Mortgage Market Update (3/25/24)

Welcome to Homeseed’s Mortgage Market Update, where we dive into the latest trends, insights, and changes shaping the dynamic landscape of the housing and lending industries.

Mortgage Rate Trends & Forecasts

  • Last week’s comments on rate projections by the Fed Chair, Jerome Powell, retained the Fed’s previous expectation of 3 rate cuts by the end of this year and gave the forward-looking markets something to be hopeful for, which led to a decrease in mortgage rates.
  • The labor market has been showing signs of weakness with the unemployment rate ticking up.

Inflation Higher Than Expected

  • Recent inflation data for both the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) came in higher than expected.
  • The month-over-month changes of 0.4% in CPI and 0.3% in PPI imply an annualized reading of 4.8% and 3.6%, respectively (the Fed’s target is 2% for core readings).
  • Inflation is the biggest concern for interest rates, so it was no surprise to see the Fed unwilling to cut rates just yet.

March Fed Meeting

  • The Fed left rates unchanged following their meeting that concluded today for the fifth straight time, but did acknowledge the recent higher inflation readings could be a result of seasonality that was impacting the data.
  • Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stated that any adjustments to the policy rate would depend on incoming data and the evolving economic outlook.
  • The Fed’s dot plot showed they expect to cut rates three times in 2024 with the Fed Funds Rate decreasing to 4.6%.
  1. RATES IMPROVE AFTER FED MEETING – Mortgage rates have trended higher over the last week due to inflation reports, but comments by Jerome Powell did help ease concerns.
    https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/…
  2. FED HOLDS RATES STEADY – The Fed maintained its Fed Funds Rate following its two-day policy meeting as expected, and provided their thoughts on the recent inflation readings.
    https://www.cnbc.com/…
  3. BUYERS’ DESIRED HOME SIZES – A NAHB study shows that buyers want smaller sized homes than they did 20 years ago.
    https://www.eyeonhousing.org/…
  4. NAR SETTLEMENT MYTHS – Debunking some of the myths from the recent NAR settlement agreement.
    https://www.housingwire.com/…

Mortgage Market Update (3/11/24)

Welcome to Homeseed’s Mortgage Market Update, where we dive into the latest trends, insights, and changes shaping the dynamic landscape of the housing and lending industries.

Mortgage Rate Trends & Forecasts

  • Mortgage rates are lower week-over-week after the recent PCE inflation data came in as expected.
  • Downward momentum on rates continued as yesterday’s ISM Services index showed a big decline in prices paid for the service sector where we are seeing most of the inflation.
  • Tomorrow’s BLS Jobs Report is potentially a market mover as recent comments by Fed members show they are paying close attention to the labor market.


Personal Consumption Expenditures

  • Fed’s favorite measure of inflation, Personal Consumption Expenditures, showed the headline or all-in inflation declined from 2.6% to 2.4% year-over-year.
  • Annualizing the last 6-months of core readings, which the Fed says they are looking at, puts Core PCE at 2.46% and close to their 2% target.
  • There are emerging signs that the consumer is coming under pressure when looking at income and spending data.


CoreLogic Home Price Insights

  • Home prices were up 5.8% year-over-year in January, which is an increase from 5.5% on the previous report.
  • Forecasts for February show home prices being flat and will rise by 2.6% over the next 12 months, but it is worth noting that CoreLogic has been very conservative in the past.
  • Despite fewer buyers in the current market, housing demand still exceeds available inventory which is why home prices remain supported.
  1. RATES LOWER AHEAD OF JOBS REPORT – Recent inflation data helps mortgage rates move lower ahead of the important BLS Jobs Report.
    https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/…
  2. FEBRUARY LAYOFF NUMBERS – Layoff announcements in February hit their highest level for the month since the global financial crisis in 2009.
    https://www.cnbc.com/…
  3. HOME-SELLING SENTIMENT MOVES HIGHER – February data shows more consumers believe it is a good time to sell a home ahead of the spring homebuying season when compared to January.
    https://www.fanniemae.com/…
  4. CREDIT SCORES WORSEN – For the first time in a decade, the average credit score for consumers fell according to FICO.
    https://www.investopedia.com/…

Mortgage Market Update (2/26/24)

Welcome to Homeseed’s Mortgage Market Update, where we dive into the latest trends, insights, and changes shaping the dynamic landscape of the housing and lending industries.

