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☆ US new home sales plunged unexpectedly last month
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —Sales of newly built homes dropped last month as mortgage rates remained elevated. New home sales, which make up only about 10% of the market, fell 11.3% in May from the prior month, to 619,000, according to government data released Wednesday. That was the steepest monthly decline since September 2022 and marks the lowest level since November. Mortgage rates soared to the highest level of the year in early May and have since trended down. “Persistently high mortgage rates are keeping many prospective buyers on the sidelines,” NAHB chairman Carl Harris said in a release.

Persons: That’s, “, ”, Carl Harris Organizations: Washington CNN —, Federal, National Association of Home Builders, Housing, “ Locations: Wells Fargo

This is good news for mortgage rates, but we'll need to see more data showing that inflation is sustainably coming down before rates can fall further. As inflation slows and the Fed is able to start lowering the federal funds rate, mortgage rates are expected to go down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. Lower mortgage rates will bring more buyers onto the market, putting upward pressure on prices.

Persons: Fannie Mae Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Zillow, Federal Reserve, Mortgage, Association, ARM Locations: Chevron

☆ Markets fear the French far right could trigger a financial crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

President Emmanuel Macron called the snap elections Sunday after his party lost to the far right in a vote for EU lawmakers, a shock move that rattled markets for French stocks and government bonds. There has been widespread speculation since then that the National Rally, the party of far-right doyenne Marine Le Pen, is poised to become the most powerful force in parliament, unseating Macron’s centrist bloc. The risk of something similar happening in France is real, according to the country’s finance minister, Bruno Le Maire. “This comes down to the (parties’) plans that are on the table, whether we can, yes or no, finance this debt,” Le Maire said. The National Rally has promised to raise public spending and slash VAT on electricity and fuel.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Pen, ”, Truss, Bruno Le Maire, Le Maire, “, ” Le Maire, ’ jitters, Ludovic Marin, La Tribune Dimanche, Frank Gill, Moody’s, ” Joseph Ataman, Mark Thompson Organizations: London CNN —, EU, National, ‘, AAA, Getty Images Stock, haven’t, CNN, BFMTV, La Tribune, National Rally, European Central Bank, ECB Locations: France, ‘ France, French, Portugal, Europe, Italy, AFP, Paris, London

☆ Home equity is near a record high. Tapping it may be tricky due to high interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

But tapping it may be tough due to high interest rates, according to financial advisors. Reverse mortgageA reverse mortgage is a way for older Americans to tap their home equity. A reverse mortgage is likely best for people who have much of their wealth tied up in their home, advisors said. A home equity conversion mortgage (HECM) is the most common type of reverse mortgage, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. watch nowA reverse mortgage is available as a lump sum, line of credit or monthly installment.

Persons: Selma Hepp, Hepp, Lee Baker, Atlanta . Baker, Kamila Elliott, Grace Cary, Elliott, Baker, Alexander Spatari, Cash Organizations: Getty, Apex Financial Services, Collective Wealth Partners, Consumer Financial, Bureau Locations: Cultura, Atlanta .

☆ 3 things homebuyers should do to hack the unaffordable housing market, according to Fannie Mae's chief economist
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-07 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe housing market is historically unaffordable, but according to Fannie Mae's lead economist, prospective buyers can do a few things to make things to get a leg up. Have a good credit scoreMortgage rates are elevated, and having a poor credit score makes borrowing costs even steeper, Duncan said. Buyers who shop around tend to score better deals and more affordable rates, Duncan said. AdvertisementPeople betting that mortgage rates or home prices will come down soon are taking a gamble. Some homebuyers can afford to speculate on the market, but most first-time homebuyers cannot, Duncan noted.

Persons: —, Fannie Mae's, Doug Duncan, Duncan, That's, you'll, Charles Schwab Organizations: Service, Business, Yahoo Finance, National Association of Realtors Locations: today's

☆ Mortgage demand falls for the second straight week, but all eyes are on Friday's jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mortgage interest rates last week moved to the highest level since early May, and that pushed mortgage demand lower for the second straight week. Total mortgage application volume fell 5.2% last week, compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index. Mortgage applications to purchase a home fell 4% for the week and were 16% lower than the same week a year ago. Buyers are not only contending with higher interest rates. Mortgage rates ended last week with a sharp drop on Friday and then continued to slide this week.

