Image via Wikipedia 24/7 Wall Street presents and interesting angle on the role of mortgage rates in recovering the housing market. Are we in an economy where factors and anxiety around unemployment and investment make it such that mortgage rates are too much at any cost? While some data shows that housing may be finding a bottom, it is likely that very few people are willing to gamble their own money that the perception is true. If unemployment rises, housing prices could continue to fall. If foreclosures … [Read more...]
Mortgage Rates Up, Mortgage Applications Down?
December 11, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Welcome to the unique conundrum of an economic mess we are in. Seems as though you solve one problem and you create more. Goes to my "too many artifical inputs, queers the economy" theory--okay so Adam Smith mentioned it first. Anyway, it looks like rising unemployment and tightening bank credit standards is working hard against the US Treasury plan to push mortgage rates to 4.5 percent, and maybe even 4 percent mortgage rates. MBA says mortgage applications drop 7 percent (17 percent for home purchase … [Read more...]
AMEX Bank, ABA No New Regs, Big Bank Loan Modifications, Economist Turn Negative, 10 Benefits of Recession
November 11, 2008 By Leave a Comment
American Express Becomes a Bank American Express becomes a bank, getting unprecedented speedy approval to become a Federally chartered bank. This is likely a smart preemptive move by American Express to hedge mounting credit card troubles by gaining access to TARP bailout funds. The cautionary part of this tale--how bad might those mounting losses be for the Federal Reserve to waive even the cursory 30-day waiting period? Bad! American Express Co. won U.S. Federal Reserve approval to become a commercial … [Read more...]
Obama Reviewed, China, TARP Update, Bank of England, Wal-Mart Indicator
November 6, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Obama Election Reviewed Everyone is jumping in with there review and assessment of President-elect Obama. Here is what the financial services wonks are saying: Blown Mortgage is tracking Obama's Housing Promises Henry Blodget on the Yahoo! TechTicker is noting Obama already reseting expectations Wall Street Journal is ttracking Economists reactions to Obama Paul Kedrosky says Wall Street doesn't care China Crash Debated Economist Nouriel Roubini, noted economic doomsdayer often attributed with … [Read more...]
Vote, Consumer Credit Crunch, Auto Sales Sink, Consumers Stop Spending
November 4, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Stop Reading and Go Vote! If you haven't already voted yet: take one last peek at what your vote will mean to your mortgage market, shut the lid on your laptop, head to the polls, do your civic duty, and then get your free coffee! Consumer Credit Crunch Banks are going to turn us into a savings economy after all. Tightening would have been a lot more valuable done over time rather than an overnight choke hold. However, a good short-term belt tightening never hurt anyone in the long-run. It also … [Read more...]
Small Bank Bailouts, The Great Recession, JP Morgan Loan Modifications, Global ZIRP, PMI Losses, GM No Bailout Merger
November 3, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Small Bank Bailouts Financial market calamity was narrowly averted today as Farmers National Bank of Emlenton is expected to get a much needed capital injection from the US government. William Marsh, CEO led with this, "they were giving out free stuff"-type quote in the WSJ: "It seemed like the consensus in the industry was...go out and get this," said William Marsh, president and chief executive of Farmers National Bank of Emlenton, in Emlenton, Pa. Mr. Marsh said his bank is healthy and viable … [Read more...]
GDP, Mortgage Bonds, Zero Interest Policy, Renters for Obama, Stop Being Bearish
October 30, 2008 By Leave a Comment
GDP Swings Low, Sweet ... Well it is official, we're contracting. Consumers are hoarding their cash (taking queues from the banking sector). Unlike the recession of 2001 consumers will not be borrowing their way through hard time--try to find a home equity line of credit these days. They're calling it a recession: “This is the first of a run of negative G.D.P. numbers,” said Ian Shepherdson of High Frequency Economics. “The economy is in recession.” He predicted that the economy would shrink … [Read more...]
Mortgage Rates, Misery Index, Foreclosures, Case Shiller, OPEC, Credit Default Swaps
October 29, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Mortgage Rates Rise as US Market Soars We get a big, even historic, upward bounce in the US stock market. Meanwhile mortgage rates are taking a negative bounce. The interesting part is that one of the stated US government bailout objectives was to preserve or even increase mortgage affordability. However, these same interventions into markets are causing precisely the opposite (possibly short-term) effect: With so much government debt guarantees in the bond market yield spreads between mortgage bonds … [Read more...]
Yields Spread Mortgage Rates Rise, Homebuilders Housing Fix, Soros on Denmark Mortgage Market, Your $700 Billion at Work
October 28, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Yields Spread and Mortgage Rates Rise Fannie, Freddie, and Ginnie mortgage bonds continue to pull away from US Treasuries. The difference between yields on Washington-based Fannie's current-coupon 30-year fixed-rate bonds and 10-year U.S. Treasuries rose about 21 basis points to 224 basis points as of 4:30 p.m. in New York, data compiled by Bloomberg show. That's up from 162 basis points, or 1.62 percentage point, on Oct. 20. "It is the deleveraging,'' Mohamed El-Erian, the co-chief executive officer … [Read more...]
Mortgage Rates and Affordability from the Frontlines
October 22, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Dan Green, a loan officer and sage of The Mortgage Reports, educates us on why waiting for mortgage rates to drop may hurt you. Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is on the rise due to skyrocketing defaults--this is when they pick up the tab on your mortgage. This is, according to Dan more than eating away at any rate advantage you may get by waiting. By the way, foreclosures and mortgage defaults are not dropping. In fact, there is reason to believe there are other market factors like the drying … [Read more...]