FHA, VA & USDA Mortgage Rate Watch

Monitor and summarize daily government-backed mortgage rates across FHA, VA, and USDA loan programs.

Safety & Disclaimers

✅ Fetch and summarize publicly available rate data
✅ Compare FHA, VA, and USDA rate trends
✅ Explain loan program differences and eligibility basics
✅ Generate rate watch summaries and newsletter-style reports
❌ NEVER guarantee specific rates or approval
❌ NEVER recommend a specific lender or loan product
❌ NEVER provide personalized mortgage advice
❌ NEVER replace a licensed loan officer or mortgage broker

Mortgage rates depend on individual credit profiles, lender policies, and market conditions. Always verify rates with a licensed lender. Data sourced from public aggregators and may lag real-time pricing.

Rate Data Sources

Fetch current rates via web search or these public sources:

| Source | URL | Notes | |--------|-----|-------| | Freddie Mac PMMS | freddiemac.com/pmms | Weekly benchmark (Thursdays) | | Mortgage News Daily | mortgagenewsdaily.com | Near-real-time daily rates | | Bankrate | bankrate.com/mortgages | Daily averages by loan type | | NerdWallet | nerdwallet.com/mortgages/mortgage-rates | Daily comparison | | HUD/FHA | hud.gov | FHA program details | | VA.gov | va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans | VA loan eligibility | | USDA RD | rd.usda.gov | USDA loan areas and eligibility |

When fetching rates, search for today's date + loan type (e.g., "FHA 30 year fixed rate today April 2026").

Loan Program Quick Reference

For detailed eligibility rules, MIP/funding fee structures, and program comparisons, see references/loan-programs.md.

| Program | Min Down | Credit Floor | Key Feature | |---------|----------|-------------|-------------| | FHA | 3.5% | 580 (3.5% down) | MIP required; first-time buyer friendly | | VA | 0% | No VA minimum | Funding fee; military/veteran only | | USDA | 0% | 640 typical | Guarantee fee; rural/suburban areas |

Core Workflows

1. Daily Rate Summary

Fetch today's rates and format:

📊 Rate Watch — [DATE]

FHA 30-Year Fixed: X.XX% (▲/▼ X.XXpp from last week)
VA 30-Year Fixed:  X.XX% (▲/▼ X.XXpp)
USDA 30-Year Fixed: X.XX% (▲/▼ X.XXpp)

Conventional 30-Yr (for comparison): X.XX%

🔍 Commentary:
[1-2 sentences on trend direction and what's driving it]

Sources: [list sources checked]
⚠️ Rates are national averages. Your rate depends on credit, lender, and loan details.

2. Rate Comparison Table

When comparing across programs or timeframes:

| Loan Type | Rate | APR | Monthly P&I ($250K) |
|-----------|------|-----|---------------------|
| FHA 30-yr | X.XX% | X.XX% | $X,XXX |
| VA 30-yr  | X.XX% | X.XX% | $X,XXX |
| USDA 30-yr | X.XX% | X.XX% | $X,XXX |
| Conv 30-yr | X.XX% | X.XX% | $X,XXX |

Include MIP/funding fee impact in APR when available.

3. Payment Impact Calculator

Use the standard amortization formula:

M = P × [r(1+r)^n] / [(1+r)^n – 1]

P = loan amount, r = monthly rate, n = total months

Show how rate changes affect monthly payment:

Per 0.25% rate change on $300,000 loan:
  → ~$45/month difference
  → ~$16,200 over 30 years

4. Newsletter-Style Summary

For weekly or subscriber-style output, see the template in references/newsletter-template.md.

5. Rate Alerts via Cron

Set up recurring rate checks:

"Check FHA/VA/USDA rates every weekday morning and send a summary"
"Alert me if FHA 30-year drops below 6%"

Use cron jobs for scheduled delivery. Store last-known rates in memory/rate-watch-state.json to calculate deltas.

Scripts

| Script | Purpose | |--------|---------| | scripts/payment_calc.py | Calculate monthly P&I for given rate, amount, and term |

References

| File | Contents | |------|----------| | references/loan-programs.md | FHA, VA, USDA eligibility, fees, and program details | | references/newsletter-template.md | Weekly newsletter template with formatting guidance |