Fed stays put but is prepared to hike rates one more time this year
Treasury yields, a barometer for mortgage rates, barely budged Wednesday as bond market investors look ahead to next year when the Fed is expected to start bringing rates back down
by Matt Carter Sep 20
Inflation ticks up 0.6%, boosted by 'outsized' housing costs
The Consumer Price Index increased 0.6% in August, faster than the July rate of 0.2%, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
by Ben Verde Sep 13
Homebuyer mortgage demand falls to lowest level since 1995
As mortgage rates hit new post-pandemic highs on inflation worries, MBA survey finds purchase loan demand down 5% week over week and 30% from a year ago
by Matt Carter Aug 23
After pausing in June, Fed hikes rates to highest level since 2001
Fed Chair Jerome Powell and company keep their options open for another rate hike in September, but futures markets investors and some economists think the Fed is probably done hiking rates
by Matt Carter Jul 26
Inflation drops steeply in June to lowest level in more than 2 years
Housing costs were again the largest contributor to inflation, accounting for more than 70% of the annual increase of the Consumer Price Index, according to new Bureau of Labor Statistics data
by Ben Verde Jul 12
Mortgage rates hit new 2023 high on strong economic data
Strong jobs numbers and GDP growth have bond market investors convinced it's all but certain the Federal Reserve will resume rate hikes this month
by Matt Carter Jul 6
Jumbo mortgage rates rise as lenders pull back
Rates for mortgages backed by Fannie and Freddie continue to ease despite tough talk on inflation from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, but liquidity issues put pressure on bigger loans
by Matt Carter Jun 21
Inflation is falling. So what happens next? Here's what economists say
The impact of high housing costs is expected to fall out of inflation, giving cover for the Federal Reserve to stop raising interest rates for now, economists said. But there are still warning signs
by Ben Verde AND Taylor Anderson Jun 13
Housing is outperforming, but recession may still be in the cards
Fannie Mae economists say 'extraordinarily tight' inventories of existing homes driven by mortgage lock-in effect has shifted demand toward new homes
by Matt Carter May 19
Mortgage applications surged last week but rates are climbing again
Homebuyer applications for purchase mortgages rose 5% last week, but a strong jobs report and ongoing bank instability are pushing mortgage rates back up
by Matt Carter May 10
Fed signals it may be done raising rates, but Powell won't talk pivot
Bank failures and potential debt ceiling showdown are wildcards for Federal Reserve policymakers weighing their next move as threat of recession looms
by Matt Carter May 3
The investor who predicted 2008 bubble warns of 'ominous' burst
Jerry Grantham, co-founder of the investment firm GMO, said this week he fears another bubble is about to burst, with the crisis that gripped the banking system in March just the beginning
by Ben Verde Apr 13
Will spring be a bust? 4 decades of housing data tell a complex story
Past periods of high inflation and high rates — be it in 1979, 1980 or 1990 — have caused the housing market to stall. But they also didn't crush it forever, according to an Inman analysis
by Jim Dalrymple II Mar 28
Fed Chair Jerome Powell signals latest rate hike could be the last
Mortgage rates expected to ease even as Fed vows to continue 'quantitative tightening' that's trimming mortgage holdings by $35B a month
by Matt Carter Mar 22
Mortgage rates headed past 7% after Powell warns Congress on inflation
Futures markets are taking the Fed chair at his word that policymakers may have to hike rates faster and take them higher to combat inflation
by Matt Carter Mar 8