Amy Groves, Director of the Coalition for Housing Freedom in Nevada and candidate for Nevada’s 19th Assembly District, discusses the significant drop in mortgage rates under the Trump administration. It’s led to an increase in home affordability and buying power, especially for first-time buyers. Groves also shares what motivates her run for AD 19 this year.
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Alan Stock 0:00
And a good morning, great debut with us on this Thursday morning, which Thursday, it’s got to be Nevada news and views Thursday, which it is a great source of information. And, of course, all kinds of writings as well as news coming from Nevada news and views, everything from local to state to national. And you’re going to find the best in news and and the views themselves at Nevada news and views.com Nevada news and views.com check it out. And this morning, joining us on behalf of Nevada news and views is Amy groves, director of the Coalition for housing freedom on in Nevada, and of course, also a candidate for Nevada’s 19th Assembly District. Amy, thanks so much for taking the time to join us this morning.
Amy Groves 0:46
Well, thank you, Alan, thanks for having me Absolutely.
Alan Stock 0:50
Let’s talk about some of the issues going on, because I like some of the columns you’ve written on one of them had to do is very interesting, and I want to get into this because mortgage rates have continued to fall under Trump’s leadership. People are trying to blame the Trump administration for high inflation, which we’ve actually come down since he took office, by the way, and for any of the other problems going on, gas prices and everything, but he’s getting no credit for the fact that mortgage rates have actually fallen under his leadership. Tell me about that. Yeah.
Amy Groves 1:25
So for the first time in years, regular mortgage is now under 6% if you’re doing a 15 year loan, we’re seeing 5% and just this morning, I saw a billboard for Touchstone homes at 3.99% so rates are falling to buy a home. Wow.
Alan Stock 1:44
3.99% Yeah, that
Amy Groves 1:49
was a 30 year fixed, and your credit needed to be 620, and higher. So it’s not terrible, not terrible to do it all. Wow.
Alan Stock 1:57
That is 399, that is amazing, and all this has come about during the Trump administration, when he took office, we were about 7% or be even higher, if I recall
Amy Groves 2:10
correct, we’re seven and a half at one point,
Alan Stock 2:13
but we have now come down significantly, and every point that drops, what saves people hundreds of dollars,
Amy Groves 2:23
hundreds of dollar month. And if we can go from a six to a 5% your payment might drop from from 3000 to 2600 like it gets substantial.
Alan Stock 2:34
That’s absolutely amazing. So which means, again, that the availability for new homes to First Time Home buy buyers is much greater than it’s been in some time.
Amy Groves 2:47
It does. It makes their buying power greater. They might be able to get the three bedroom house instead of the two bedroom house. It. It definitely makes homes sell quicker here, and you can get what you’re looking for at better interest rates. Wow.
Alan Stock 3:02
And I know that now there are more homes that are going on the market that have been available before. I mean, I see that the market is really beginning to pick up a bit. Plus, we’re heading toward spring, toward the end of spring, when people like to be able to buy and make those changes, the moves and everything during summertime when school’s out.
Amy Groves 3:23
Yes, this is every year. This is the uptick. March, April, May. That’s when we see the most homes go on the market. It’s time to move and groove this time of year. Wow.
Alan Stock 3:32
This is absolutely fantastic. So it’s coming down, and at home prices are really have been pretty stable, actually. I mean, they haven’t gone up exponentially. So, I mean, this is an affordable time to buy homes, and what was it that that the Trump administration did to help bring this down?
Amy Groves 3:56
Well, when is they take up the feds to actually do some rate cuts. And with the new new Fed director or Chairman coming on, we’re actually predicting this year we might see a couple of more cuts, and that is a direct result of Trump coming in there, saying, we need to do better for the American people, and we need to do better for the government. For all the money that they have to pay back, they need better interest also, but this is 100% Trump’s doing.
