Rates are stuck, debt is exploding, and the dream of homeownership feels more like a financial fairytale. From $120K Bitcoin to $350K starter homes, this episode unpacks the chaos behind today’s real estate market with a punch of humor and a dose of hard truth. If you're a Realtor or mortgage pro trying to keep up, this is the episode that breaks it all down.

In this episode, Mike Mills — North Texas mortgage expert and host of The Texas Real Estate and Finance Podcast — delivers an unfiltered look at the state of housing in mid-2025. With mortgage rates stuck in the sixes, inventory creeping back to pre-pandemic levels, and affordability fading fast, Mike breaks down what’s really keeping buyers out of the market — and it’s not just the interest rates.

Here's what you'll hear:

• The true cost of a $400K home in 2025 (and how it's changed since 2019)
• Why price, not just rates, is killing affordability
• How ballooning U.S. debt and Treasury yields are driving mortgage trends
• A data-packed breakdown of the Texas housing market (Dallas, Austin, San Antonio)
• Why fewer first-time buyers and lower birth rates could spell demographic doom
• Plus, a wild tour through crypto highs, job market shifts, and the week's most absurd headlines in the “Mike’s Mind” segment

Whether you're advising buyers, managing listings, or just trying to make sense of this market — this episode will give you the insight (and sarcasm) you need to stay one step ahead.

🏡 Housing Isn’t Just Expensive — It’s Unreachable

Even with rates dipping slightly, most buyers are still priced out due to skyrocketing home prices, high insurance, and tax costs.

📉 Mortgage Rates Are Not the Root Problem

Rates get the spotlight, but the real villain is U.S. debt pushing up Treasury yields, making long-term rates stubbornly high.

📊 2025 Looks More Like 2019 — Kinda

While inventory and days on market resemble pre-pandemic levels, prices are still 46% higher — leaving affordability stuck in limbo.

👨‍💻 AI Agents Can Be Your Next Assistant

This week’s AI Tip breaks down how autonomous AI agents can manage your follow-ups, schedule showings, and make your CRM actually useful — no coding required.

😬 The Demographic Time Bomb Is Real

With fewer first-time buyers and record-high renter rates, long-term housing demand is shifting in ways that could reshape the industry.

🎧 Podcast Website

https://www.thetexasrealestateandfinancepodcast.com

📲 Mike’s Linktree

https://linktr.ee/mikemillsmortgage

📉 Mortgage Rate Index – Mortgage News Daily

https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/mortgage-rates

🔁 Automation Platforms:

• Zapier – https://zapier.com
• Make.com – https://www.make.com

🧠 AI Agent Builders:

• ChatGPT – https://chat.openai.com
• AgentGPT – https://agentgpt.reworkd.ai
• Lindy – https://www.lindy.ai
• Replit Ghostwriter – https://replit.com/site/ghostwriter

👨‍💻 Freelance Help:

• Fiverr – https://www.fiverr.com
• Upwork – https://www.upwork.com

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Struggling to stand out in today’s market?

AI is transforming how top Realtors generate leads, follow up, and close deals faster than ever. In this game-changing episode, Mike Mills and Ginger Bell reveal the real estate AI strategies that smart professionals are using to work less, earn more, and stay competitive in 2025 and beyond.

Real Estate AI Strategy is no longer optional—it's your edge in a shifting market.

In this episode, Mike Mills sits down with Emmy Award-winning producer and tech educator Ginger Bell to break down the practical ways AI is being used by real estate agents and mortgage pros to scale smarter. You’ll hear how AI tools like ChatGPT, Macy 365, and ROAM are helping industry professionals streamline lead follow-up, automate content creation, and optimize local branding.

Topics covered include:

• How to build custom GPTs that handle repetitive tasks
• Automating your marketing and lead nurturing with AI
• Tools like ROAM and Macy 365 that replace multiple platforms
• Why real estate agents must become hyperlocal content creators
• Who today’s buyers really are—and how to create messaging that converts

Whether you're a solo agent, team leader, or broker-owner, this episode gives you the AI playbook to grow your real estate business in today’s digital-first market.

💡 Adopt AI as a Business Standard

AI isn’t futuristic—it’s functional and already reshaping the real estate industry. Smart agents are using it now to automate workflows, lower overhead, and increase responsiveness.

