Why Are Rates Getting Worse Today? (August 1 , 2012)

Putting the FOMC statement in plain EnglishAfter the The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged this morning, mortgage rates got worse. Why? The vote was nearly unanimous (9-1 vote).

In its press release, the Federal Reserve noted that the U.S. economy has “decelerated somewhat” since January. Beyond the next few quarters, though, the Fed expects growth to “remain moderate” and then gradually pick up. Remember, when there is bad news for the economy, rates improve. And when there is good to moderate news, rates get worse (see video explanation). Continue reading

What Mortgage Rates Are Doing This Week of May 29, 2012

Jobs in focus this weekMortgage markets worsened slightly last week as demand for mortgage-backed bonds slacked. There was little surprise in U.S. economic data and the unfolding story lines of the Eurozone continued unabated.

As of this Wednesday morning, Europe’s stock markets are getting hit hard on increasing lack of confidence in the region. Money continues to flow to safety, into US treasuries and German bunds. Also, China said today it won’t inject stimulus at the pace it did in 2008 and its economic growth is expected to decline 8%, also helping to drive our rates lower. Continue reading

What Mortgage Rates Are Doing This Week : May 7, 2012

Today's Rates May 7th, 2012 from Sacramentolener.com and dantheplanner.com

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After two weeks of no change, mortgage markets improved last week, pushing mortgage rates lower throughout California. But, are we poised for a reversal? According to the trends, mortgage backed bonds are in a overbought position and ripe for a selloff – Based on the indicators, there’s more room for rates to rise than to fall. Continue reading

What Mortgage Rates Are Doing This Week : April 23, 2012

FOMC meets this weekMortgage markets were mostly unchanged last week, breaking a three-week winning streak. Wall Street grappled with surprising demand on Spain’s debt issuance and a series of weaker-than-expected data points on U.S. housing.

Conforming mortgage rates across California rose slightly according to the weekly Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. Continue reading