With the war in Iran causing market volatility this past week including an average mortgage rate increase from below and back up over 6%, home purchase application activity increased for the fourth straight week. According to the latest Market Composite Index from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)—its measure of mortgage loan activity volume and includes…
Inflation appeared to once again be on the right track for the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, economists are feeling uncertain about whether the trend will continue as the economy faces potential fallout from geopolitical issues—most notably, the war in Iran. The BLS’s…
After a brief dip into the fives, mortgage rates ticked back up this week and will likely continue to rise if the conflict with Iran escalates into a prolonged war, economists cautioned this week. “The launch of the conflict in Iran over the weekend and its subsequent escalation has stoked fears of wartime inflation that…
Just in time for the spring buying season, average mortgage rates crossed “into the fives,” this past week, their lowest level in years, and one economists describe as a “psychological barrier and numeric threshold” that could bring more buyers into the market despite concerns over the economy. The latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), released…
Home loan application activity increased this past week, up slightly from the previous week and following the trend of steady average mortgage rates hovering around 6%, even dipping below for a few days this past week. According to the latest Market Composite Index from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)—its measure of mortgage loan activity volume…
Home price growth continues to decelerate as some market stabilization occurs ahead of the spring buying season, according to the latest data. The December S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index saw home prices rise 1.3% year-over-year, slightly down from the 1.4% annual gain seen in November, which Nicholas Godec, head of Fixed Income Tradables &…
Consumers’ perception of the economy plays as vital a role in shaping market activity as hard economic data, as consumers will want to know whether the economy is on solid footing before they make a major financial decision (such as buying a home). The latest report on Consumer Confidence from the nonprofit Conference Board—based on…
Economic data appears to be affirming that an interest rate is not coming for a few months as the Federal Reserve’s favorite inflation measure heated up despite a winter freeze, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index increased 0.4% in December, putting annual inflation…
As inventory challenges persist in some markets and have improved in others, economists generally point to a Spring market with increased buyers, provided average mortgage rates remain at their recent years-long lows. The latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), released by Freddie Mac Thursday, shows the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaging 6.01%, down from 6.09%…
At the end of 2025, the leading indicators of the economy suggested a slowing contraction, but enduring consumer cynicism. The latest Leading Economic Indicators (LEI) report from nonprofit business research organization The Conference Board found a 0.2% decline in December, compared to a 0.3% decline in November. The report’s baseline (measured against 2016, rated at…
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