Mortgage Rate Trends & Forecasts

  • The main reason for higher mortgage rates this week was due to a weak 20-year bond auction that caused a sell off in the bond market.
  • Mortgage rates have seen a slight upward trend since the beginning of the year due to stronger inflation and labor market data.
  • The minutes from the most recent Fed meeting were released this week which confirmed that they are certain to cut rates this year, but this will likely not occur by the next meeting in March.

Existing Home Sales

  • Housing inventory remains low with about 3 months of supply of homes versus the normal market value of 4.6 months.
  • The median home price rose by 5% from the previous year, reaching $379,100.
  • Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for NAR, notes that mid-priced homes are receiving multiple offers, with a significant share (32%) being cash deals, indicating a market driven by record-high housing wealth.

Producer Price Index

  • The Producer Price Index measures inflation from the perspective of producers.
  • Similar to the recent CPI report, inflation on the producer side was also higher than expected for the month of January.
  • Services were the main culprit in the high inflation reading that includes items such as health care and legal services.
  1. RATES MOVE SLIGHTLY HIGHER – A weak 20-year bond auction pushes rates slightly up to highs not seen since November.
    https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/…
  2. FHA HELPING BORROWERS KEEP HOMES – The new offering, called the Payment Supplement, will help borrowers bring their mortgage payments current and avoid foreclosure.
    https://www.hud.gov/…
  3. ACTIVE INVENTORY IS UP – Recent data shows that active inventory is up 15.7% and new listings are up 0.9% YoY.
    https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/…
  4. THE FED EXPRESSES CAUTION – Meeting minutes show that the Fed plans to cut rates this year, but express caution in lowering too quickly.
    https://www.cnbc.com/…

Mortgage Market Update (2/12/24)

Welcome to Homeseed’s Mortgage Market Update, where we dive into the latest trends, insights, and changes shaping the dynamic landscape of the housing and lending industries.

Mortgage Rate Trends & Forecasts

  • Mortgage rates are higher this week as a result of strong labor market and manufacturing data.
  • The BLS Jobs Report showed nearly double the amount of jobs were added to the market than expected.
  • The ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI was also higher than expected and the upbeat economic data put additional upward pressure on rates.


BLS Jobs Report

  • The report for January showed that the 353,000 jobs created were nearly double the expected 180,000.
  • One thing to be mindful of is that January is a month of heavy adjustments due to new benchmarks, seasonal adjustments, and population controls.
  • Despite the job gains, the entire labor force is working on average 30 minutes less per week, which is equivalent to 2.4M jobs lost.
  • We will have to wait for February data to see if the labor market tightening once again.


Home Values Continue to Appreciate

  • The two most notable housing indices, Case-Shiller and FHFA, both recently released data showing that home prices set new highs.
  • Although data for December 2023 is not available yet, both indices show that home values were on pace to appreciate by 6% in 2023.
  • Lower numbers for existing inventory and active listings will continue to be supportive of home prices throughout 2024.
  1. RATES MOVE HIGHER – Upbeat economic reports provide the catalyst for higher week-over-week rates.
    https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/…
  2. MEDIA SAYING HOUSING CRASH – But housing credit data today looks nothing like what was seen in 2008.
    https://www.housingwire.com/…
  3. BOOST TO HOUSING SENTIMENT – The Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index reached its highest level in nearly two years.
    https://www.fanniemae.com/…
  4. TWO SIDES TO JOB MARKET – Economists and reports say the labor market is strong, but job seekers don’t share the same confidence.
    https://www.cnbc.com/…

Mortgage Market Update (1/29/24)

Welcome to Homeseed’s Mortgage Market Update, where we dive into the latest trends, insights, and changes shaping the dynamic landscape of the housing and lending industries.

Mortgage Rate Trends & Forecasts

  • Mortgage rates are relatively unchanged week-over-week with some volatility mixed in due to economic data and bond auction results.
  • Last week saw 2-year, 5-year, and 7-year Treasury auctions that were met with weak demand and put upward pressure on mortgage rates.
  • Recent GDP and labor market reports came in stronger than expected and the Fed would like to see more economic weakness to support disinflation.


Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE)

  • Headline inflation rose 0.17% in January, close to the expected 0.2%, while the year-over-year reading remained at 2.6%.
  • Annualized core PCE over the last 6 and 8 months is 1.85% and 2.08%, respectively, which are close to the Fed’s target of 2%.
  • Although the Fed prefers the Core PCE measure for gauging inflation, it should be noted that the CPI tends to move the markets a bit more.


Pending Home Sales

  • Pending Home Sales (signed contracts on existing homes) surged 8.3% from November to December.
  • The large jump was attributed to the decline in mortgage rates we’ve seen since the highs back in October 2023.
  • The Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors, Lawrence Yun, noted that sales are expected to rise significantly in each of the next two years.
  • An increase in the supply of homes on the market will be essential to satisfying all of the demand that current exists.
  1. RATES UNCHANGED WEEK-OVER-WEEK – Mortgage rates were volatile within a narrow range over the last week but are relatively unchanged.
    https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/…
  2. ECONOMY BOOSTED BY NEW HOME SALES – Continue demand for new housing helped employ workers, stimulate the purchase of goods, and avoid a recession in 2023.
    https://www.housingwire.com/…
  3. ACTIVE INVENTORY RISES – For the 11th straight week, active listings grew and looks to improve availability and affordability heading into the spring season.
    https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/…
  4. INFLATION CONTINUING TO COOL – The recent PCE report showed inflation continuing to cool and near the Fed’s 2% target.
    https://www.cnbc.com/…

Homeseed’s 2024 Mortgage & Real Estate Market Forecast

Welcome to Homeseed’s 2024 Mortgage & Real Estate Forecast! As we enter the exciting year of 2024, the anticipation and speculation surrounding the mortgage market and housing industry have prospective homebuyers carefully watching. In just the last three years, we’ve gone from seeing all-time low mortgage rates to some of the highest mortgage rates in the last two decades due to significant global events and economic shifts. To better understand what potentially lies ahead for this year, let’s dive into a forecast for the mortgage market and housing industry in 2024.

Inflation: The Driving Force for Mortgage Rates

Inflation has emerged as a pivotal factor shaping the mortgage market. After reaching a near 40-year high of 5.3% in March 2022, Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) has been on a gradual decline and now hovers at 3.2%, which is near the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) goal of 2%. Given the improvement on inflation, the Fed signaled they would begin rate cuts to their Fed Funds Rate before reaching the 2% target in hopes of easing into its inflation goal with minimal negative effects to the economy. With shelter accounting for 21% of Core PCE, CoreLogic’s most recent measure of shelter costs showed a 2.5% year-over-year increase in their real-time blended rents data. This suggests a continued improvement for inflation lies ahead as the shelter data used by the PCE report lags the real-time shelter data, and the markets are now predicting the first rate cut by the Fed as early as March 2024.

Supply and Demand: Limited Inventory Pushes Home Prices Higher

The housing market continues to grapple with enduring challenges in inventory shortage, fueling a steady increase in home prices. Despite efforts to address the housing deficit, housing starts persist below household formations, indicating a sustained scarcity of available homes for sale coming to the market that is unable to meet the escalating demand. This ongoing imbalance between the supply of homes and demand from buyers will likely intensify competition if mortgage rates continue to come down, leading to the possibility of bidding wars and soaring prices once again.

Mortgage Rate and Real Estate Forecasts

Given the trajectory of inflation, we forecast the 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage to fluctuate between a rate range of 5.75%-6.75% throughout 2024. If rates fall below 6%, this will potentially unlock move-up buyers who are current homeowners that want to upgrade their homes.

For home price appreciation, we forecast home values to increase between 4-5% in 2024. Values should stay strong as demand will remain high due to more households being formed than homes coming to market.

Seizing the Opportunity: A Time for Homeownership to Build Wealth

As we navigate the intricacies of 2024, this period stands as an opportunistic time for prospective homebuyers. With the likelihood of interest rates coming down and home prices on a continued ascent, buyers can consider the strategic move of securing a home now and later benefiting from potential refinancing opportunities in the near future. Here at Homeseed, we offer a Home Equity Forecast tool, shedding light on the significant wealth-building potential through home appreciation and amortization. It emphasizes that homeownership is not merely about costs and interest rates but extends to the concept of a home evolving into one of your most substantial investments for building wealth.

