Purchase loan applications soared 10% last week to the highest level since April, even though rates have been stuck in the high 6s, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday
Trump administration keeps up pressure on Fed, but investors don't expect the US central bank to cut short-term rates until September as policymakers weigh tariff impacts
The University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment slipped to 50.8 in May, its second lowest reading ever, as Americans fretted about tariffs, inflation and the job market
Economic uncertainty, rate volatility and mounting worries about the labor market are reducing the pool of potential buyers, putting a damper on the spring homebuying season
The University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment fell 11% from March to April to 50.8 and is now lower than it was at any point during the 2007-2009 Great Recession
Inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index dropped to an annual rate of 2.4% last month, but the impact of tariffs probably won't start showing up in the data until May
Heightened fears of a trade war and recession have investors convinced the Fed will start cutting rates again in June, a sentiment that gives mortgage rates more room to come down
Central bank dials back Treasury rolloffs but is not ready to cut short-term interest rates, as Fed policymakers indicate they're more worried about inflation than they were in December
Republicans are less worried about the future than Democrats and Independents, but 'consumers from all 3 political affiliations are in agreement that the outlook has weakened since February'
Homebuyers have responded to a pullback in mortgage rates from January highs, but tariffs on imported goods could keep inflation elevated and halt the downward trend in rates
Mortgage rates eased Friday as investors took stock of new data showing employers added 151,000 workers to their payrolls in February and the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.1%
Requests to refinance surged 37% last week and were up 83% from a year ago after the biggest 1-week decline in mortgage rates since November, the MBA's latest weekly lender survey shows
There's rising anxiety among investors and consumers about the potential impacts of a trade war, surveys show, with stock prices and bond yields retreating as March 4 deadline looms
Inflation expectations surged after President Donald Trump announced plans to impose tariffs on goods from China, Canada and Mexico, a new University of Michigan survey of consumers finds
Requests to refinance were up 12% week over week and 17% from a year ago last week after rates for 30-year fixed-rate loans pulled back to the lowest level in 6 weeks