On the first Friday of every month, the U.S. government releases its Non-Farm Payrolls report. More commonly called “the jobs report”, Non-Farm Payrolls is a major market mover. The number of working Americans is directly tied to the health of the economy which, in turn, drives the stock...

For the first time this year, Fannie Mae announced significant updates to its mortgage underwriting guidelines. The changes include newer, harsher ARM qualification standards, the elimination of a once-popular loan product, and tighter rules for interest only mortgages. Fannie Mae made its official...

Mortgage markets improved last week on tame inflation data, a benign statement from the Federal Reserve, and ongoing credit problems in Greece. The factors combined to drop conforming mortgage rates to their lowest levels in 6 weeks. It’s an unexpected development considering that mortgage rates...

The Fed Funds Rate is currently in a target range of 0.000-0.250 percent. The Fed Funds Rate is an inter-bank lending rate. It’s also the basis for Prime Rate, a consumer interest rate on which credit card payments are based, among other consumer loans.  Prime Rate is equal to the Fed Funds...

Mortgage markets worsened last week in see-saw trading. By the time Friday’s market closed, mortgage rates were higher across the board — ARMs, fixed rates, FHA and conventional. The biggest stories of last week were actually non-stories. First, the ash cloud from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull...

Mortgage rates and home affordability have improved lately, thanks to an unlikely ally — Mother Nature. In the 7 days since Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull erupted, ash clouds have grounded planes, disrupted businesses, and stranded exports in warehouses worldwide. It’s a drag on commerce...

Each week, government-led Freddie Mac publishes a weekly mortgage rate survey based on data from 125 banks across the country.  According to this week’s results, the relative rate of a 5-year ARM is extremely low versus its 30-year fixed-rate cousin. Consider this comparison: In April 2009,...

Mortgage markets improved last week to the delight of rate shoppers. Against a sparse economic calendar, Wall Street turned its attention to geopolitics in Greece and the Eurozone. It didn’t like what it saw. Safe haven buying buoyed mortgage bond markets last week as pricing recaptured two-thirds...

Mortgage markets tanked last week, raising rates to their highest levels in a month. Most of the losses occurred Wednesday in what was the worst 1-day mortgage market performance in more than 6 months. Even Friday’s rally could barely dent the losses. Most of the movement was tied to geopolitical...

Today’s Auction results reiterated yesterdays bleak results.  All this just days ahead of the end of the FED MBS Purchase Program.  In the last 24 Hours we have witnessed Mortgage Rates increase over .25% with repricing for the worse still trickling in. If the Auctions are producing this type...