mortgage rate shoppers

How Lenders Protect Against Losses When Mortgage Markets Deteriorate

May 23, 2007

The graph at right shows the path of mortgage rates in May.  The rate run-up continued yesterday. After a fairly tame start, yesterday’s action rapidly slipped away from mortgage rate shoppers beginning at 12:00 P.M. ET. Many lenders responded by invoking their right to a mid-day reprice as well, with some adding as much as 0.25% […]

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The Week In Review (April 30, 2007) : What To Watch For

April 30, 2007

Last week, a ranking Fed official delivered a “wait-and-see” speech on inflation and that roiled the mortgage markets plenty. After sitting in a tight range for Monday through Wednesday, rates exploded higher Thursday as markets abruptly changed their expectations of growth for the rest of 2007. Despite weak housing numbers, employment and consumer spending figures […]

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How 2007 Gas Prices Are Pacing With 2006 Gas Prices

April 20, 2007

Gas prices are entering a very similar pattern to 2006 across the United States and — while it’s bad news for motorists — it could be bad news for mortgage rate shoppers, too. Last summer, gas prices averaged more than $3.00 per gallon for three main reasons: Fear of supply reduction from the Middle East Fear […]

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The Week In Review (March 26, 2007) : What To Watch For

March 26, 2007

The Fed held the Fed Funds Rate at 5.250% last week and included verbiage in its Press Release that the FFR may have to come down before it goes up again.  This gave investors reason to cheer and the stock market rallied to its best week in four years. Mortgage rates did not fare as […]

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More “Safe Haven” Buying Drops Mortgage Rates

February 27, 2007

The Flight-to-Quality continues in the bond markets. Iran said today that the suspension of its uranium enrichment program “will never happen”, fueling speculation that an international stand-off is pending.  The United States has sent additional aircraft carriers to the Gulf in response. Normally, this action is enough to frighten markets into bonds by itself, but […]

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CPI Is Higher And Contained In Comfort Range

February 21, 2007

Markets did not like today’s Consumer Price Index figures which came in higher than expected.  However, the downbeat mood this morning is not enough to reverse the recent downward trend in mortgage rates. The chart at right shows CPI over the past two years and the band collars the Fed’s articulated “comfort zone” for inflation. […]

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North Korea Stops Making Plutonium, But Will Markets Believe Them?

February 13, 2007

North Korea agreed to shutter its main source of plutonium today in exchange for energy and food considerations after months of negotiations with the United States and other countries.  The agreement did not specifically address the disarmament of existing nuclear weapons. News like this is a mixed bag for mortgage rate shoppers based on how […]

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