Greenway Mortgage Blog

Blog

MarketMinute | What's UP with Rates?

Apr 8

5:43

AM

Category | Markets in a Minute

Minutes from last month's Fed meeting show a consensus to start reducing balance sheet holdings by $95 billion a month, to be announced in May.

Fed members also support multiple half point policy rate hikes this year. Along with balance sheet runoff, this supports higher mortgage rates.

Economic signals such as an inverted yield curve for long- and short-term Treasuries point to a possible recession to come in 2023.

Higher mortgage rates have pushed refinance applications down 41% from a year ago, but purchase apps were down just 9% due to tight inventory.

According to realtor.com, buyers are paying about 30% more for a house than they would have a year ago due to higher sales prices and rates.

Among home projects, a new home office and hardwood floor refinishing brought homeowners the most joy, a recent NAR/NARI survey found.

MarketMinute | Who's buying and who's selling?

Apr 1

8:04

AM

Category | Markets in a Minute

The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge rose 0.4% in February and 5.4% year over year, the highest since 1983 but still lower than expected.

According to ADP, companies added jobs at a solid pace in March, indicating that hiring is strong despite signs of a tightening labor market.

Unemployment claims rose by more than forecast last week to 202K, likely a blip in an otherwise recovering labor market.

Pending home sales fell 4.1% in February compared with January. However, purchase applications were up by 1% on the week.

Home prices nationally rose 19.2% year over year in January, up from 18.9% in December, according to the CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index.

Millennials make up 43% of homebuyers, and Baby Boomers account for 42% of home sellers, according to NAR’s Generation Trends Report.

MarketMinute | Wondering How Home Sales Are Going?

Mar 25

8:35

AM

Category | Markets in a Minute

Fed Chair Jerome Powell commented this week that "inflation is much too high" and the Fed would raise policy rates until it is under control.

Supply chain issues caused factory durable goods orders to fall more than expected in February, snapping a 5-month streak of increases.

Last week's jobless numbers hit the lowest level since 1969. Fed Chairman Powell described the labor market as "tight to an unhealthy level."

February’s existing home sales fell more than expected, down 7.2% from January, as mortgage rates rose and supply remained tight.

New home sales also dropped in February, falling 2% for a second straight monthly decline. They were still above their pre-pandemic level.

Quickly rising mortgage rates contributed to a 2% decline in purchase applications last week. Apps were 12% lower year over year.

MarketMinute | How are homebuilders feeling these days?

Mar 18

4:26

AM

Category | Markets in a Minute

Wholesale inflation climbed 0.8% in February, lower than estimates but still up 10% from last year, tying January for the biggest gain ever.

February’s retail sales were lower than expected. The 0.3% gain shows consumers continued to spend but were impacted by rising prices.

As anticipated, the Fed raised policy rates 0.25% this week to help fight inflation, which has driven up mortgage rates recently.

Homebuilder sentiment is still very bullish, though it is down slightly from its recent peak due to higher mortgage rates and rising construction costs.

New housing starts rebounded sharply in February, as the drag from cold weather eased. Permits fell slightly but remain at high levels.

Purchase applications were up 1% for the week. However, rising mortgage rates have dampened refi demand, with apps down 49% from a year ago.

MarketMinute | What's Almost Returned To Pre-Pandemic Levels?

Mar 11

12:42

PM

Category | Markets in a Minute

Inflation is expected to peak close to 9% in the coming months, as the Russian/Ukraine war drives up the cost of raw materials and energy.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Wednesday, calling on government to examine the risks and benefits of cryptocurrencies.

Jobs data last week showed a surprisingly strong 678K new jobs were created in February, as unemployment fell to 3.8%.

The mortgage industry originated a record $4.4 trillion last year, led by record purchase lending volume and surging cash-out refinances.

At 3.3%, the national delinquency rate for first lien mortgages is almost even with pre-pandemic levels and near the record low set in Jan 2020.

Applications for a mortgage to purchase a home increased 9% from the previous week but were 7% lower than the same week one year ago.