investment property first you can't afford to for the most part you can barely pay your down payment and closing costs now and there's no down payment assistant for investors and don't get me started on trying to raise money like grant cardone and a lot of these folks out here do like yo a lot of shit that these people are saying is to get you to give them their money to invest with them because they know you can't afford it they know you ain't got the knowledge so wake up people stop letting these people trick you out of your god-given right to buy real estate look we have people that died before us literally died before us to give us the right to buy homes like literally the fair housing an act was passed a week after Dr.

39:11King was assassinated. They fought for us to have this right. And some of y 'all just sitting on the sidelines, listening to folks telling you, don't go buy a house, go buy an investment property, go buy a 10 unit house. When all of them have homes. They all have homes. Every single person that says that. But from a mathematical standpoint, if you invest your money into the stock market over the course of time you will make more money in stocks than in real estate that you can't live in

39:58no black people listen to me it's not or it's both both i'm with you it's always been both i've always said that it's not you talk about people not having i'm with you right because it is it is it's tough times right and we talked about fha we talked about all those things i wonder in 2026 are there programs are there initiatives for first-time buyers that they may not be aware of right like are there programs that they can say like yo there's download uh down payment assistance program like are there things that they should be made aware of that they probably didn't know in this in 2026? Yeah.

40:35I mean, there's hundreds, literally hundreds of down payment assistant programs that's available. All you guys got to do is just Google down payment assistance in my area. You can go to HUD.gov and HUD.gov has a list of, if you type in your state and your city, it has a list in your state of city of all the down payment assistant programs that's available, right? You got chat GBT, there's AI out here. You could just put it in there and they'll give you all the information with all the websites. Like 2026, this is the easiest time in the world to become a millionaire. No matter if it's stocks, whether it's real estate, you don't even have to pick your poison.

41:13You can do both if you do it the right way. And if you use the technology that's in front of us to go ahead and do it. So the people that sit in the back say, I don't have the information or I didn't know, shame on you. Like you're in the back of the class not paying attention. You got to get in the game. So yes, Troy, there's tons of down payment assistance. You still have programs like NACA that's out there that offer you 100 % financing. We have an episode on NACA with Dre. Yeah. Shout out to Dre. And if you look at even like Dre, shout out to Dre from Chicago. He went from NACA and house hacking NACA to now he's doing development all within 10 years.

41:58Right? So you got to look at the stepping stones of this. We live in such a microwavable society right now where people just want to get rich quick in 60 seconds. Like, no, you got to take time. I tell people all the time, my overnight success took me 23 years. And a lot of y 'all trying to get in in 23 seconds. You got to calm down, follow the blueprint and trust the process. And then my Troy voice, stay low, keep firing. What's the biggest mistake you see high income earners making when they apply for a mortgage? The biggest mistake I see high income earners make, oh man, there's tons of mistakes they make.

42:45Most high earners think, especially if they're self-employed, they think whatever their gross is that's their net right and that's not the case you know i have i have business owners all the time and come to me like yo i made two million dollars a year we see your taxes you make 25 000 according to what you told the irs which you're taking full advantage of the tax code right which is a beautiful thing but now i can't go traditional full documentation conventional loans but thank god we have programs out there like p &l loans bank statement loans and things like that out there where we don't need tax returns, where we can use your monthly deposits in your business and we can use that as your income.

43:28So I think one of the biggest mistakes that I see, not only hot income earners make, Ian, but everybody who's looking for a mortgage, they don't do a mortgage plan, right? You always hear people say you should do financial planning and stuff like that, but where does the mortgage plan come into that? If you know you're looking to buy not just one house, even just one house, right? You should be sitting down with someone like myself and put your team together, your CPA, your realtor, your loan officer, and make sure everybody's on the same page. So that way you understand exactly what your buying power is, what's the tax benefits behind it, and how do you really scale that net worth to the highest levels, right?

44:08You have to do a mortgage plan every year. And if you're someone who's looking to scale and grow a portfolio, you definitely should be doing the mortgage plan with your team of professionals every single year to go over where you stand and what is my goals and how do we as a team get to that next level but have to remember that you are the CEO of this real estate business right and you have to lead the professionals like myself in the right way so that way we can help you achieve your goal to the highest levels possible. There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Economics, M. Jizzle. This episode is brought to you by PNC Bank.

