After a good CPI number and a solid 10-year treasury auction, we saw a nice 75bp improvement in the UMBS 30YR 5.5% coupon, which followed up a 19bp gain on Tuesday. Today we have the PPI number and jobless claims, so we might see some more good news and another good day for bonds.
Despite all the good inflation data, you can expect the Fed to raise rates again at the end of the month, just because they can, and because they REFUSE to use any real-time data at their disposal and formulate a real strategy. As usual, the Fed is way behind the curve and refuses to admit they are wrong. Since you can’t fight the Fed, expect a slow, but steady decline in mortgage rates and when the economy stalls in the fall as those with student loans struggle to pay back what they owe, billions will not be spent on all they things they have been spending their, and our, money on the last two plus years! While I am sure there are a few people who have made their “payments” to their savings accounts, most just spent the money and are going to be surprised when the loans come due! Yes, I now the president said they weren’t going to have to pay those loans back, but he lied! He has another plan to try and lessen the blow, but it not only won’t work, but it will also get struck down in the courts. People, you borrowed the money, now just pay it back!
The next big challenge we are going to face in the mortgage industry is, what will the rules be for calculating student loan payments now that they are supposed to be being paid back, but there is the attempt to circumvent repayment with the new plan that they are calling “ramping up to repayment!” Just another challenge and quite possibly a very painful surprise to those who think they can go out and buy a home with a mortgage while they are “ramping up” their repayments! This is going to be very challenging if we don’t get some real leadership real soon; and I don’t think that is likely to happen. On the other hand, they could just pay back what they owe!
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Elevated mortgage rates are cutting into homebuyers’ budgets. But this week’s inflation report—which shows that consumer prices are cooling quickly—provides a glimmer of hope that mortgage rates could gradually start to come down.
The median U.S. home-sale price rose 1.5% from a year earlier during the four weeks ending July 9, the first increase in nearly five months. That’s according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage.
Average weekly mortgage rates are at their highest level since November 2022, bringing the typical homebuyer’s monthly payment to a near-record-high of $2,627.
To look at the hit on affordability another way, a homebuyer on a $3,000 monthly budget can afford a $450,000 home with today’s average rate. That buyer has lost $30,000 in purchasing power since February, when they could have bought a $480,000 home with that month’s average rate of around 6%. The drop is more extreme when compared to a year ago, when a $3,000 monthly budget would have bought a $510,000 home at a rate of about 5.3%.
Prices are rising despite relatively low demand because there are so few homes for sale. New listings are down 27% year over year, the biggest drop since the start of the pandemic, and the total number of homes on the market is down 14%, the biggest drop since March 2022. That’s mostly because potential sellers are locked in by low rates; nearly all homeowners have a rate below 6%.
On the bright side, this week’s economic news provides a glimmer of hope for the housing market. The latest consumer-price index report shows that inflation cooled more than expected in June, largely because it has started reflecting months of cooling housing costs.
“This month’s inflation report is likely to bring mortgage rates down a bit from their recent highs. It shows that the Fed’s interest-rate hikes are working and increases the chance they’ll only hike rates one more time this year,” said Redfin Economic Research Lead Chen Zhao. “Because elevated mortgage rates are responsible for both of today’s major homebuying challenges—high monthly housing payments and low inventory—any decline is welcome news for buyers. But even though rates will come down slightly, they’ll likely remain well above 6% until the Fed sees several more months of inflation readings closer to their target.”
Leading indicators of homebuying activity:
Key housing market takeaways for 400+ U.S. metro areas:
Unless otherwise noted, this data covers the four-week period ending July 9. Redfin’s weekly housing market data goes back through 2015. For bullets that include metro-level breakdowns, Redfin analyzed the 50 most populous U.S. metros. Select metros may be excluded from time to time to ensure data accuracy.
To view the full report, including charts, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/housing-market-update-home-prices-rise-first-time-five-months
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