Alan Stock 4:23
Yeah, he forced them to really bring it down. He did. And, yeah, and, and, you know, people again, can say what they want, but he’s definitely been there for the people on this now, in in conjunction with this, let’s talk about rentals, because rentals also the rates on rentals are continuing to fall as well
Amy Groves 4:47
they are, and what’s really exciting is we’re seeing the rents fall, plus concessions. You can now go rent a place, perhaps get a free first month rent, maybe discounted rate, you could say. Maybe it’s going to run for 1800 but you offer them 1700 and they’re taking it. So it’s getting better if you’re a renter.
Alan Stock 5:07
Yeah, I remember at one time people were saying, Well, you know, homes are like, not affordable, but you know, we can’t get into rents either, because rents are as high as as paying a mortgage on a home, so people just can’t afford it at all. But now, as things are beginning to come down, it is becoming more affordable, and I noticed they’re building more and more rental units around the valley in general.
Amy Groves 5:32
Yes, there are quite a few apartment complexes are going up to four or five, 600 unit ones, and the more supply, the better the price gets.
Alan Stock 5:42
And these places are fairly affordable. And it’s not what you call low income housing, but they are it is affordable housing, correct?
Amy Groves 5:50
When your rent for your your two or three bedroom is going to be 1800 but that same house, that payment would be 3000 rent is very affordable in comparison.
Alan Stock 6:00
Wow, amazing. So go on in and try to get a rental, save a little money up, and then put it as a down payment on a home, and you’ll be able to start accruing some equity, which is what, yeah, what this is all about. This is not New York where they want to be able to screw you out of your out of your home. Nine and a half percent. He wanted a surtax on property the new socialist, communist mayor, yeah, yeah. And people are are up in arms. I mean, left and right, black and white. Didn’t matter who it was. People were upset about it, and rightfully so. They saved by a home and they couldn’t afford it. So we’re in the right place at the right time. Stay around. I want to talk about a couple of other things. One, I know the left is melting down over school choice, and I want to find out what’s so upsetting to them about that. And also, I know you’re running for the 19th assembly district for the for the assembly, and I want to find out about your candidacy as well. So we’ve got Amy groves joining us right here on Vegas at eight, and we’ll continue in just a moment right here on kx. NT. Annie, good morning. This is, of course, Nevada news and views Thursday, and we have Amy groves joining us on behalf of Nevada news and views, and, of course, on behalf of her own self, as well as the fact that she’s a candidate for Nevada’s 19th Assembly District. Quickly, I want to talk about one of the articles you wrote about recently regarding the issue of school choice. The left is just going absolutely nuts over this, and the main reason that the left does not like school choice is what
Amy Groves 7:45
probably it would take it out of their control, because they want to know what the kids are teaching, and they want to push their agendas forward. And then it comes down to money. They want to make sure they control all the education money so they don’t want choice.
Alan Stock 7:58
Yeah, they’re concerned that a lot of kids would be leaving the school district, and some have when they’ve had the choice. And of course, kids what that means leaving the school district the public school system is they go to private or charter schools or home schools. And what that all means is that teachers unions are not going to be getting the money they would like to have, and those folks are nothing but a show for the Democrat Party. Correct?
Amy Groves 8:28
They do not want these kids leaving the public school, and yet, we desperately need them to leave the public school, right, so they can learn more,
Alan Stock 8:37
and to give the parents the choice of where they want their kids. And a lot of times, those choices come on behalf of the folks who are and maybe a lower strata of income. And it’s not some people say, Oh, it’s just the wealthy are going to get it. That’s that’s a bunch of bunk. It’s going to be folks, a lot of them who can’t afford as much to be able to pay for a private school. So, I mean, this is definitely there is a bias built in, a prejudice built in against against school choice.
Amy Groves 9:16
There absolutely is a bias. And everybody would benefit this. You’re right, is not just for the wealthy. Every economic level is going to benefit from this, and they’re not even they need to. They’re not even telling the parents. They’re trying to scare the parents into not even thinking about it. But we do need school choice. We need the kids to leave the public system, and we need them to have their choice on where they want to get educated. I’m a big supporter of this.