Persons: –, Mike Fratantoni, Fratantoni, Matthew Graham of, Graham Organizations: Mortgage, MBA's, Government, Matthew Graham of Mortgage News Locations: Austin , Texas

☆ We're buying more of a stock that should rally when the Fed starts cutting rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

We are buying 50 shares of Stanley Black & Decker at roughly $83.89. Following the trade, Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust will own 890 shares of SWK, increasing its weighting to 2.33% from 2.20%. The bear case around Stanley Black & Decker can be summed up in one line: mortgage rates are too high. We're not trying to forecast when the cutting will start, but we like the idea of holding onto a name like Stanley Black & Decker for when it happens. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

Persons: Stanley Black, Decker, Jim Cramer's, Jim, We're, Jim Cramer Organizations: Stanley, SWK, Barclays, Home, Federal Reserve, CNBC

☆ Inflation seems to be cooling again. Americans aren’t buying it
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

A slew of big-box retailers have lowered prices on items in recent weeks, citing moderating inflation and frugal customers. Recent economic data has also suggested that inflation is cooling, after data earlier this year spurred fears that progress had stalled. Yet Americans don’t seem convinced that inflation is moderating or that the economy is as healthy as indicators suggest. Mortgage rates have declined in recent weeks but remain near 7%. Target announced plans to cut prices on thousands of consumer basics as inflation cuts into household budgets.

Persons: aren’t, Charles Schwab’s, ”, James Kostulias, Charles Schwab, Joe Raedle, Jerome Powell, Powell, Neel Kashkari, “ I’m, Schumer, Chuck Schumer, General Merrick Garland, “, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Dick Durbin, Scott Sheffield, Read, Matt Egan, Mat Ishbia, homebuyers, refinances Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Walmart, Target, Ikea, Aldi, CPI, “ Traders, Minneapolis Federal, CNBC, Democrats, Justice Department, Oil, Big Oil, DOJ, Big, Federal Trade Commission, United Wholesale Mortgage, Phoenix Suns NBA Locations: New York, Miami , Florida, Minneapolis, Texas, Sens

☆ A look at US economic data including inflation, jobless claims, and Treasury yields
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —US economic data released Thursday was broadly disappointing. And mortgage rates inched higher this week, thrusting the average rate back above the psychological 7% threshold. HousingHousing data released Thursday mostly showed that the market remains tough, especially for first-time buyers. The Fed doesn’t directly set mortgage rates, but its actions, which influence yields, do. There were 219,000 first-time claims filed during the week ended May 25, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.

Persons: ” Oren Klachkin, it’s, Freddie Mac, They’re, ” Lawrence Yun, hasn’t Organizations: Washington CNN, Treasury, Federal, Nationwide, Commerce, Housing, Fed, National Association of Realtors, ” Jobs, Labor Department, Dow, Nasdaq Locations: American

After finally dropping below 7% earlier this month, 30-year mortgage rates have been holding relatively steady in the mid-to-high 6% range, according to Zillow data. Once the Fed is able to start lowering rates, mortgage rates are expected to fall. Mortgage rates are expected to go down this year, but they might not drop as much as initially expected. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowToday's refinance ratesMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Federal, Consumer, Mortgage, Zillow, Association, Sky Locations: March's, Chevron

☆ US home prices hit another record high in March
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —US home prices reached a record high in March, reflecting the housing market’s persistent affordability crisis. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index, a measure of home prices across the country, jumped 6.5% in March from a year earlier to a record high. It is the sixth time the index has reached a new record high over the past year. Persistent challenges, but some slight improvementsHousing affordability, which factors in incomes, home prices and mortgage rates, remains in the doldrums. Annual home price growth is down from a record high of 20.8% in March 2022, but it has picked up steam in the past several months.

