What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 19, 2021

Last week’s economic reports included readings on inflation, retail sales, and a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released.  Inflation Rises as Retail Sales Fall, Fed  Says Current Monetary Policy Won’t Change The Consumer Price Index rose to 0.40 percent in December as compared to November’s reading of 0.20 percent. The CPI measures inflation and the Core CPI measures inflation without the volatile sectors of food and fuel. December’s Core CPI reading fell to a rate of 0.10 percent growth from November’s reading of 0.20 percent. Retail sales were…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 11, 2021

Last week’s economic reports included readings on construction spending and reports on the national unemployment rate and job growth. Weekly reporting on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also published. Construction Spending Increases as Demand for Homes Rises Homebuilders responded to increased demand for single-family homes and increased their spending in November. Construction spending rose by 0.90 percent as compared to projected spending of 1.10 percent and  1.60 percent growth in November. Demand for homes increased in recent months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Homeowners left urban areas and bought larger homes in suburban and rural areas. Low mortgage rates,…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 4, 2021

Last week’s economic news included reports from Case-Shiller Home Price Indices and data on pending home sales. No weekly data on jobless claims were released due to the New Year holiday, but Freddie Mac did issue its weekly report on average mortgage rates. Case-Shiller Reports Home Prices Reached 6-Year High In October U.S. home prices reached their highest level in six years according to Case-Shiller’s National Home Price Index. Home prices rose by 8.40 percent year-over-year in October as compared to September’s home price growth reading of 7.00 percent. Demand for homes rose during the Covid pandemic as families moved…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 28, 2020

Last week’s economic news included readings on sales of new and previously-owned homes and consumer sentiment. Weekly average mortgage rates were also released, but readings for jobless claims were not released due to the Christmas holiday. Single-Family Home Sales Fall in November Sales of new and previously owned homes were lower in November. Fear of rising covid-19 cases and the usual slump in home sales during the winter holidays contributed to fewer home sales. Rapidly rising home prices cooled buyer interest; short supplies of pre-owned homes for sale drove prices of new homes higher as demand increased. Inventory of new…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 21, 2020

Last week’s scheduled economic reporting included readings from the National Association of Home Builders and a statement from the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. NAHB: Builder Confidence Falls In December Homebuilder confidence in market conditions for single-family dropped by four points in December to an index reading of 86.  December’s reading was the second-highest on record after November’s reading. Component readings of the Housing Market Index also dropped. Builder confidence in current market conditions fell to 92 as confidence in single-family home sales within the next six months…
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