The Iran War, a noisy jobs report and record stale listings make a difficult market harder to read
Applications for purchase mortgages drops for a 5th consecutive week to the lowest level since October as mortgage rates continue to hover above 6%, MBA lender surveys show
While a Dec. 10 Federal Reserve rate cut is now seen as a lock, MBS investors who fund most home loans aren't as bullish that the central bank will cut rates aggressively in 2026
The president jokingly told Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that his job is also on the line if rates don't come down, as poll shows inflation will be a key issue in 2026 midterm elections
After the Federal Reserve approved the second rate cut of the year, mortgage rates moved in the opposite direction as investors who fund most home loans worry about inflation
Initial jobless claims climbed last week to the highest level since Oct. 23, 2021, but investors and economists are expecting 3 small rate cuts this year rather than a dramatic move on Sept. 17
Inflation moved away from the Fed's 2% target for the second month in a row, with the cost of goods and services rising 2.7% from a year ago, up from 2.3% in April: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Requests to refinance are up 40% from a year ago, but uncertainty 'continues to hold homebuyers out of the market,' Mortage Bankers Association economist Joel Kan said Wednesday
As negotiations continue, 2 closely watched surveys show Americans remain concerned that the US could soon face the dual challenge of an economic slowdown and an increase in inflation
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
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
After moving in the wrong direction for 3 months, annual inflation cooled to 2.5% in January. But the biggest drop in consumer spending since 2021 has 1 model predicting a shrinking economy
Trump calls for lower interest rates after release of January CPI report. Powell says Fed is in no hurry to cut rates, and bond market investors who fund mortgages are taking him at his word
Core inflation rose less in November than had been expected, in part because housing costs rose at a slower pace, Pantheon Macroeconomics Chief US Economist Samuel Tombs said