we closed!

mortgage rates have been falling and reaching record lows again. while it cost my parents 12-14% to finance the home we grew up in in the 80s, it now costs just 3-4% for a loan of multiple size.

in the past when rates have fallen, i've called around to a few banks to find out their refi rates and gone with whoever offered me the lowest. after marrying a mortgage trader, however, i've learned that the whole mortgage rate locking business is conducted completely different by those who are in the industry. 

they are completely neurotic and always looking for opportunities that the rate could go lower. they are fighting to get that last 1/8th or 1/4 of a point which could mean the difference of tens of thousands of dollars. i wonder how much i could have "saved" had i been a bit more knowledgeable in the fixed income markets.

kevin's hawk-eyes have been following the mortgage market for many years now, but especially closely the last few months as rates fell below than our original rate. a few months ago, we locked in a refi rate, and after much hemming and hawing, we finally closed yesterday!

worst: working late on index rebalance announcements and not leaving the office until 7pm. the only other people on the floor were the facilities management.

best: arriving home to a delicious home-cooked meal: 擔擔麵 and 豆苗 i love cooking for kevin, but it's comforting to know that on the nights when i get stuck at work late, he can prepare a delicious meal for us! thank you ..

smile: the amazing chocolate chip cookies (CCC) at culture coffee that daisy introduced me to. wow ... i think i may like these better than levains! bigger chocolate chips, a bit more dimension to the flavor (savory and sweet, somehow), and the perfect mix of chewy yet brittleness. not sure i want to know how to make these ...