Good Morning! Today is Monday, December 11. Severe storms and tornados killed at least six people in Tennessee this weekend. Donald Trump will not testify as scheduled in his civil fraud trial today. Elon Musk allowed conspiracy theorist Alex Jones back onto X after a five-year ban.
The Mortgage Note Reports
Hallmark Heaven: Did you know that there are towns with holiday-themed names such as Rudolph and Santa Claus? Writer Chuck Green talked to industry leaders who work in some of these places to find out more about what drives people to move there.
More Homes For Sale: Cooling mortgage rates cut some homeowners loose from rate lock-in last month and eased stock shortages that helped stall the housing market.
Jobs Impact: November’s jobs report saw the labor market experienced unexpected gains, giving the Fed new fodder to keep interest rates higher for longer…
Monetary Policy: …and experts expect the Feds to do so, with some analysts saying they won’t decrease the federal funds rate until Q3 2024.
In other mortgage and housing news…
Tech Launch: Halcyon released a Tax Transcript Income Verification product designed to integrate with Freddie Mac Loan Product Advisor AIM.
Slow Sales Hurt Realtors: About 45% of US real estate agents say they’re struggling to pay their office rent due to the housing market slowdown.
“Tough Choices”: As families experience greater economic pressure, 20% of homeowners in Mississippi, Louisiana, and New Mexico have skipped disaster insurance.
Company News: Symmetry Lending debuted a First Lien HELOC product; Dark Matter made it simpler to order DocMagic services from the Empower system.
A Look Back: Realtor.com rewinds a year marked by a frozen housing market.