02 Jul 2018
By Randy Courtney

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – July 2nd, 2018

Financial Reports
Last week's economic reports included readings from Case-Shiller housing market indices and data released on new and pending home sales. Weekly releases on mortgage rates and first-time unemployment claims along with the Consumer Sentiment Index for June were also posted. Case-Shiller Reports Rapid Home Price Growth in April April home prices ticked downward by one-tenth percent for the National Home Price Index, which reported 6.40 percent growth year-over-year. Case-Shiller's 20-City Home Price Index also dipped by one-tenth percent to 6.60 percent year-over-year. Analysts note that home prices continue to outpace wage growth and inflation, which limits affordability for many prospective…
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25 Jun 2018
By Randy Courtney

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 25th, 2018

Financial Reports
Last week's economic reports included readings from the National Association of Home Builders, Commerce Department reports on housing starts and building permits issued. Sales of pre-owned homes were reported along with weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims. Builder Confidence Slips as Trade Wars Boost Lumber Prices According to the National Association of Home Builders, home builder confidence in current market conditions was down two points to 68 as compared to May's index reading of 70. Analysts said that rising lumber prices impacted builder sentiment and have replaced labor costs as builders' primary expense. Increased building costs were…
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18 Jun 2018
By Randy Courtney

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 18th, 2018

Financial Reports
Last week's economic reports included the post-meeting statement by the Fed's Federal Open Market Committee along with readings on retail sales and inflation. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and new jobless claims were also released. Fed Raises Key Interest Rate on Strong Economic Indicators The post-meeting announcement by the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve indicated that committee members voted to raise the target federal funds rate to 0.175 to 2.00 percent from the prior rate of 1.50 to 1.75 percent. The post-meeting announcement cited strong economic conditions and stated that FOMC had altered their outlook from three…
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