The labor market experienced unexpected gains last month, with nonfarm payrolls rising 199,000, adding to a 150,000 bump in October. Unemployment fell to 2.7%, workforce participation increased, and monthly wage growth saw their biggest boost of the year. This paints a difficult picture for the Fed moving into its FOMC meeting, scheduled for this week….
This year was one of the worst on record for affordability. But with the market at an all-time low, the only move now is up, according to a new analysis by Redfin. A homebuyer with the median U.S. income needed to spend 41% of their earnings on monthly home costs in 2023, a record high…
Borrowers struggling with rampant unaffordability are seeing some relief as mortgage rates cool, ending an upward swing. Officials at Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.76%, down from 7.79%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.95%. The 15-year fixed rate remained unchanged at 7.03%. A year ago,…
By PATRICK LAVERY As experts almost unanimously predicted, the Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday held its target range for the federal funds rate at 5.25% to 5.5%, meaning after a year and a half of upheaval, the range will approach the end of 2023 not having budged for more than a third of this year,…
By PATRICK LAVERY When the Federal Open Market Committee meets this week analysts will be looking for signs of what’s next and it may be anyone’s guess. At the Mortgage Bankers Association’s annual convention and expo in Philadelphia this month, MBA Chief Economist Michael Fratantoni told attendees that they expect the Feds will maintain the…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS The president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia knew he was facing a tough crowd when he took the stage during a Monday morning session at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s annual convention and expo. “I stand here this morning fully aware of the mood in this room and I…
By PATRICK LAVERY It wasn’t a reversal by any means, but the Federal Reserve Board voted Wednesday to maintain the federal funds rate target range. Following the July unfreezing of June’s pause, that range is, for now, staying at 5.25% to 5.5%. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, in remarks to the press following the board’s…
Despite recent optimism surrounding the Federal Reserve’s “soft landing” strategy, economists at Fannie Mae are still expecting a mild recession next year. Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group wrote in a note that mixed economic signals this month make it difficult to guess the near future, but a “modest contraction” in early 2024 remains…
By PATRICK LAVERY With the end of the third quarter of 2023 in sight, indications are that the Federal Reserve will pause hiking its federal funds rate this week – as it did in June before again raising the target range in July – and investors will be watching closely on Wednesday to see if…
Mortgage applications tanked last week, raising concerns over the market’s future. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey shows the adjusted Market Composite Index – a measure of mortgage loan application volume – fell by 4.2%, supercharging after the week prior’s 0.8% decline. The average interest rate for 30-year fixed loans rose from 7.16% to 7.31%,…
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