Tag Archives: interest rates

Strong Jobs Report = Rising Interest Rates

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Economists are almost unanimous that the Fed will raise their short term rates at next week’s FOMC meeting. This is because total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 235,000 in February, and the unemployment rate fell slightly to … Continue reading →

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Higher New Home Sales, Mortgage Lending

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner We wrote last week about unusually restrictive mortgage standards for conforming stalwarts Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that are still wards of the US Treasury. Now we’ve learned that they are still doing almost record loan volumes. … Continue reading →

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Home Sales Reach 10-year High

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Existing-home sales ran at a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 5.69 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. That was 3.3 percent above an upwardly-revised 5.51 million in December and 3.8 percent higher than a year ago. … Continue reading →

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Mortgage Market Still Obstructs Lower Income Borrowers

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Earlier this month, researchers at the Urban Institute’s Housing Finance Policy Center published some of their research on lending standards. Drawing on data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, they found that lower-credit applicants accounted for only … Continue reading →

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Housing Construction Boosted By Low Rates

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Housing starts returned to trend, reports the National Association of Home Builders, dropping 2.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.246 million units, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and … Continue reading →

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Retail Sales and Consumer Prices Show Real Life

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Retail sales rose 0.4 percent last month following a much bigger gain in December than originally reported, the government said Wednesday. Economists polled had forecast a 0.2 percent increase. Retail sales are now up more than 5 percent … Continue reading →

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Housing Starts Surge With Builder Optimism

Posted on January 21, 2017 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner A surge in multifamily production resulted in overall nationwide housing starts rising 11.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.23 million units, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban … Continue reading →

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Real Estate In 2017—Good Time To Buy?

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Surging mortgage rates, dwindling inventory, and soaring home prices are taking a toll on Americans’ attitudes toward ownership, according to a home purchase sentiment survey released Monday. But that may be misleading, as mortgage rates have barely … Continue reading →

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Housing Construction, Sales Strong, Interest Rates Still Ultra-Low

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Housing starts are being hit by huge swings. November starts fell 18.7 percent in November to a much lower-than-expected 1.090 million annualized rate following an upward revised gain of 27.4 percent to 1.340 million in October, says … Continue reading →

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4.6% Unemployment–178,000 Payroll Jobs in November

Posted on December 3, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Nonfarm payrolls rose 178,000 in November to just beat out expectations with revisions no factor, says Econoday. A sharp downward revision to October, now at 142,000, was offset by a nearly as sharp upward revision to September, … Continue reading →

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