📞 Let AI Handle Your Follow-Ups

Tools like Macy 365 act as tireless assistants, reconnecting with cold leads, abandoned applications, and prospects you don’t have time to chase—without sounding robotic.

📍 Own Your Local Market with AI-Driven Content

Create hyperlocal videos, blogs, and SEO-rich pages in minutes using AI. The more your content reflects your community, the more likely you are to win with both clients and search engines.

🏆 Compete with National Brands Without the Budget

Ginger outlines how platforms like ROAM let independent agents and small teams operate like tech giants—at a fraction of the cost.

👥 The Buyer is Evolving—So Should Your Messaging

From Gen X investors to multigenerational buyers, today’s clients want more than a house—they want insight. AI helps you adapt your marketing to meet their specific needs.

• AI Beehive – A curated directory of AI tools for real estate and mortgage pros:
• https://www.aibeehive.com
• AI Mastery Center – Online training for agents and loan officers using AI:
• https://www.go2training.com/aimasterycenter
• Go2Training – Custom training programs for real estate and mortgage professionals:
• https://www.go2training.com
• Ginger Bell’s Website – Speaking, consulting, and resources:
• https://www.gingerbell.net
• NAMB Hive – Free community for mortgage professionals:
• https://www.skool.com/nambhive/about
• ROAM Virtual Office – Combines Zoom, Calendly, and AI follow-ups for teams:

Crashing prices, rising inventory, and Bitcoin-backed mortgages—what could possibly go wrong? The Texas housing market shift is in full swing, and it’s turning traditional real estate wisdom on its head. If you’re a Realtor trying to stay profitable in this madness, this episode is your new playbook.

In this fast-paced breakdown of the Texas housing market shift happening in Summer 2025, host and mortgage pro Mike Mills guides Realtors and lenders through the economic turbulence hitting Texas real estate.

Here’s what’s inside:

• Why Austin’s inventory surge and falling home prices signal a new buyer’s market
• How the latest jobs report and Fed delays are impacting mortgage rate trends
• What the newly passed “Big Beautiful Bill” means for affordability, taxes, and the future of housing finance
• An AI tool that might outsmart your entire CRM system (Fello, we’re looking at you)
• And yes... there’s even talk of aliens, ancient tech, and Klarna credit scores

If you’ve got listings that won’t move or buyers still waiting for rates to drop, this episode delivers the insight, humor, and tools you need to survive—and maybe even thrive—this summer.

Mortgage Rates Are Flip-Flopping Again

Rates dipped, then bounced back slightly—but the Fed’s indecision means volatility is here to stay. Understanding what’s driving rate behavior is critical for advising buyers and timing your locks.

Austin’s Buyer Market Is Here

Inventory in Austin is up 43%, and over half of sellers are slashing prices. This means Realtors must pivot fast—buyers have power, and overpriced listings will stall out quickly.

The Fed, the Bill & the Backlash

Massive federal policy changes are adding fuel to the debt fire. Elon Musk’s dramatic political pivot and warnings from the CBO reveal how high the stakes are for housing affordability and investor confidence.

Fello: Your CRM’s AI-Powered Sidekick

Fello integrates with your CRM to score, segment, and nurture leads based on real equity and ownership data. If you're sitting on a database of “maybe someday” leads, Fello helps you turn them into real conversations.

When the Market’s Weird, Stay Informed

Between tech layoffs, public-sector hiring, and an interest cost crisis, staying updated is your competitive edge. This episode keeps it real—because Realtors don’t need fluff, they need facts (and maybe a little sarcasm).

• 🎙️ Episode Page – Full recap, tools, and timestamps:
• https://www.thetexasrealestateandfinancepodcast.com/texas-housing-market-shift
• 📊 Mortgage News Daily – Daily Rate Indexes:
• https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/mortgage-rates
• 🏦 Freddie Mac PMMS – Weekly Rate Trends:
• https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms
• 🧠 Fello – AI-Powered CRM Optimization Tool:
• https://www.fello.com
• 📅 Federal Reserve Meeting Calendar:
• https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomccalendars.htm
• 🔗 Connect with Mike Mills – Linktree:
• https://linktr.ee/mikemillsmortgage

Enjoying the podcast? Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow agent. It helps more real estate pros stay informed, ahead of the...