Where the numbers come from: sources I trust and how I check them

Rob Redziniak

3 days ago

4 min read

Every number I publish comes from a named source that I link and date. Market counts come from the monthly report for Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties. Mortgage rates come from Freddie Mac. Loan rules and fees come from the agency that sets them. If I cannot check a number, I leave it out.

Tell me what you are looking for, or ask for a home value, and I will help you narrow it down. Use the buyer consultation form or the home value request.

Market activity and prices

My monthly update uses the market report covering active listings, new listings, pending sales, closed sales, median prices, days on market and the share of list price received. I name the month, compare it with the same month a year earlier and publish within the first 10 days after the month ends. See my latest, Charleston Market Update: September 2026.

Mortgage rates

I cite Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the weekly national average of fixed-rate loans. It reported 7.40% for the 30-year and 6.71% for the 15-year as of October 15, 2026. Freddie Mac explains that the survey uses applications from lenders across the country, released Thursdays at noon Eastern. I link the page so you can see the current week at Freddie Mac. Your own quote comes from a lender.

Loan limits

The Federal Housing Finance Agency sets conforming loan limits each year. For 2026, the baseline limit for one-unit properties in most of the country is $832,750, according to its announcement of November 25, 2025. Limits can be higher in some areas, so check the county list or ask your lender.

VA loan fees

The Department of Veterans Affairs publishes the VA funding fee and closing cost information. I link the VA page, which showed a last-updated date of October 5, 2026 when I checked it on October 21, 2026, and I tell you the date I checked each time.

Consumer guidance

For how to read a Loan Estimate, a Closing Disclosure and a rate lock, I point to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, for example its buying a house tools and its rate lock explanation.

State programs

SC Housing publishes down payment assistance and homebuyer programs. I link SC Housing and tell you to confirm current rates and eligibility with a participating lender, because they change.

How I check before I publish

I read the source page the same week and note the date.
I copy the figure exactly and keep its definition.
I compare it with the prior period to catch typos.
I leave out any figure I cannot confirm.
I mark anything I cannot source as a question for you to ask your lender, CPA or attorney.

What I do not do

I do not forecast prices or rates, I do not copy numbers from memory, and I do not present a number without saying what it measures. If you see a figure from me that has no source or date, tell me and I will fix it.

An illustrative check you can run yourself

Say you read that the average 30-year rate is a certain number. Here is how to test it. Find the name of the survey and its date, then open the source and see whether it reports the same figure. Next, ask a lender for a quote on the same day, because your own rate will differ with your credit, your down payment and the loan type. The survey is a national average, so a gap between it and a personal quote is normal and does not mean either number is wrong.

A short checklist for any number you read

Who published it, and are they the original source?
What date or period does it cover?
What area does it cover: a city, a county or the whole country?
How many sales or surveys sit behind it?
Is it an average, a median or a single reading?
Can you open the source and see it yourself?

Common mistakes

Quoting a number without its date.
Comparing a county figure with a national one as if they measured the same thing.
Trusting a figure because it is repeated in many places. Repetition is not a new source.
Using a monthly figure to describe a trend.
Treating an online estimate as an appraisal.

My take: [ROB INPUT: add one or two sentences of your own view before this is published.]

Frequently asked questions

Are your numbers the same as an online estimate site?

Not always. Different sources use different data and methods. I name mine.

How often do you re-check sources?

Rules, fees and rates every 90 days at the latest, and the monthly update each month.

Can I get the source for a number in a post?

Yes. Each post lists its sources, and you can ask me directly.

Sources, checked October 21, 2026

Where to go next

Keep reading: how to read a market report, what the market is doing right now, median or average price. Browse all posts in Market and rates.