Mortgage application activity was mixed this week with overall purchase applications declining from last week, but a slight uptick in FHA loan applications and refinance applications still up significantly over last year indicates borrowers continue to look for ways to make homeownership more affordable. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reports that the market composite index—the…
Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook pointed to tariffs as the cause of a recent rise in inflation data during a Nov. 3 speech on economic outlook and monetary policy. During her speech, Cook noted the rise in inflation as of the September PCE report, which saw annual inflation hit “significantly” above the Fed’s 2% inflation…
Mortgage rate watchers point out that so far this year rates have fallen 87 basis points from their mid-January peak, a welcome event for homebuyers that have been waiting on the sidelines and homeowners who have been considering refinancing. According to the latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) released by Freddie Mac Thursday, the average…
After four weeks of consecutive drops in activity, mortgage applications break the streak with gains for refinance and purchase applications. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reports that the market composite index—the measure of mortgage loan activity volume—increased 7.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Oct. 24. The index increased at nearly the…
Consumer reports of economic confidence are mixed in October as the government shutdown and other economic challenges persist. The latest Consumer Confidence Index from The Conference Board found that confidence fell by one point to 94.6 in October, down from an upwardly revised 95.6 in September. Stephanie Guichard, senior economist of Global Indicators at The…
Uncertainty is in the air as the government shutdown persists, with many on edge waiting for the Federal Reserve’s next meeting and a potential interest rate cut. Despite the delay of most government data releases that help the Fed determine rate cut decisions, the latest Consumer Price Index—an inflation gauge from the Bureau of Labor…
With mortgage rates continuing to decline–to their lowest point in over a year this week–refinance activity enters its sixth week at a high pace. According to the latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) released by Freddie Mac Thursday, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) slid another eight basis points this week to 6.19% from last…
The dry spell for mortgage applications is showing signs of recovery as consecutive weeks of decreasing activity slows significantly. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reports that the market composite index—the measure of mortgage loan activity volume—decreased 0.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Oct. 17. For the week prior to this, the…
Continuing a pattern of small movements expected as the government shutdown continues, rate saw only a slight downward trend this week. According to the latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) released by Freddie Mac Thursday, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) slid three basis points to 6.27% from last week’s average of 6.30%. “Mortgage rates…
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the length of the government shutdown and its ongoing effects, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell yesterday highlighted concerns over employment data as all eyes are on the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) and a potential interest rate cut ahead of their next meeting Oct. 28-29. In a speech at the National…
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