The Home Loan Mortgage Blog

Weekly Update - 12/15/17

December 15th, 2017 12:18 PM by T. Fanning



Hey, I hope you had a great week! 

The Federal Reserve raised short term interest rates this week by a quarter point, indicating the Fed believes the economy is solid. Mortgage rates didn't budge much and ended up mixed this week. The 15-year fixed conforming, conventional rate had a very small increase; 30-year fixed conforming, conventional rate stayed the same; government rates (FHA, VA and USDA) had a small decrease; and the Jumbo 30-year fixed rate saw a small decrease. Next week brings us a handful of relevant economic releases that may affect mortgage rates, but the most important data comes late in the week. There is nothing of relevance set for Monday, so expect weekend news to drive trading as the new week begins. Of particular interest will be news or rumor related to the tax reform bill, especially anything that hints that the bill may be in jeopardy of passing.*

We offer Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, Jumbo and regular construction financing. Some of our niches include: a Conventional, FHA and VA 1x Close Construction-Perm; 1% Down Conventional Program; CHFA Financing; HomeStyle renovation program; and a jumbo, 5% down program. We also can do hobby farms, Ag properties and Alt-A (stated income, verified assets for self-employed borrowers)! To see a detailed list of programs, visit our website:  www.hlmcolorado.com/mortgageprograms

As always, please let me know if I can help you/friends/family/potential buyers/borrowers!

Last Updated: 12/15/17

Friday's bond market has opened in negative territory, reversing a good part of yesterday's late rally. Stocks are contributing to the morning weakness by posting sizable gains in the major indexes. The Dow is currently up 127 points while the Nasdaq has gained 21 points. The bond market is currently down 6/32 (2.36%), but we still should see a slight improvement in this morning's mortgage rates due to strength late yesterday.

We saw bonds bounce late yesterday as news spread that one or more Republican Senators may not vote in favor of the tax bill in its current form. Whether or not that is realistic remains to be seen, but just the possibility of there being a problem getting it passed caused bonds to improve Thursday afternoon, leading to many lenders improving rates before the end of the day. If your lender revised rates lower intraday yesterday, you likely will see an increase this morning.

November's Industrial Production data was released at 9:15 AM ET this morning. It showed a 0.2% increase in output at U.S. factories, mines and utilities. This was slightly lower than the 0.3% rise that was expected, making the data favorable for mortgage rates. However, this report is considered to be only moderately important. Therefore, its influence on this morning's rates has been minimal.

Next week brings us a handful of relevant economic releases that may affect mortgage rates, but the most important data comes late in the week. There is nothing of relevance set for Monday, so expect weekend news to drive trading as the new week begins. Of particular interest will be news or rumor related to the tax reform bill, especially anything that hints that the bill may be in jeopardy of passing. Look for details on all of next week's activities in Sunday evening's weekly preview.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would....

Lock if my closing were taking place within 7 days...
Lock if my closing were taking place between 8 and 20 days...
Float if my closing were taking place between 21 and 60 days...
Float if my closing were taking place over 60 days from now...

This is only my opinion of what I would do if I was financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.*

*http://www.hlmcolorado.com/DailyRateAdvisory




LO NMLS: 208694 | CO License: 100008854 | Company NMLS ID: 479289
Posted in:General
Posted by T. Fanning on December 15th, 2017 12:18 PM

Archives:

Categories:

My Favorite Blogs:

Sites That Link to This Blog:

Got a Question?

Do you have a question? We can help. Simply fill out the form below and we'll contact you with the answer, with no obligation to you. We guarantee your privacy.

Your Information
Your Question
By checking the box, you agree that Home Loan Mortgage Company may call/text you about your inquiry, which may involve use of automated means and prerecorded/artificial voices.. Message/data rates may apply.