2022 December 23
The Fed raised its Federal Funds rate by 0.5%, pushing the rate to between 4.25% and 4.5%. Investors were pleased.
The Astronomy of the Housing Market
The housing market is enslaved to mortgage rates, just as a planet is captive to its orbit. By definition, an orbit is cyclical, and so are interest rates.
2022 December 9
Uncertainty is the word of the season among consumers, analysts, builders . . . well, just about everyone.
2022 December 2
The internet revolutionized the gathering and distribution of information. The reservoir is much wider and deeper. The flow is faster and more voluminous. Are consumers better off? Did the world speed by the point of balance between too little and too much information?
2022 November 23 (A Short Week)
Builder confidence in October 2022, as measured by the National Association of Home Builders, dropped to 33.
2022 November 18
Federal Reserve Bank officials explicitly warned investors that the stock and bond market exuberance over the October decline in the CPI to 7.7% was irrational. Treasury bond investors ignored the warning, pushing the 10-year down slightly early in the week.
The “Conforming” Mortgage
As Bankrate.com explains, a conforming mortgage is one eligible for a guaranty by one of the government-sponsored entities, such as Fannie Mae.
Understanding Fannie and Freddie
Bankrate.com offers a helpful primer on the roles of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the residential mortgage world.
2022 November 11
Homes for sale inventory is climbing rapidly to no one’s surprise. The number of listed homes rose 33.5% in October 2022 from the prior year, according to Real Estate News.
2022 November 4
Our recap of the week in numbers from equities to bonds to commodities and housing to the many indices and measures of the economy and the for-sale and rental housing markets. The best opportunities are often ones where you’re being contrarian. That doesn’t mean being contrarian for contrarian’s sake, but it means you’re thoughtful about […]