22
Jul
By First Rate Financial Group
Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – July 22nd, 2019

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – July 22nd, 2019Last week’s economic reporting included readings from the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index, Commerce Department reports on housing starts and building permits issued.

The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index was also released. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims were also reported.

NAHB: Builder Confidence Rises as Housing Starts Slip

Home builder confidence in current market conditions rose one point to an index reading of 65 in June. Any reading over 50 means that most builders view housing markets conditions as positive, but July’s reading was lower year-over-year.

Builders have long cited a shortage of buildable lots and labor, but also face new obstacles including strict local zoning laws and overall regulation. High demand for affordable homes coupled with short supplies of homes in this market range provided challenges to home builders, communities and would-be home buyers.

Housing starts fell in June to 1.125 million on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. Analysts predicted 1.244 million starts based on May’s reading of 1.265 million starts. The housing market index used to foreshadow the number of housing starts, but the two readings are no longer as closely connected.

The Commerce Department reported 1.220 million building permits issued in June as compared to 1.299 million permits issued in May.

Mortgage Rates, New Jobless Claims Rise

Freddie Mac reported higher mortgage rates last week after three weeks of minor movement. Rates for 30-year fixed rate mortgages averaged six basis points higher at 3.81 percent. The average rate for 15-year fixed rate mortgages rose one basis point to 3.23 percent.

5/1 adjustable rate mortgage rates averaged two basis points higher at 3.48 percent. Discount points averaged 0.60 percent for 30-year fixed rate mortgages and 0.50 percent for 15-year fixed rate mortgages. Discount points for 5/1 adjustable averaged 0.40 percent.

New jobless claims rose to 216,000 new claims filed as compared to 208,000 new claims filed the prior week. Analysts predicted 220,000 first-time claims would be filed. The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index rose in July to 98.40 percent as compared to June’s reading of 98.20. Analysts expected a reading of 99.00.

What‘s Ahead

This week’s scheduled economic news includes readings on sales of new and previously-owned homes along with weekly reports on mortgage rates and new jobless claims.

22
Jan
By First Rate Financial Group
Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 22nd, 2019

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 22nd, 2019Last week’s economic reports included National Association of Home Builders’ Housing Market Index, the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book report and the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and first-time jobless claims were also released.

Commerce Department readings on housing starts and building permits issued were delayed due to the federal government shutdown, which continued and became the longest government shutdown on record.

NAHB: Builder Confidence Rises Amid Headwinds

Home builder confidence rose two points in January according to the National Association of Home Builders. Builder concerns over rising construction costs and tariffs on building materials were balanced by falling mortgage rates.

Builders felt pressure to create more affordable homes and to offer incentives to buyers that could create more sales. Building new homes is the only solution to the long-entrenched shortage of homes; the Home builder index is closely watched by housing and mortgage industry pros as an indicator of future home inventories and mortgages.

Federal Reserve Beige Book Shows Concern Over Current Economic Conditions

The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book report, which recounts Federal Reserve business contacts’ views of the economy included information from eight of twelve Federal Reserve districts. Business leaders cited higher costs including rising tariffs and costs for supplies. Business growth was slower during December and early January.

Additional concerns cited by the Fed’s business contacts included the government shutdown and conflicts over trade and political policies. Fed contacts reported mixed results with passing on higher costs to consumers. This suggests that consumers are “tapped out,” or are reining in spending among worries over the shutdown and rising costs.

Mortgage Rates Mixed, New Jobless Claims

Freddie Mac reported mixed activity on mortgage rates last week as the average rate for 330-year fixed rate mortgages was unchanged at 4,45 percent. The average rate for a 15-year fixed rate mortgage ticked down one basis point to 3.88 percent. The average rate for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage rose four basis points to 3.37 percent. Discount points averaged 0.40 percent for fixed rate mortgages and 0.30 percent for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages.

Fewer first-time jobless claims were filed last week with 213,000 new claims filed as compared to expectations of 220,000 new claims filed and 216,000 first-time claims filed in the prior week.

The University of Michigan released its consumer confidence index for January; consumer uncertainty about economic conditions and the government shutdown caused January’s reading to fall nearly eight points to 90.70. from December’s reading of 98.30 Analysts expected a reading of 97.50, but this may have been based in hopes that the government shutdown would end.

What‘s Ahead

This week’s economic reports are limited by Monday’s holiday and the ongoing government shutdown. Expected readings include sales of new and pre-owned homes along with weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims.

24
Dec
By First Rate Financial Group
Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 24th, 2018

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 24th, 2018Last week’s economic news included readings from the National Association of Home Builders, Commerce Department readings on housing starts and National Association of Realtors® report on sales of previously-owned homes. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and first-time jobless claims were also released.

NAHB: Home Builders Lose Confidence as Housing Crunch Continues

Homebuilder confidence fell to a 36 month low in December as homebuilder concerns over rising home prices, high mortgage rates and decreasing inventories of available homes sidelined home buyers. The NAHB Housing Market Index fell four points to 56.

Components of the Housing Market Index reading also fell as builder confidence in current market conditions fell six points to an index reading of 61; builder confidence in new home sales over the next six months fell by four points to a reading of 61. Builder confidence in buyer traffic in new home developments dipped two points to 43.

While any reading over 50 is considered positive, buyer traffic readings under 50 are not unusual.

Analysts and real estate pros often consider the Home Builders Housing Market Index as an indicator of future new home construction and sales. Rising home prices and mortgage rates were cited as reasons contributing to the drop in home builder confidence.

Existing Home Sales, Housing Starts and Building Permits Issued Rise in November

Sales of pre-owned homes rose in November with 5.32 million sales reported on an annual seasonally adjusted basis. Analysts expected a reading of 5.17 million sales based on October’s sales pace of 5.22 million sales.

Three out of four regions reported gains in sales of pre-owned homes. The Northeast reported a gain of 7.20 percent; the Midwest reported a year-over-year gain of 5.50 percent and sales of pre-owned homes were 2.50 percent higher in the South. The West lost traction in existing home sales with a negative reading of -6.30 percent. Known for high home prices, it may be that home prices have peaked in the West.

The Commerce Department reported housing starts at the rate of 1.25 million in November; analysts predicted a rate of 1.230 million starts based on October’s reading of 1.217 million starts. November building permits rose to 1.328 million permits issued as compared to a reading of 1.265 million permits issued in October.

Analysts said that more apartment homes were being built; this trend could be a further indication of home prices being out of reach for would-be home buyers.

Mortgage Rates, New Jobless Claims Dip

Freddie Mac reported lower mortgage rates last week; 30-year fixed mortgage rates averaged 4.62 percent and were one basis point lower than in the prior week.  15-year fixed mortgage rates were unchanged at an average of 4.07 percent.

The average rate for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages was six basis points lower at 3.98 percent. Discount points averaged 0.40 percent for fixed rate mortgages and 0.30 percent for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages.

First-time jobless claims fell last week to 206,000 claims filed. Analysts predicted 218,000 new jobless claims based on the prior week’s reading of 206,000 new unemployment claims filed.

What‘s Ahead

This week’s scheduled economic readings include Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, new and pending home sales and weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims. Government shutdown may impact some readings.