Tag Archives: interest rates

New Fannie, Freddie Regulator Won’t Cut Loan Limits

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — This headline just out.  Mortgage-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac won’t be directed to lower the limits for mortgages that they back, the new head of their federal regulator said Tuesday. In a … Continue reading →

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Why Low Interest Rates Are Here to Stay

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Some have called it a Putin bond rally. Or it might be new Fed Chairperson Yellen’s determination to keep interest rates as low as possible, until economic prosperity returns to Main Street. It might as well be because … Continue reading →

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Yellen’s Federal Reserve To Keep Rates Low

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The Fed’s FOMC minutes of their last meeting were just released, and they show the Fed intends to keep interest rates low for as long as possible, until the unemployment rate drops substantially. And the Fed’s maintenance … Continue reading →

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No Relief Yet With Pending Sales

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner We can’t yet count on Pending Home Sales, a predictor of closings in 60 to 90 days, to predict a boost to this year’s sales. They have been falling since last July, and the last spike in … Continue reading →

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New-Home Sales In Seasonal Decline?

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Sales of newly built, single-family homes fell 7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 414,000 units in December, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. … Continue reading →

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2013 Home Sales Highest Since 2006

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The National Association of Realtors (NAR) just reported that for all of 2013, there were 5.09 million sales, which is 9.1 percent higher than 2012. It was the strongest performance since 2006 when sales reached an unsustainably … Continue reading →

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Consumer Debt At Record Lows

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The Federal Reserve just released the Q2 2013 Household Debt Service and Financial Obligations Ratios. The overall Debt Service Ratio decreased in Q2 2013, and is just above the record low set in Q4 2012 thanks to very … Continue reading →

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Mortgage Delinquencies Continue Decline

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Freddie Mac reported that the Single-Family serious delinquency rate declined in August to 2.64 percent from 2.70 percent in July.   This has in large part to do with lower interest rates, which have declined again because the … Continue reading →

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Case-Shiller Home Prices Take Off

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The July S&P Case-Shiller home price index shows home prices are in full recovery mode. Over the last 12 months, prices rose 12.3 percent and 12.4 percent as measured by the 10- and 20-City Composites in the … Continue reading →

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Housing Starts, Builder Confidence Improve

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Housing made somewhat of a comeback in July and taking into account wet weather on the East coast should be taken as stronger than face value.  Housing starts in July rebounded 5.9 percent after falling 7.9 percent … Continue reading →

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