Homebuyers seizing the day as mortgage rates continue to slide

Demand for purchase loans picks up for fourth consecutive week, and bond market investors are pushing rates lower on hopes for Fed easing as inflation subsides. Continue reading

Economists agree rates have peaked. But will they come down?

Two closely watched forecasts agree that mortgage rates have probably peaked, but diverge sharply on how quickly they’ll come down over the next two years. Continue reading

Homebuyers perk up as mortgage rates hit lowest level in 2 months

Requests for purchase loans were up 4 percent last week compared to the week before, but down 20 percent from the same time a year ago, according to a weekly survey of lenders by the Mortgage Bankers Association. Continue reading

Mortgage rates post biggest 1-day drop since onset of the pandemic

Tuesday’s big drop in rates followed an encouraging inflation report, with bond market investors now convinced the Fed is done hiking rates and may reverse course in the spring. Continue reading

Inflation stays flat in October, but shelter costs continue to rise

The index for shelter rose 0.3 percent between September and October and was up 6.7 percent year over year, according to CPI data released Tuesday.  Continue reading

Mortgage rates inch back up after Powell warns Fed could hike again

Speaking at an IMF research conference, Powell said the Fed is committed to raising rates as high as needed to bring inflation down, and “we are not confident that we have achieved such a stance.” Continue reading

Homebuyers respond to biggest drop in mortgage rates this year

Purchase mortgage applications trended up last week for the first time in nearly a month as mortgage rates retreated from 2023 highs, according to the MBA’s weekly survey of lenders. Continue reading

Record 85% of Americans said October was a bad time to buy

Monthly Fannie Mae survey shows homebuyer pessimism at a high for records dating back to 2010, but a broader index aimed at capturing overall housing market sentiment improved in October. Continue reading

Big drop in mortgage rates as unemployment hints at recession

After breaching 8 percent in mid-October, 30-year fixed mortgage rates have plummeted to levels not seen since September as more investors expect Fed policymakers to lower rates in the spring. Continue reading

Impact of ‘lock-in effect’ on listings may have been overstated

Fannie Mae researchers say rising mortgage rates aren’t the only reason homeowners have been reluctant to sell, and rates coming back down won’t necessarily produce a flood of for-sale listings. Continue reading