10 Jan 2016
By Mark Feder

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 11, 2016

Market Outlook
The first week of 2016 was quiet concerning housing and mortgage related news, but reports on construction spending and several labor-related reports were released. Construction spending is connected to housing markets as it provides evidence of builder confidence and also future housing supply. Labor market trends provide a sense of economic performance in general and can influence potential buyers on decisions about buying or not buying homes. Construction Spending Dips in November According to the Commerce Department, construction spending dropped by 0.40 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted annual reading of $1.12 trillion. November's reading was short of the…
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23 Nov 2015
By Mark Feder

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – November 23, 2015

Market Outlook
Last week's economic events included reports the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index, Housing Starts and the release of minutes for the most recent meeting of the Fed's Federal Open Market Committee. The details: NAHB: Builder Confidence in Housing Markets Dips The National Association of Home Builders reported that builder confidence dropped to a reading of 62 as compared to October's revised reading of 65. Any NAHB reading above 50 indicates that more builders are positive about market conditions than not. NAHB's assessment of housing market conditions is based on readings for three aspects of current and future…
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22 Jun 2015
By Mark Feder

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 22, 2015

Market Outlook
Last week's economic news included National Association of Home Builders / Wells Fargo (NAHB) Housing Market Index and Commerce Department reports on Housing Starts and Building Permits, the post-meeting statement of the Fed's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), and Fed Chair Janet Yellen's scheduled press conference. NAHB: Home Builder Confidence Hits 9 Month High Home builder confidence in housing market conditions is growing in spite of a planned merger between two builders and related cost-cutting efforts. According to the NAHB's the home builder index posted a reading of 59 in June as compared to an expected reading of 55 and…
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15 Jun 2015
By Mark Feder

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 15, 2015

Market Outlook
Retail Sales, Consumer Confidence Up Retail sales rose for the third consecutive month. May sales increased at a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.20 percent according to Commerce Department data. Auto and gasoline sales led the charge to higher retail sales, but analysts said that most retail sectors posted gains. Upward revisions of March and April's retail sales provided evidence of stronger economic conditions. Consumer sentiment jumped nearly four points from May's reading of 90.7 to 94.6 in June. This appears to be great news compared to the year before the recession, when consumer sentiment averaged a reading of 86.9. Weekly…
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