Posts Tagged ‘Mortgage Rates’
Renter Nation Rages On As New Reality
Despite record low mortgage rates reported today and rising affordability in most U.S. housing markets, rent is the new reality for former home owners and new households alike.
Low Mortgage Rates are a Ruse—Nice if You Can Get ‘Em
For weeks now we've been touting new record-low rates on 15- and 30-year fixed mortgages. They're floating around four percent...but whatever the exact daily rate, the message is that the rates are a steal, and they should make home refinancing and home buying a steal. Not so much.
Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Demand and Home Prices All Fall
When mortgage rates first fell below five percent in 2009, we called it an emotional landmark, a level that, while not significantly different from the previous week or month, would send up a flag to borrowers that it was time to buy or at least to refinance. And they did. Now the 30-year fixed has fallen below four percent, and it all seems suddenly like white noise.
Mortgage Rates, Mortgage Demand and Home Prices All Fall
When mortgage rates first fell below five percent in 2009, we called it an emotional landmark, a level that, while not significantly different from the previous week or month, would send up a flag to borrowers that it was time to buy or at least to refinance. And they did. Now the 30-year fixed has fallen below four percent, and it all seems suddenly like white noise.
Record Low Mortgage Rates Don’t Matter
Mortgage rates hit yet another record low this week, 4.09 percent on the 30-year fixed, according to Freddie Mac. This will only fuel President Obama's recent proposal to refinance more Americans into these lower market rates.
Record Low Mortgage Rates, Rising Pessimism on Housing
If more Americans can save more money by refinancing their mortgages (likely their single largest debt), and more Americans can potentially buy a home, given the low rates, then why are they so pessimistic about housing going forward as well as their personal finances?
Why No Refi?
The latest weekly mortgage application survey released today by the Mortgage Bankers Association makes no sense. Mortgage applications fell 4.9 percent overall, with applications to purchase a home essentially flat and applications to refinance down 6.3 percent. The part that doesn't make sense is that refi's have fallen for the second straight week, at the same time that mortgage rates have fallen for the second straight week. Lower rates usually spur more refi's, not fewer.
How Low Can Mortgage Rates Go?
What's the bright side to a 200 point drop in the Dow? Yet another rush to Treasuries that pushes the 10-year yield below two percent; that, in turn, means even lower mortgage rates, right? Maybe not this time.
Refi Surge…Not So Much
As mortgage rates hit new record lows, refinance applications have surged accordingly. That, as always, is leading economists to talk once again about what the effect of all that refinancing might be on the greater economy.
Plunging Mortgage Rates Won’t Juice Housing
The one positive in all the uncertainty surrounding the nation's debt was a plunge in Treasury yields, which in turn sent mortgage rates to record lows. So are we housing geeks now jumping for joy? All good? Maybe not so much.
