mortgage rates

Why Mortgage Rates Were Up For The Third Day In A Row

July 15, 2009

Mortgage markets worsened for the third straight Tuesday after the government reported June’s Retail Sales report came in slightly better than expected . Since falling to near 5.000 percent last week, 30-year fixed conforming mortgage rates have risen by almost 3/8. It’s a similar mortgage rate pattern to what we’ve seen over the last 10 months — rates drift down to near their “all-time lows”, and then surge higher over just a few days time.

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Falling Gas Prices May Be Linked To Lower Mortgage Rates

July 14, 2009

If you’ve been driving lately, you’ve noticed that the cost of a fill-up has gone down. According to GasBuddy.com, retail gas now costs $2.52 per gallon , on average nationwide

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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : July 13, 2009

July 13, 2009

Mortgage markets improved last week on fresh concerns about the U.S.

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Change Your Closing Date To Get A Lower Mortgage Rate

July 10, 2009

Sometimes, saving money on your mortgage is as simple as picking a better closing date. It’s all about Rate Lock Commitments. A Rate Lock Commitment is a bank’s promise to honor a specific mortgage rate for a specific period of time

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Fannie Mae Restricts 2-Unit Borrowing

July 8, 2009

For the first time in nearly six months, Fannie Mae is imposing strict, new guidelines on American homeowners. This time, the hardest hit demographic is owners of 2-unit homes.

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How A Rising Unemployment Rate Can Help Mortgage Rates Fall

July 7, 2009

Last week’s jobs report is the latest data point to drag down rates for today’s home buyers and would-be refinancers.

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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : July 6, 2009

July 6, 2009

Mortgage markets were relatively calm throughout last week’s holiday-shortened trading sessions. After trading within a tight range between Monday and Wednesday, a weak jobs report helped edge rates lower into the weekend. For the second week in a row, mortgage rates ended the week lower than where they started — if only slightly.

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Home Prices Show Improvement In 19 of the 20 Case-Shiller Markets

July 1, 2009

Tuesday — for the first time in a long while — members of the press met the monthly Case-Shiller Index data with enthusiasm. And why shouldn’t they?

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With The Year Half-Over, How Accurately Did Economists Predict 2009

June 30, 2009

At the start of the year, the “experts” made a lot of predictions about the U.S. economy and what to expect in 2009

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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : June 29, 2009

June 29, 2009

Mortgage markets improved last week on the heels of benign economic data and a non-inspired press release from the Federal Reserve. Aside from trader momentum, 3 market-moving events helped set the pace last week: Housing data hinted at strength Jobless data showed softness The Fed said growth appears on-track The combination of the three created volatility that — for just the second time in the last 8 weeks — worked in favor of rate shoppers.

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In Another Good Sign For The Housing Market, Builders Are Clearing Out Their Inventory

June 26, 2009

If you only saw the headlines this week, you may have missed another positive sign in the housing market. According to the Census Bureau, the supply of newly-built homes for sale fell to 10.2 months in May, its lowest level in 10 months

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A Simple Explanation Of The Federal Reserve Statement (June 24, 2009 Edition)

June 24, 2009

The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged today within its target range of 0.000-0.250 percent. The Fed also reiterated its plan to support the mortgage market to the tune of $1.5 trillion.

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3 More Signs Of A Strengthening Housing Market

June 24, 2009

The housing market got another dose of good news yesterday. According to the National Association of REALTORS, the number of homes sold in May increased for the third straight month and the national housing supply fell by 5 months

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Like To Play It Cautious? Consider Rate Locking Ahead Of Wednesday’s Federal Reserve Meeting.

June 23, 2009

The Federal Reserve begins its scheduled two-day meeting this morning. It’s one of 8 scheduled meetings for the Federal Open Market Committee this year. When the FOMC meets, it discusses the financial and economic conditions around the country and, when appropriate, the group makes new policy meant to speed up or slow down the economy

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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : June 22, 2009

June 21, 2009

Mortgage markets finished out the week unchanged last week but that’s not to say that mortgage rates stayed flat. From day-to-day, mortgage rate shoppers were on a veritable roller coaster. Monday and Tuesday, rates dipped Wednesday and Thursday, rates surged Friday, rates retreated Overall, conforming mortgage rates carved out a half-percent range this week

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How To Fight Mortgage Rate Volatility

June 19, 2009

Mortgage rates are suffering through another volatile week, causing problems for rate shoppers and home buyers. After falling Monday and Tuesday, mortgage rates surged Wednesday and Thursday. The momentum higher appears to be carrying into the weekend, too

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The Double-Edged Sword That Is Rising Housing Starts

June 17, 2009

After being range-bound since the start of the year Housing Starts unexpectedly jumped in May, surprising analysts and Wall Street.

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What Consumer Sentiment Surveys Mean To Housing Markets

June 16, 2009

Americans are feeling better about their budgets right now, raising the possibility of a full economic recovery. According to a University of Michigan and Reuters, Consumer Sentiment rose for the fifth straight month in June.

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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : June 15, 2009

June 15, 2009

The mortgage market roller coaster continues. Markets worsened badly in the early part of last week, before rallying into Friday’s close. Overall, mortgage rates were slightly higher for the week even though — briefly — they rose to levels not seen since November 2008.

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VIDEO : How To Know Which Home Repairs Can Be Delayed And Which Should Be Fixed Right Away

June 12, 2009

When finances are tight, homeowners are often forced to choose between making home repairs right away, and putting them off until finances improve. Some repairs, though, become more expensive if not tackled on the double.

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