The Mortgage Vet Weekly — Issue #1 | April 3, 2026

📰 Issue #1 — April 3, 2026

The Mortgage Vet Weekly

Housing market news, local events, and straight talk — built for Great Falls and beyond.

By Paul Messina · Branch Manager · Canopy Mortgage · NMLS #2679956

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Rate Snapshot

Source: Freddie Mac PMMS · April 2, 2026 | Mortgage News Daily · April 3, 2026

30-Year Fixed

6.46%

▲ Up from 6.21% last week (+0.25)

15-Year Fixed

5.77%

▲ Up from 5.47% last week (+0.30)

30-Year Rate — Last 4 Weeks (Freddie Mac)

Mar 12

6.65%

Mar 19

6.54%

Mar 26

6.21%

Apr 2

6.46%

💡 Biggest single-week jump in months — +0.25 on the 30-year in one week. MND daily tracker shows 6.45% as of April 3. A year ago the 30-year averaged 6.64% — we're still below that, but momentum is moving up fast. If you're in contract, lock today. Talk to Paul about locking →

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Market Stat of the Week — Great Falls, MT

$410K

Median List Price

Steady

Median Days on Market

Slower Pace

2.9

Months of Supply

Building Up

Seller Price Reductions — Great Falls

Reduced

~47%

Held Price

~53%

For buyers: Nearly half of Great Falls sellers have cut their asking price. You have more leverage than you've had in years — but rates jumped this week. If you're pre-approved and ready, this is your window.

For sellers: Pricing right from day one matters more than ever. Overpriced homes are sitting. Correctly priced homes are still moving.

→ Affordability Calculator → Rent vs. Own → Refinance Calculator

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Vet & First Responder Corner

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VA Loan Tip: You Can Buy a Duplex With $0 Down

Most veterans don't know this — your VA benefit covers 2-, 3-, and 4-unit properties, not just single-family homes. You live in one unit, rent the others, and use that rental income to offset your mortgage payment. Some veterans end up living essentially for free. You earned this benefit. Let's make sure you're using all of it.

📅 Talk to Paul — VA Multi-Unit View All Loan Programs →

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Buyer Tip of the Week

Pre-Approval ≠ Pre-Qualification. Know the Difference.

A pre-qualification is a rough estimate — usually no credit pull, no document review. A pre-approval is a real underwriter review of your income, assets, and credit. In today's market, sellers take full pre-approvals seriously. Offers backed by a pre-qual alone? Not so much. If your pre-approval is older than 60 days, refresh it before you make any offers.

Get Your Pre-Approval Now →

MBA National Advocacy Conference NAC26 — Advocacy in Action

April 14–15 · Washington D.C. · Capitol Hill

"I didn't survive combat to stay quiet when policies are pricing veterans out of homeownership."

Next month I was selected to represent mortgage professionals in Washington D.C. at the MBA National Advocacy Conference (NAC26) — the only federal advocacy event focused exclusively on real estate finance. I'll be on Capitol Hill, in rooms with lawmakers and decision-makers, carrying the stories of the clients I serve.

Veterans who earned their benefit. First responders. Working families in Montana and beyond — doing everything right — and still getting priced out because of decisions made by people who've never sat across the table from them.

Here's what most people in my industry are doing about it: Nothing.

The uniform came off. The mission didn't. I'll be documenting everything from D.C. — follow along.

The MBA's National Advocacy Conference is the premier real estate finance lobbying event — attendees receive policy briefings and meet directly with legislators on Capitol Hill to advocate for housing legislation affecting veterans, first-time buyers, and working families.

Learn more at mba.org →

🇺🇸 Follow Updates from D.C. About NAC26 →

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Realtor Spotlight

⭐ Featured Partner — Western NC

Andrea Blalock

Realtor · Keller Williams Professionals · Asheville, NC

If you're buying or selling in Western North Carolina — Asheville, Waynesville, the Great Smoky Mountains — Andrea Blalock is the agent I point my NC clients to. She's been in real estate since 2016, knows the land, the builders, and the market cold. She earned her stripes in new construction sales before moving into full-service residential real estate, which means she knows how to negotiate hard and how to spot value nobody else sees. I'm licensed in NC. When my buyers need boots on the ground in WNC, Andrea is the call I make.

300 Francis Asbury Rd — Mountain Retreat

🔴 Coming Soon · MLS #4363928

300 Francis Asbury Rd.

Waynesville, NC 28785 · Lake Junaluska

$338,900

3 bd · 2 ba · 1,503 sqft · 0.47 ac

Mountain retreat tucked into a peaceful wooded setting moments from Lake Junaluska. Vaulted ceilings with warm wood beams, stone fireplace, walls of windows, spacious deck, and a finished basement with kitchenette. Rare opportunity at this price point near the lake.

📞 Call Andrea: 817.905.0009 🏠 View on Zillow

🌐 andreablalock.kw.com 🏠 Zillow Profile 📸 @andreablalockrealty 🔗 See This Listing

🏡 Are you a Realtor looking to reach buyers and sellers in this market?

Email [email protected] to be featured in a future issue of The Mortgage Vet Weekly.

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Paul's Note

Paul D. Messina

Branch Manager · Canopy Mortgage · Great Falls, MT · NMLS #2679956

Spring buying season is officially here. Rates jumped +0.25 this week to 6.46% — the biggest single-week move in months. But here's the real picture: Great Falls inventory is building, sellers are cutting prices, and buyers have more leverage than they've had in years. That combination doesn't last forever.

I started this newsletter because I was tired of people making one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives without real information. The news either scares you or oversimplifies. I want to give you the straight data and the straight talk — no spin, no pitch. Just the numbers and what they mean for your family.

I'm not here to sell you a mortgage. I'm here to be the person you trust when it matters — to think through what's actually possible, to protect your interests, and to give you a straight answer even when it's not what you hoped to hear.

If you've been on the fence, now is the time to have that conversation. Not because rates are perfect. Because the window of leverage is open. Let's talk.

— Paul | (406) 788-9843 | [email protected]

Let's Have the Real Conversation

Spring is here. Sellers are negotiating. Your VA benefit may be sitting unused. Book a free call or apply online — no pressure, no pitch. Just straight answers.

📅 Book a Free 15-Min Call Apply Online →

Call: (406) 788-9843 · Email: [email protected]

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