Homebuyers lucked out again this week as rates continued sliding, falling by nearly twenty basis points.
Officials at Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate averaged 6.42%, down from 6.60% the week prior.
A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.42%.
The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage dipped from 5.90% to 5.68%. A year ago, it averaged 3.63%.
“Mortgage rates continued to slide down as financial market concerns came to the fore over the last two weeks,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist.
“However, on the homebuyer front, the news is more positive with improved purchase demand and stabilizing home prices. If mortgage rates continue to slide over the next few weeks, look for a…
Mortgage rates moved closer to 7% after bleak news from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell this week.
Officials at Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate averaged 6.73%, up from 6.65% the week prior.
A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.85%.
The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage rose from 5.89% to 5.95%. A year ago, it averaged 3.09%.
“Mortgage rates continue their upward trajectory as the Federal Reserve signals a more aggressive stance on monetary policy,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist.
“Overall, consumers are spending in sectors that are not interest rate sensitive, such as travel and dining out. However, rate-sensitive sectors, such as housing, continue to be adversely affected. As a result,…
Homebuyers and sellers were feeling pessimistic about the market last month due to affordability and job security concerns.
Leaders at Fannie Mae said the Home Purchase Sentiment Index fell by 3.6 points in February, breaking three straight months of increases and pushing the index closer to a record low recorded last October.
“The decline was partly driven by a substantial decrease in consumers’ sense of home-selling conditions, with most respondents who indicated it’s a ‘bad time to sell’ citing unfavorable economic conditions and mortgage rates as the primary reasons for that belief,” said Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae Senior Vice President and Chief Economist.
“With home-selling sentiment now lower than it was pre-pandemic – and homebuying sentiment remaining near its all-time…
Mortgage rates have increased again as new data suggests inflation is sticking harder than previously thought.
Officials at Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate averaged 6.65%, up from 6.50% the week prior.
A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.76%.
The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage rose from 5.76% to 5.89%. A year ago, it averaged 3.01%.
“As we started the year, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage decreased with expectations of lower economic growth, inflation, and a loosening of monetary policy. However, given sustained economic growth and continued inflation, mortgage rates boomeranged and are inching up toward seven percent,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist.
“Lower mortgage rates back in January brought buyers back into…
Home price appreciation continued to cool in December, with some markets seeing declining prices, according to new data.
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price NSA Index saw home prices decelerate, posting a 5.8% annual gain in December, down from 7.6% in the previous month.
Craig J. Lazzara, Managing Director at S&P DJI, said the data marked the sixth straight month of YOY decreases.
Southern cities continued to see gains, with Miami, Tampa, and Atlanta all recording 10%+ increases despite the cooldown in other metros.
Pricey Western metros saw YOY prices fall, with San Francisco clocking in a 4.2% drop.
Month-over-month prices fell in all twenty cities analyzed, however, with a median decline of -1.1%.
“The prospect of stable, or…
As economists predicted, the 30-year fixed rate fell again this week, moving closer to 6%.
Officials at Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.09%, down from 6.13% the week prior.
A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.55%.
The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage fell from 5.17% to 5.14%. A year ago, it averaged 2.77%.
“Mortgage rates inched down again, with the 30-year fixed-rate down nearly a full point from November, when it peaked at just over seven percent,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist.
“According to Freddie Mac research, this one percentage point reduction in rates can allow as many as three million more mortgage-ready consumers to qualify and afford a $400,000 loan,…
The 30-year fixed rate continued to slip last week, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.15%, down from 6.33% the week prior. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.56 percent. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage fell from 5.52% to 5.28%. A year ago, it averaged 2.79%. “As inflation continues to moderate, mortgage rates declined again this week,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “Declining rates are providing a much-needed boost to the housing market, but the supply of homes remains a persistent concern.” Housing construction slid in December to a five-month low. Residential starts fell 1.4% from November to an annualized rate of 1.38 million, while…
Annual single-family home price growth dipped from Q3 2022 to Q4 2022, according to Fannie Mae’s Home Price Index. Prices rose by 9.2% YOY in Q4, down from 13.1% in Q3. They increased just 0.2% quarter-over-over when seasonally adjusted, and fell 1% unadjusted. The index measures the average quarterly price change for all single-family properties in the United States, excluding condos. “The rise in mortgage rates over the past year and record inflation have constrained the purchasing power of prospective homebuyers. The resulting affordability pressures are evident in the home price declines of the past two quarters, along with the downturn in home sales,” said Mark Palim, Fannie Mae Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. Demand has dwindled as many…
The 30-year fixed rate dipped last week after inching up in the first weeks of the new year, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.33%, down from 6.48% the week prior. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.45 percent. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage fell from 5.73% to 5.52%. A year ago, it averaged 2.62%. “While mortgage rates have resumed their decline, the market remains hypersensitive to rate movements, with purchase demand experiencing large swings relative to small changes in rates,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “Over the last few weeks latent demand has been on display with buyers jumping in and out of the…
Homebuyers are feeling slightly more optimistic about the market as mortgage rates ease. Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) rose 3.7 points in December. Three of its six components improved from the month prior as more consumers said they expect rates and home prices to drop. After weeks of declines, rates inched up in the first week of 2023 but remain well below 7%. Economists at Freddie Mac expect them to fall further as inflationary pressures ease. But home purchase sentiment remains near its all-time low, set in October, and is down 13.2 points YOY. Only 21% of respondents believe it’s a good time to buy a home. And the possibility of additional rate hikes from the Federal Reserve…
