Mortgage Rates

Fresh US-imposed tariffs will come into effect in China on 15th December. Both the economies may lock a small part of the deal before this date. As witnessed of late, bond markets are more reactive to the Trade War than any domestic news. If such a deal comes through, expectations around the reduction of tariffs will set the scene for negativity in the bond market. The mortgage market, then, can only be expected to be reactive. Mortgage Rates: rates offer a mixed bag This week’s Mortgage Banking Associations’ (MBA) weekly rate survey reveals a mixed performance across the…

Piggybacking on low mortgage rates, the refinance applications are on a rise. Refinance volume has pushed total mortgage volume up and it is nearly 150% above where it was, this week last year. The data, however, is not as reliable given that Thanksgiving fell a week earlier last year. To add, 30-Y fixed has come down by 1.15% over this one year period, boosting the present mortgage volume, and hence further skewing the Year-over-Year data. Be that as it may, there is certainly a cause for cheer. Mortgage Rates: rates decrease across the…

The effect of the Hong Kong protests (compounded by the judiciary’s stay on the mask ban) may not be as forthcoming immediately. Yet, it has what it takes to derail even the German and the US economy to some degree. It does not augur well for a US economy already being hit by the Trade War. The protests in Hong Kong (a Special Administrative Region of China) may well have brought the US Treasury down last week, thus bringing the 30 Yr Fixed below 4%. Mortgage Rates: Rates Decrease across the Platform This…

When the bond yield curve had inverted in late August, the USA began to harbor recessionary fears. These fears have since diluted; a trend reflected by a slight increase in the mortgage rates over the last couple of months. America's manufacturing sector is still under the pump and this creates an atmosphere of economic weakness. At such times, investors may rush for bonds thereby decreasing bond yields and bringing down interest rate along with it. Of course, if it turns out this way, mortgage shoppers will feel a little more confident about their…

At the time of writing this piece, we await the University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index. It is expected to rally close to 96. Mortgage shoppers will have their eyes glued to it. It is worth noting that the higher the number, the more optimistic the consumers are and hence more likely to make purchases in the near future, the situation clearly affecting the mortgage rate. Mortgage shoppers will hope for their greater good that the index doesn't rise past October's 95.5 MortgageRates: rates decrease across the board This week’s Mortgage Banking Associations’ (MBA) weekly rate survey reveals…

Manufacturer sentiment has grown in October according to ISM's October Manufacturing Index but the reading of 48.3, despite being an uptick on September's 47.8, is still below 50 (chief wreckers being weak global growth cues, appreciated dollar and trade skepticism). This, though, spells good tidings for the mortgage market. With over a decade of following economic expansion, one expects the labor market to rally. And while the October percentage may not be as good as recent times, adding 128,000 new jobs and posting 3.6% unemployment rate is applaudable (and, in fact, beyond expectation),…

Call it the rise of the Planet Automaton, or simply, lack of productivity but wage growth (and it has foxed economists) is sluggishly seen in the light of the low unemployment rate. This is the exact opposite of how the cookie is supposed to crumble in times of expansion.    Federal spending (up by 8% for Fiscal ‘19’) has overrun an increase in revenue (up by 4%), leaving our country with a shade under a $1 trillion fiscal deficit. Never in the last 7 years has the budget gap been so wide. The…

The US economy added 140,000 jobs in September, thus keeping the unemployment rate hovering around the acceptable 3.7% mark. And so, though job growth has cooled, we are still at a point where the layoffs are not going out of hand- a possible turnabout that could compromise the US expansion project. Exports are weak, thanks to the trade war. The manufacturing industry is unquestionably in a state of contraction and the service sector has been carried away in its slipstream. And while the US, nobly, is not transferring tariff costs to the end-consumer…

Yesterday the Fed released the Beige Book which contained an even stronger emphasis on the impact of tariffs and labor shortages than the previous two publications. Along with that, all twelve districts in the U.S. said the economy is expanding moderately or at a moderate pace in their region. The issue of labor shortages isn't new news, but employers are stepping up their enticements to try and lure potential job candidates, which include job training and no drug testing. They aren't, however, increasing wage levels but offer non-cash benefits to entice workers. Pending…