Finance Media Queries for 06/19/25
This afternoon media mention opportunities come from The Mortgage Reports and more!
Please send your replies direct to the journalist at the contact email provided in each request.
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1) SUMMARY: Need experts: signs that we are currently in a national buyers market
NAME: Erik Martin
EMAIL: martinspiration@gmail.com
MUCK RACK URL: https://muckrack.com/erik-martin-3
MEDIA OUTLET: The Mortgage Reports
MEDIA WEBSITE: https://www.themortgagereports.com
DEADLINE DATE: 2025-06-20
DEADLINE TIME: 1:00 am Eastern Standard Time
QUERY: Hello. I'm writing an article this week for The Mortgage Reports and am seeking to interview Realtors/agents, personal-finance experts, lending experts, business and economics faculty, and other subject matter experts for the following story.
More good news for buyers: According to Redfin several recent housing market trends point toward a shift to a buyer's market.
Just over 28% of U.S. homes are selling above asking price — down from 32% a year ago and well below the 53% seen in 2022, with nearly every major metro area seeing declines.
Pending home sales fell 1.1% year over year to their lowest level for this time of year on record, and only 37.6% of homes went under contract within two weeks, the slowest spring market pace since 2020.
Additionally, the median sale price of $397,000 was nearly $29,000 (7%) below the median list price, a sharp contrast to the market conditions of 2021 and 2022 when sale prices routinely exceeded asking prices.
Redfin also found that there are 34% more sellers in the market than buyers right now; at no other point in records dating back to 2013 have sellers outnumbered buyers this much.
In other words, it's a buyer's market.
This story will highlight the key findings and provide commentary from experts on this topic.
For this story, I can only accept written responses to the following questions.
QUESTIONS:
1. How do you interpret the Redfin findings detailed above? What factors are behind this trend and why?
2. Do you believe we are in a full-blown national buyers market and no longer in a sellers market? Why/why not?
3. Even though the housing market has cooled, and rates and prices remain very high, what are some other positive signs you have noticed that indicate prospective buyers are willing to purchase and there is hope on the horizon for the housing market?
4. How should prospective buyers proceed in the current market? What can give them a leg up on the competition and improve their odds of qualifying for a mortgage when searching for and purchasing a home?
5. Anything else you'd like to add?
6. What is your full name, title, company, city/state location, and email address?
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2) SUMMARY: Need experts: consider a smaller down payment and an FHA or VA loan
NAME: Erik Martin
EMAIL: martinspiration@gmail.com
MUCK RACK URL: https://muckrack.com/erik-martin-3
MEDIA OUTLET: The Mortgage Reports
MEDIA WEBSITE: https://www.themortgagereports.com
DEADLINE DATE: 2025-06-20
DEADLINE TIME: 1:00 am Eastern Standard Time
QUERY: I'm writing an article this week for The Mortgage Reports and am seeking to interview Realtors/agents, personal finance experts, lending experts, business and economics faculty, and other subject matter experts for the following story.
On a tight budget?
Consider a smaller down payment and an FHA or VA loan.
According to a new report by Redfin, U.S. homebuyers are making smaller down payments as affordability challenges persist and more buyers turn to government-backed loans.
The typical down payment dropped to $62,468 in April 2025 — down about 1% from a year earlier, marking the first annual decline in nearly two years.
While down payments still average around 15% of a home's price, a growing share of buyers are opting for FHA and VA loans, which require lower down payments.
FHA loans made up 15.3% of mortgaged home sales in April, up from 14.2% a year earlier, while VA loans rose to 7.2%, their highest April level since 2020.
Redfin attributes these shifts to high mortgage rates, economic uncertainty, and a cooling housing market that's giving buyers more negotiating power.
This story will cover all of these news points and provide analyses from experts as well as recommendations.
For this story, I can only accept written responses to the following questions.
QUESTIONS:
1. How do you interpret the Redfin findings detailed above? What factors are behind this trend and why?
2. Is it a surprise to you that more homebuyers are making smaller down payments and turning to government loans more lately and in recent years?
3. What are the pros and cons of making a smaller down payment?
4. What is the minimum down payment (and credit score) required for: conventional loans; FHA loans; VA loans; USDA loans?
5. What are the pros and cons of pursuing each of the following government loans compared to a conventional mortgage loan?
6. FHA loan
7. VA loan
8. USDA loan
9. What detailed advice can you give prospective buyers when it comes to qualifying for a mortgage loan today, making a down payment, and considering alternatives like a government loan instead of a conventional loan?
10. Any other tips you can suggest for buyers who are on a tight budget?
11. What is your full name, title, company, city/state location, and email address?
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Thanks
Finance PR