44:48A lot of people think podcasts about work are boring, and sure, they definitely can be. But understanding a professional's routine shows us how they achieve their success little by little, day after day. It's like banking with PNC Bank. It might seem boring to save, plan, and make calculated decisions with your bank, but keeping your money boring is what helps you live a more happily fulfilled life. PNC Bank, brilliantly boring since 1865. Brilliantly boring since 1865 is a service mark of the PNC Financial Service Group, Inc. PNC Bank, National Association, member FDIC. A new year doesn't ask us to become someone new.

45:30It invites us back home to ourselves. I'm Mike De La Rocha, host of Sacred Lessons, a space for men to pause, reflect, and heal. This year, we're talking honestly about mental health, relationships, and the patterns we're ready to release. If you're looking for clarity, connection, and healthier ways to show up in your life, Sacred Lessons is here for you. Listen to Sacred Lessons with Mike De La Rocha on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This season on Dear Chelsea with me, Chelsea Handler, we've got some incredible guests, like Kumail Nanjiani. Let's start with your cat.

46:05How is she? She is not with us anymore. Okay, great, great, great way to start. Maybe you will cry. Ross Matthews. You know what kids always say to me? Are you a boy or a girl? Oh my God. All the time. That's so funny. I know. So I try to butch it up for kids so they're not confused. Yeah, but you're butching it up is basically like Doris Day. Right? No, I turn into Bea Arthur. Listen to these episodes of Dear Chelsea on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What if mind control is real? If you could control the behavior of anybody around you, what kind of life would you have?

46:38Can you hypnotically persuade someone to buy a car? When you look at your car, you're going to become overwhelmed with such good feelings. Can you hypnotize someone into sleeping with you? I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused. Can you get someone to join your cult? NLP was used on me to access my subconscious. Mind Games, a new podcast exploring NLP. a.k.a. Neuro Linguistic Programming. Is it a self-help miracle? A shady hypnosis scam? Or both? Listen to Mind Games on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, hello, all my people. What's up? It's Questlove.

47:17Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with the one and only ASAP Rocky. He reflects on his journey from Harlem roots to global icon status and discovering the hip-hop origin of his name. The ledge was on the TV. Rakim had the bucket hat Kangol join on. My pops was like, that's Rakim. That's who you named after. I just was like, damn, that f***ing got swag. Listen to the Questlove show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.

From the publisher

Welcome back to Market Mondays In this insightful clip, Troy Millings sits down with Matt Garland—better known as MG the Mortgage Guy—to unpack the biggest trends, myths, and strategies shaping the 2026 real estate landscape.

MG the Mortgage Guy drops gems you won’t hear anywhere else about home ownership, interest rates, economic shifts, and how anyone—regardless of starting point—can build generational wealth through smart real estate moves. From debunking the internet “housing crash” rumors to revealing why now is one of the best times to buy, MG gives his unfiltered, expert perspective after 23 years in the mortgage industry.

Highlights in this clip:
- Why a housing crash isn’t coming (and who benefits from these rumors)
- The truth about interest rates, government policies, and what buyers can expect heading into 2026 and 2027
- Game-changing down payment assistance programs, ADU options, and how new loan rules can help buyers qualify in expensive cities
- The power of group buying, family compounds, and multi-generational living to get on the property ladder
- Controversial advice about renting vs. buying your own home (and why it’s not “either/or” for Black and Brown communities seeking wealth)
- Why listening to real estate “gurus” could cost you your shot at generational wealth

Plus, Troy and MG discuss the critical mindset shifts, planning strategies, and simple hacks to thrive—whether you’re a first-time buyer or looking to scale up your real estate investments. MG addresses common mistakes high income earners and entrepreneurs make, and why a solid “mortgage plan” is your secret weapon.

Ready to turn knowledge into action? Hit play and take notes, because this clip might change how you approach real estate forever.

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more unfiltered convos and wealth-building wisdom!

**#RealEstate2026 #HomebuyingTips #MortgageAdvice #BlackOutPodcast #MGMortgageGuy #TroyMillings #GenerationalWealth #FinancialLiteracy #InterestRates #InvestFest #EarnYourLeisure #HousingMarket #ADU #DownPaymentAssistance #GroupBuying #FamilyCompound #BlackWealth #EconomicEmpowerment #SmartMoneyMoves**

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