Housing 2026 is off and going, and so far this year, with mortgage rates near 6% and mortgage spreads near normal levels, 2026 looks to be the first year of actual growth in existing home sales in years. Last week we had solid data in purchase apps and our weekly pending sales data — with […]
Housing demand is off to a solid start in 2026 Read More »
Existing home sales have had a nice rise since mid-June, but what will it take for this sales growth trend to continue in 2026? Over the last few years, when rates drop noticeably, sales pick up, but then mortgage rates have shot up over 7% and taken away housing’s momentum. In 2026, are there key
Existing home sales outlook improves as mortgage rates stabilize Read More »
Mortgage rates fell to their lowest levels in more than three years after Pres. Trump ordered a $200 billion purchase of agency mortgage-backed securities, Freddie Mac said. Processing Content Spreads were already tightening as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have increased the size of their respective retained portfolios in recent months. The announcement further narrowed
Mortgage rates reach three-year low after MBS buy order Read More »
U.S. homeowners who carry mortgages with rates of 6% or more now outnumber those with rates below 3%. This should drive a “meaningful shift in the housing market after years of historically low borrowing costs,” according to a Realtor.com report released Wednesday. The company analyzed residential mortgage data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)
Is the lock-in effect loosening its grip on housing? Realtor.com thinks so Read More »
US mortgage rates slid last week to one of the lowest levels in years, sparking a flurry of purchase and refinancing activity that offers hope for a plodding housing market. Processing Content The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped 7 basis points to 6.18% in the week ended Jan. 9, according to Mortgage Bankers
Mortgage rates slide to one of lowest levels since 2022 Read More »
After a long delay caused by the government shutdown, we finally have a new home sales report for October! The report shows that lower mortgage rates, which are now moving toward 6%, are helping to keep new home sales steady, similar to what we see in the existing home sales market. New home sales are
Lower mortgage rates support steady new home sales Read More »
Mortgage rate-lock activity ended the year on a strong note in spite of seasonal trends, new industry data found. Processing Content Optimal Blue’s latest Market Advantage report showed total lock volume increased 2% from November and finished 30% higher than last December. The boost was driven primarily by rate-and-term refinances, which rose 13% on a
Lock activity increases in December, defying seasonal trends Read More »
Following Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s disclosure on Sunday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued grand jury subpoenas to the central bank, the investigation has triggered political backlash on Capitol Hill. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, said he backs Powell and accused the DOJ of threatening the
DOJ probe into Powell prompts bipartisan backlash Read More »
Just 14% of the economists surveyed by Wolters Kluwer expect the Federal Open Market Committee’s next short-term rate reduction to take place at its January meeting. Processing Content Overall, the Blue Chip Economic Indicators panel consensus is for two cuts during this year to the Fed Funds Rate and none next year, with almost no
Economists forecast just 50 basis points of Fed cuts in 2026 Read More »
Jobs Friday came and went without much reaction in bond yields because the labor market isn’t breaking, nor is it getting stronger. Mortgage rates dropped into the 5s for a short time on Friday as a result of Trump’s earlier announcement directing the GSEs to buy $200 billion in mortgage backed securities. The 10-year yield
December jobs data continues to support lower mortgage rates Read More »