I'm Hunter Downing, a loan officer at Movement Mortgage in Jacksonville Beach, and I've got three things for you: mortgage expertise, hyper-local market intel, and dad jokes so bad they should come with an APR disclosure. Why? Because buying a home in 2026 is complicated enough — you deserve a loan officer who explains the numbers, knows the neighborhoods, and keeps you laughing while you sign papers.
Case in point: Why did the homebuyer bring a ladder to the open house? Because they heard the property had a great rate. (You're welcome.)
For the first time in 18 months, Jacksonville buyers have an edge
Why Movement Mortgage?
I get asked this a lot. "Hunter, why Movement?" Two reasons. First, we close loans fast — in 2023, Movement's average close time was 24.4 days, compared to the national average of 44 days (Movement Culture). When you're competing against other buyers in a balanced market, a fast close can be the difference between getting the house and watching it slip away.
Second, Impact Lending. Movement gives 40%–50% of our profits back to communities through education, infrastructure, and non-profit support. We've given over $377 million to the Movement Foundation so far and opened multiple public charter schools in underserved areas. Your mortgage doesn't just buy you a home — it helps build schools and support neighborhoods. That matters to me, and it matters to my clients.
Who is Hunter Downing?
I've been in the mortgage business since 2016 — that's a decade of helping families in the Jacksonville area buy homes, refinance, and navigate the wildest market cycles I've ever seen. Before joining Movement Mortgage in 2024, I spent eight years at Bank of England Mortgage, where I learned that every client's situation is different and every loan needs a custom solution.
But here's what you really want to know: I'm a Jacksonville Beach local. I work out of 102 6th Ave North, Suites 8 & 9 — right in the heart of Jax Beach. I know the neighborhoods from San Marco to Nocatee, from Riverside to the Beaches. And I genuinely enjoy this work. As one client put it, "Hunter served as more than just a service provider but also as an advisor" (Movement Mortgage).
Jacksonville's housing market has shifted. The city moved from a buyer's market into balanced territory as of late summer 2026, according to the Realtor.com Market Clock report. Prices have been flat since November 2024, and Kurt Bogart, a broker associate with Endless Summer Realty, told Realtor.com it's "a great time to buy." New listings in Jacksonville dropped 4.2% year-over-year as of late August, and active listings have shrunk every month since December 2025 (The MortgagePoint). That means sellers are pulling back, and buyers who are ready to move have real negotiating power.
Nationally, the median sale price sits at about $400,649 (up 1.9% year-over-year), with the average 30-year mortgage rate hovering around 6.65% as of late August 2026 (Redfin). About 20.8% of listings had price drops in August — which means sellers are more willing to offer concessions. Here's where that math gets interesting for Jacksonville buyers.
Let's make it real. In August 2026, a $350,000 home in San Marco with a 6.65% rate and 20% down ($280,000 loan) carries a monthly payment of roughly $1,797 — before taxes and insurance. Now run the same scenario with a seller-paid 2/1 buydown: the seller contributes around 2% of the loan amount ($5,600) to temporarily reduce the rate to 4.65% in year one and 5.65% in year two. That drops the monthly payment to roughly $1,445 in the first year and $1,620 in the second. That's about $350 less per month — which frees up cash for furniture, renovations, or just breathing easier. By year three, the rate resets to 6.65%, and by then you're likely to have refinanced or built enough equity that the original payment feels manageable.
Rate buydowns. A seller can contribute toward buying down your interest rate, reducing your monthly payment for the first year or two (or permanently). With inventory sitting longer — 20.8% of listings had price drops in August — sellers are more willing to offer concessions to close the deal (Redfin). That's a payment you can actually afford.
Piggyback loans (80/10/10). Put 10% down with a conventional first mortgage at 80% LTV and a second mortgage at 10%. You avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI), keep more cash in your pocket, and the structure works well for buyers who have solid income but not a massive down payment saved up.
Seller concessions. Instead of haggling over $5,000 off the asking price, negotiate for the seller to pay your closing costs or buy down your rate. In a market where buyers have leverage, this is often the smartest play.
Creative strategies that work at 6.65%
Here's the real talk: rates in the mid-6% range are the new normal — but that doesn't mean you can't buy a home. It means you need a creative approach to financing. I tell clients all the time: waiting for 3% rates again is like waiting for the referees to say Myles Jack wasn't down in that 2017 AFC championship game — it's just not happening. Here are three strategies I use daily for my clients in Jacksonville Beach and beyond.
In Jacksonville, new listings were down 4.2% year-over-year as of late August, and active listings have shrunk on an annual basis every month since December 2025 (The MortgagePoint). That means sellers are pulling back — giving buyers who are ready to move a real opening to negotiate.
