Assumables' Potential Impact on Home Affordability

Overview

Greg Robertson sits down with Andy Taylor and Greg Fischer from RetroRate to discuss assumable loans and their potential to reshape real estate transactions. They explore the history and career paths of both founders, the challenges of discoverability in MLSs, and how RetroRate aims to make assumable loans more visible and accessible for agents, buyers, and sellers.

• Backgrounds of the founders:

  • Andy Taylor: From gaming at EA, to Apple, to Redfin, to startups like Approved and Credit Karma.

  • Greg Fischer: From brokerage and realtor.com to innovative consumer tools like Doorsteps and Doorsteps Swipe.

• RetroRate’s mission:

  • Helps real estate professionals identify and transact on assumable loans.

  • Assumable loans can drastically reduce monthly payments compared to current market rates.

• Market potential:

  • 22–25% of homes on the market have an assumable loan, yet less than 1% are marketed that way.

  • Properly marketed assumable loans can increase sale prices and attract more buyers.

• Challenges:

  • Discoverability in MLSs—fields exist but are often unused or misunderstood.

  • Educating agents and consumers on how assumables work.

  • Equity gaps require creative solutions (cash, piggyback loans, or policy changes).

• Tools & partnerships:

  • RetroRate offers an agent-facing platform, MLS integrations, and a Chrome extension (“RetroRate VHS”) to overlay assumable loan info on Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com.

  • Engaging with MLSs and realtor organizations to standardize data fields and improve adoption.

• Call to action:

  • MLSs, brokers, and agents should connect with RetroRate to make assumable loans more visible and usable for clients.

• RetroRate

• Contact: andy@retrorate.com | greg@retrorate.com

Sponsors

Trackxi – Real Estate’s #1 Deal Tracking Software

Giant Steps Job Board – Where ORE gets hired

Production and editing services by:

Sunbound Studios