Mortgage Market Update (12/19/23)

Welcome to Homeseed’s Mortgage Market Update, where we dive into the latest trends, insights, and changes shaping the dynamic landscape of the housing and lending industries.

Mortgage Rate Trends & Forecasts

  • Mortgage rates move lower once again this week with the biggest improvement happening yesterday after the Fed Meeting.
  • The improvement in rates were due to the Fed signaling that they plan to cut rates multiple times in 2024.
  • This week’s Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index also showed inflation moving lower.


This Week’s Fed Meeting

  • The Federal Reserve had their last meeting of 2023 yesterday and maintained its benchmark Fed Funds Rate, opting to not raise or cut rates.
  • The big improvement in mortgage rates occurred when the Fed signaled it will likely cut rates by 0.75% in the year ahead, which is an increase of 0.25% from their previous meeting in September.
  • Remember, the Fed Funds Rate does not directly impact mortgage rates but this shift in outlook directly affects the bond market that mortgage rates are tied to.


CPI and PPI Inflation Reports

  • This was a good week for inflation news as many reports and forecasts showed inflation moving lower.
  • Tuesday’s release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report showed inflation moving lower year-over-year from 3.2% to 3.1%.
  • Yesterday’s Producer Price Index (PPI) report showed producer inflation falling from 1.2% to 0.9% year-over-year.
  • The Fed also announced yesterday that they also project inflation will fall to 2.4% in 2024, which is better than the 2.5% they projected in September.
  1. GOOD NEWS FOR MORTGAGE RATES – Mortgage rates moved to the lowest levels since May with the help of some good news coming from the Fed yesterday.
    https://www.mortgagenewsdaily.com/…
  2. FED MEETING RECAP – The Fed had their final meeting of the year and signaled rates cuts and a lower inflation prediction for 2024.
    https://www.yahoo.com/…
  3. LARGE INCREASE IN MORTGAGE ACTIVITY – The Mortgage Bankers Association said that mortgage application volume was up 7.4% last week as rates continue to move lower.
    https://www.eyeonhousing.org/…
  4. CONSUMER PRICE INDEX – The CPI for November showed inflation falling further to 3.1% compared to the pandemic-era peak of 9.1% in June of 2022.
    https://www.cnbc.com/…

Lock & Shop: Lock in your rate today before you find a home

Purchasing a home should be an exciting process, but having to worry about interest rates rising in this market can dampen some of the joy. That is why Homeseed is offering our Lock & Shop program to clients. Potential homebuyers will now be able to lock in your rate before you have a fully executed purchase contract, so you can have peace of mind that your interest rate will not go up while searching for your home.

Homeseed has developed our Lock & Shop program to allow for your rate to be protected for up to 60 days. Extensions are also available for more time. By locking in your rate now while you look for your home, the Lock & Shop program gives you the opportunity to save money should interest rates continue to rise as many experts predict they will throughout 2022. Locking in a rate now also helps you manage your home budget by removing any surprises of a higher monthly mortgage payment if interest rates were to rise.

Please reach out today with any questions. The Homeseed Team is ready to get you pre-approved and help strengthen your offer by letting sellers know you are certified for financing with an interest rate that is already locked!

Housing Market Alert – Seattle Has Over 15% Year Over Year Appreciation

Home appreciation continues to reach historic highs as tight supply and strong demand lead to an extremely competitive housing market. According to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index, prices in February rose 12% year over year across the US. This 12% gain is a 15-year high, and Seattle is one of the top cities with a gain of 15.4% year over year.

Those trying to enter the housing market are feeling the frustrations and disappointments of a competitive low inventory market. In many cases, buyers are having to make over five offers on homes before getting one accepted. However, the risk and rewards can quickly make sense when you consider the yearly equity gains with appreciation being higher than most full-time annual salaries. With a 15.4% gain in home prices year over year in Seattle, a person purchasing a $750,000 home last year would have gained $115,500 in appreciation on average. Historically low interest rates are also helping give a small boost to your purchasing power, so long as they remain low.

In the end, the most important thing prospective homebuyers need to consider is if are you in a position to responsibly take on a mortgage payment. Make sure you are evaluating a range of factors including your finances, personal life, and future. Connect with us today if you have any questions. If you have anyone looking to get pre-approved to purchase a home or refinance, we’d love the opportunity to serve them!

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