Realty Times March 6, 2000

Mortgage Rates Dip Below 8%
by Scott Davis

Long-term mortgage rates slipped back below the psychologically important 8% level on Friday. Bond prices resumed their rally while stocks soared after the latest economic announcement that showed an uptick in unemployment and much lower than expected job growth in February.

According to Bank Rate Monitor's daily national survey of lenders, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage dropped to 7.99%. The 15-year fixed and one-year adjustable rates fell to 7.61% and 6.62% respectively. The 30-year jumbo rate slipped to 8.31%.

The yield on the bellwether 30-year Treasury bond edged down to 6.12% on Friday. Despite the favorable jobs report, analysts still believe that the Fed will raise interest rates another quarter point at their meeting later this month.

Led by technology issues, the Nasdaq composite jumped 160.28 points to a record 4,914.28. Blue chips joined the party too, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing 202.28 points to 10,367.20. Analysts viewed the broad-based rally as a good sign for the market.

Selected Stocks - Closing Prices Friday, March 3

Company Ticker Price Change
HomeStore.com
HOMS
62
+ 1 1/2
HomeSeekers.com
HMSK
18 15/16
+ 1/4
Cendant
CD
17 9/16
+ 7/16
Homeservices.com
HMSV
13 1/2
unch.
Realco, Inc.
RLCO
2 1/4
+ 7/16
Kennedy-Wilson
KWIC
5 9/16
- 3/16
E-Loan
EELN
11 11/16
+ 1 1/16
LendingTree
TREE
12 5/8
+ 1/8
Countrywide
CCR
24 5/8
+ 7/16
Vista Info
VINF
4 13/16
+ 5/16
Internet Pictures Corp.
IPIX
33
- 1
Champion Enterprises
CHB
6 3/16
- 1/8
Centex Corp.
CTX
19 1/4
- 3/16
Pulte Corp.
PHM
16 1/2
- 1/8

For more interest rate news, check out the Realty Times Interest Rate Watch



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