Alan Stock 9:43
Yeah, I’m a big supporter of it as well. I think it’s a great opportunity for for for people. I want to talk briefly about the fact that you’re running for the 19th Assembly District, and what motivates you to run for the assembly.
Amy Groves 9:58
I. So honestly, it was all of the tax increases that are coming our way, and that last special session where they were doing the Hollywood handout bill, I was just, I was so mad that that even made it to the table. I was just so venomably opposed for it. And the gentleman in my district that had the seat, he voted for it. So I that was my motivation to run is I need to be the anti big government person, because I very much support small governments and limited and that was my motivation. Was that bill? Yeah.
Alan Stock 10:32
I mean, we, Nevada is a purple state. We are not blue, like California. We’re not red, like, let’s say maybe Florida, but we are purple, and we’re fighting to maintain our independence and our freedom and and to push us as much red as we can. And in order to do that, we’ve got to get folks like you in there. I mean, when it comes to women’s sports, I mean, you don’t have Democrats overall, quite frankly, supporting the idea of women competing against women in women’s sports. They would allow men who masquerade as women to compete in women’s sports, and of course, that takes away the opportunities that women have worked for all their lives. Correct?
Amy Groves 11:20
Like my grandma, she couldn’t even vote when she was born, like it was that age. And I’m so surprised that women are not joining up in mass saying, Can you stay out of the women’s right? Women are losing awards to men. They’re losing sports, they’re losing scholarships. And I don’t understand why we’re not joining together to say just women against women on these things, men against men. I do support keeping the men out of the women’s sports.
Alan Stock 11:45
There was a time when women did actually support Title Nine and supported women’s women’s sports, yeah, and that was good. And I don’t know what changed, but they have become, they become very woke, and decided that they’ve tried to try to be everything to everyone, and by trying to be everything they can to men who call themselves women, they’re really becoming anti woman. I mean, when it comes down to it, and I think that’s absolutely if you’ve got a daughter or you’ve got a granddaughter, that I mean, that should be the most repulsive thing you can imagine.
Amy Groves 12:25
I agree, and people are actually afraid to have that opinion. They want to go with the flow on this. But we do need to stand together. It’s great to celebrate women. It’s great to celebrate men. We are different and wonderful in our differences. Yeah, I don’t know. We do need to keep the women, the men, out of the women’s sports.
Alan Stock 12:42
Absolutely, absolutely the case. And it’s something that I think is very important, education women, recognize women in women’s sports. Also the taxation issue, all these issues I know are important to you, keeping taxes low. The lower the taxes, the more people will spend and the more businesses will have money to be able to reinvest and hire new people. I mean, it’s just as common sense.
Amy Groves 13:11
To me, it is, and to you it is, but not to everybody.
Alan Stock 13:15
Well, we’ll try to educate as many as we’ll try to get there, though, right? We’re working on it. We’re absolutely working on it. So once again, you’re running for the 19th Assembly District, and if people want to find out more about your campaign, how can they do it?
Amy Groves 13:30
They can go to vote Amy groves.com, it’s got my phone number that you can call me directly, you can email me. You can donate if you would like. But it does talk about all my issues, my blogs and some articles I’ve written,
Alan Stock 13:43
you’ve written some great things for Nevada news and views, and I appreciate it. Today is Nevada news views. Thursday. If you want to find out more about a great news source, as well as commentary for all issues, local, statewide and national, go to Nevada news and views.com Nevada news and views.com. Our friend Chuck Muth has done a great job putting that together, and has a great army of people writing for him, including you. Amy groves, and I appreciate your taking time to join us this morning. Wish you the very best in your campaign for the 19th Assembly District. Amy groves, joining us this morning here on Vegas at eight, Amy, take good care, and we will talk again very soon.
Amy Groves 14:26
Great. Thank you so much, Alan. Have a great day.
