26
Jul
By Jim Hasek
Financial Reports, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – July 26, 2021

Last week’s economic reporting included readings from the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index, data on sales of new and previously-owned homes, and weekly reports on mortgage rates and jobless claims. NAHB: Affordability, Shortages of Labor and Materials Impacting U.S. Housing Markets Housing market conditions are changing according to July’s Housing Market Index produced by the National Association of Home Builders. Although the HMI reading declined by one point in July, ongoing trends including labor shortages, higher prices for building materials, and affordability impacted builder confidence in overall market conditions. July’s index reading was 80 as compared to…
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19
Jul
By Jim Hasek
Financial Reports, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – July 19, 2021

Last week’s scheduled economic reports included readings on inflation, Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s testimony before the House Financial Services Committee, and the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. Consumer Price Index: June Inflation Grows at Fastest Pace Since 2008 June’s Consumer Price Index showed the fastest pace of inflationary growth in 13 years; inflation grew by 5.40 percent on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. Used car sales accounted for one-third of the growth, but prices also rose for clothes, food, energy, and travel/hospitality. The year-over-year inflation rate for May was…
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12
Jul
By Jim Hasek
Financial Reports, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – July 12, 2021

Last week’s scheduled economic reporting included readings from the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee, news on changing FHA home loan requirements for borrowers with student loans, and reporting on job openings. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. FOMC Minutes Show Fed’s Reluctance to Raise Target Rate The Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve released minutes of its meeting held via teleconferencing on June 15 and 16. The Committee resumed its consideration of creating “domestic and foreign repurchase agencies that would have a backdrop role in fostering implementation and support of monetary policy and…
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28
Jun
By Jim Hasek
Financial Reports, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 28, 2021

Last week’s economic reports included readings on sales of new and previously-owned homes.  Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. New Home Sales Fall in May New home sales dropped to their lowest reading in a year in May with 769,000 new single-family homes sold on a  seasonally adjusted annual basis.  May’s reading was 5.90 percent lower than April’s reading of 817,000 sales but was 9.20 percent higher year-over-year. May’s decline in new home sales was caused by a 14.50 percent decrease in sales in the South; Sales rose by 33 percent in the Northeast and…
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21
Jun
By Jim Hasek
Financial Reports, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 21, 2021

Last week’s economic news included readings from the National Association of Home Builders on housing markets and  Commerce Department readings on housing starts and building permits issued. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also published. NAHB: Home Builder Sentiment Slips Amid High Materials Prices, Labor Shortages The National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index fell two points to a May index reading of 81. Readings above 50 indicate that most home builders are confident in market conditions, but builder sentiment has fallen from its peak reading of 90 before the pandemic. The NAHB Housing Market reached…
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14
Jun
By Jim Hasek
Financial Reports, ,

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 14, 2021

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on job openings, inflation, and consumer sentiment. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. Job Openings Increase as Employers Struggle to Fill Positions Job openings rose in April according to the Labor Department, but workers were quitting jobs in record numbers. 9.30 million openings were reported as compared to expectations of 8.20 million job openings and 8.30 million job openings reported in March. Increasing job openings indicate a stronger post-pandemic economy as businesses and service providers return to full capacity.  Employers faced multiple obstacles to filling job openings including early…
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