The Mortgage Vet Weekly
Market Intel.
Straight Talk.
Weekly mortgage rates, market data, VA loan updates, and straight talk — built for realtors and buyers in MT, CO, CA, and NC.
Real-Time Rates & This Week's Episode
A Memorial Day Issue. Honoring The Cost.
Rates jumped 15 bps last week. A new Fed Chair was sworn in. And on the day the country buried the people who paid for everything we get to build — the VA loan turned 82.
Rates Jumped 15 BPS. New Fed Chair Sworn In. The VA Loan at 82.
Kevin Warsh took the oath as the 17th Chair of the Federal Reserve on May 22. The bond market reacted, the 30-year fixed jumped to 6.51%, and the housing market kept slowly improving in the background. Plus: where Memorial Day actually started, and why the VA loan exists in the first place.
- 📊 Full Rate Stack — May 22, 2026: Fed Funds 3.75%. 10-yr at 4.56%. 30-yr at 6.51%.
- 🏛️ New Fed Chair: Warsh sworn in May 22, replacing Powell after 8 years
- 🏘️ April Housing: Sales 4.02M, median $417,800, affordability index hits one-year high
- ★ Vet Corner: VA loan at 82 — 28M+ veterans served since 1944
- 🇺🇸 Special Feature: Where Memorial Day started and why it began at Arlington
- 📜 This Week in History: Decoration Day 1868, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 1921, Flags-In 1948, and the Morse telegraph in-joke from 1844
The Archive
Every issue since launch. Click any card to read the full issue.
Why Is Your Mortgage Rate 6.36%? Here's the Full Picture — in Plain English.
A Wild Ride That Ended Right Back Where It Started.
A New Home. A Better Platform. Same Mission.
Three Straight Weeks Down. The Refi Window Is Open.
The Rate Is Not the Strategy. Here's What Actually Wins.
Rates Dipped. Sales Missed. What It Means for Great Falls.
Rates Jumped. Spring Market's Here. What That Means for Great Falls.
Local Coverage, State by State
The Mortgage Vet Weekly is national. But housing is local. State editions go deeper — VA loan limits, local market data, regional realtor partners, and community events on the ground in each state.
Fort Bragg · Fayetteville · Robeson County
Great Falls · Billings · Bozeman
Denver · Colorado Springs · Front Range
San Diego · Inland Empire · Los Angeles
Paul Messina
Paul Messina
Branch Manager · Milestone Mortgage Solutions · NMLS #2679956
Army combat vet. Branch Manager at Milestone Mortgage Solutions, serving clients across 30 states. Specializing in VA loans, FHA, conventional, and USDA lending — straight talk so realtors and buyers know exactly where the market stands.
Now serving clients in 30 states · MT · CO · CA · NC + 26 more
This newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a commitment to lend. Rates shown are national averages and are not a guarantee of the rate you will receive. Equal Housing Lender.