Tag Archives: interest rates

Fed Rate Hike Could Hurt Employment

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Fed Chair Janet Yellen all but confirmed the Fed was ready to raise interest rates in December. She laid out a case for raising interest rates in a speech on Wednesday at the Economic Club in Washington. “Ongoing … Continue reading →

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Oct. Pending and New-Home Sales Still Rising

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Both new and existing-home sales are still thriving, given that conforming fixed rates are still at almost historic lows, in spite of a looming Fed interest rate hike. Why? It’s mainly investors worried about worldwide growth that … Continue reading →

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Dr. Yellen—Don’t Raise Interest Rates Just Yet.

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.2 percent in October on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased … Continue reading →

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Home Ownership Rate Increases, Thanks to Millennials

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The Commerce Department just reported that homeownership rate rose to 63.7 percent in the third quarter, from 63.4 percent in the second quarter, reports the National Association of Realtors. That is still well below the high of … Continue reading →

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Construction, Retail Sales Higher

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The strength of the economy right now is in the housing and construction sectors, again areas insulated from global factors, such as China’s slowdown. Construction spending, next to vehicle sales, is perhaps the week’s best surprise, rising … Continue reading →

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Higher Birth Rates Are Here

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The mellennial generation, now aged 18 to 36 years, are beginning to drive higher birth rates. And that means more households being formed, which will ultimately create a higher demand for housing. Actually, a 4 million birth … Continue reading →

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Case-Shiller Home Prices Up, Ownership Rate Lower

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Home prices have stabilized for a while, after the 2013 double-digit price surge brought on by the Fed’s various QE bond purchases and ultra-low interest rates. And homeownership rates are still dropping due mainly to affordability and … Continue reading →

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Existing-Home Sales at 8-Year High

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner It had to happen.  Why did June existing-home sales jump to an 8-year high? Fewer foreclosures is the short answer, hence more available for sale at market prices. But soaring consumer optimism due to an even better … Continue reading →

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Home Prices Increase With Jobs

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index is the bell weather for real estate and home prices these days. It not only reports housing prices, but what affects those prices, and jobs have to be the most important … Continue reading →

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Pending Home Sales, Mortgage Applications Soar

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Pending home sales continued to rise in May and are now at their highest level in over nine years, according to the National Association of Realtors. Gains in the Northeast and West were offset by small decreases … Continue reading →

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