What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – May 8, 2023

Last week’s economic news included reporting on construction spending, the Federal Reserve’s decision to raise its benchmark interest rate, and weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims. Construction Spending Increases in March The Commerce Department reported that month-to-month construction spending rose by 0.30 percent and year-over-year construction spending increased by $1.83 trillion. Residential construction fell by -0.20 percent in March, which was the tenth consecutive monthly decline in residential construction spending. Non-residential construction spending rose by 0.70 percent in March for the ninth gain in the past 10 months. Fed Raises Key Interest Rate Range Federal Reserve policymakers raised…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – May 1, 2023

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on home prices, sales of new homes, and pending home sales. Monthly and year-over-year readings for inflation were published along with weekly reports on mortgage rates and jobless claims. February S&P Case-Shiller Housing Market Indices show slower home price growth National home prices continued to rise in February, but at a slower pace according to S&P Case-Shiller home price indices. Month-to-month home prices rose by  0.40 percent in February and matched analysts’ expectations, but were lower than January’s reading of  2.50 percent home price growth. S&P Case-Shiller’s 20-city home price index, which is frequently…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – April 24, 2023

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on home builder confidence and weekly reports on mortgage rates and jobless claims. NAHB: Home builder confidence increases in April The National Association of Home Builders reported that builder confidence in current housing market conditions rose by one point to an index reading of 45 in April. April’s reading was the fourth consecutive month showing increasing builder confidence.  The March and April index readings of 44 and 45 were the strongest since September 2022. A year ago the homebuilder confidence reading was 77. Component readings for homebuilder confidence in market conditions were mixed. Builder…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – April 17, 2022

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on inflation, retail sales, and consumer sentiment. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. March Inflation Slows as Retail Sales Fall Inflation slowed to a month-to-month pace of 0.10 percent in March as compared to February’s reading of 0.40 percent growth. Year-over-year inflation rose by 5.00 percent and fell short of analysts’ expected reading of 5.10 percent year-over-year inflation and February’s year-over-year inflation rate of 6.00 percent. Core inflation, which excludes volatile readings for food and fuel, rose by 0.40 percent in March and matched analysts’ expectations.  The year-over-year reading…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – March 27, 2023

Last week’s financial and economic reporting included readings on sales of new and previously-owned homes, along with weekly data on mortgage rates and jobless claims. Single-Family Home Sales Rise in February Year-over-year sales of previously owned homes rose 14.5 percent to a seasonally-adjusted pace of 4.58 million sales. Analysts expected 4.20 million sales of pre-owned homes as compared to January’s year-over-year reading of 4.0 million sales. February’s increased sales halted 12 months of falling sales of previously-owned homes. February’s reading marked the highest pace of sales since July 2020, when sales of pre-owned homes rose by 22.40 percent. The National…
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