Persons: ”, Brian Luke, Dow, “ We’ve Organizations: Washington CNN, Dow Jones, Federal Reserve, Treasury, National Association of Realtors Locations: San Diego , New York, Cleveland, Los Angeles

☆ Mortgage rates fall for the third straight week, dipping below 7%
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —Mortgage rates declined for the third consecutive week in a shred of good news for Americans dealing with a still-tough housing market. Mortgage rates track the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield, which moves in anticipation of the Federal Reserve’s decisions on interest rates. Stubbornly high inflation this year has dashed hopes that the Fed could cut interest rates in the spring or in the summer. Some Fed officials said earlier this week that they likely won’t raise interest rates again and a few have said they expect to cut rates this year. With mortgage rates still elevated, some homeowners are deciding to stay put.

Persons: Freddie Mac, inflation’s cooldown, there’s, homebuyers, ” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s, That’s, ” Lawrence Yun, ”, Yun, Joe Biden Organizations: Washington CNN —, Treasury, National Association of Realtors, Fed, Housing Locations: San Diego, Chicago, Detroit

☆ From more inventory to lower prices, here are 3 signs the housing market may be getting better for buyers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe housing market may be starting to turn a corner, offering frustrated buyers a chance to jump back into the market after a long stretch of dismal prospects. "We think the housing market is going to improve over the next half of a year," Glenn Kelman, the CEO of Redfin, in a recent interview. Inventory is risingMore inventory is finally trickling into the housing market, which could help push prices down. Elevated mortgage rates are a key problem in today's housing market, as they deter both buyers and sellers from making deals. Rates dropping to 5%-6% would make the housing market "explode," but even a 6.5% 30-year mortgage rate would be enough to make the housing market "very strong," Reffkin said.

Persons: —, Glenn Kelman, That's, Robert Reffkin, Reffkin, Freddie Mac, Redfin's Kelman, Kelman, Compass's Reffkin Organizations: Service, Business, National Association of Realtors, CNBC Locations: Reffkin, Texas, Florida

☆ Home sales slipped unexpectedly in April, despite big gains in supply
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sales of homes priced below $100,000 fell 7.1% year over year, while sales of those priced over $1 million jumped 40%. The median price of an existing home sold in April was $407,600, an increase of 5.7% year over year. The median price in the Northeast was $458,500, up 8.5% year over year. The median price in the West was $629,600, up 9.3% from April 2023. Correction: The supply of homes priced at more than $1 million was up 34% year over year.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Realtors Locations: Issaquah Highlands, Issaquah , Washington, US, Midwest, West

So far in May, 30-year mortgage rates have averaged around 6.75%, which is 10 basis points lower than the previous month's average. If the next few months continue to show that inflation is decelerating, mortgage rates could go down further this year. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Go Down (-0.09%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 6.00%, nine basis points lower than last week. Mortgage rates also rose dramatically in 2023, though they started trending back down toward the end of the year.

Persons: they'll, you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ The decision to sell your home vs. rent it out is 'complicated,' experts say — what to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A "For Rent" sign is posted near a home in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 7, 2022. Many Americans are sitting on low-interest-rate mortgages and could face a decision when it's time to move: sell or rent out their existing property. By comparison, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was around 7% in May. That makes qualifying for a second mortgage harder, especially without tapping equity from your original property, Gumbinger said. Plus, if you're using rental income to qualify for the second mortgage, lenders typically only consider 75% of your proceeds, Gumbinger said.

Persons: Keith Gumbinger, Homeownership, Gumbinger, homebuyers Organizations: Federal Housing Finance Agency, Finance, Trump, National Association of Realtors Locations: Houston , Texas

☆ Here's where rents are rising — and where they're falling
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Multifamily rents in April were 0.8% lower than they were in the same month last year, according to Apartment List. Apartment rents did rise for the third straight month, but the growth, at 0.5%, is very small. Single-family rents are much stronger, up 3.4% in March year over year, according to a new report from CoreLogic. "U.S. single-family rent growth strengthened overall in March, though some weaknesses are revealed in the latest numbers," said Molly Boesel, principal economist for CoreLogic. Of the nation's 20 largest cities, Seattle saw the highest year-over-year increase in single-family rents at 6.3%, followed by New York at 5.3% and Boston at 5.2%.

Persons: Molly Boesel, Boesel Organizations: National Association of Home Builders, CoreLogic, Boston Locations: Austin , Texas, Seattle, New York, Miami, New Orleans, townhomes, Florida, Austin

Mortgage rates dropped last week following the release of April's Consumer Price Index data, which showed that inflation slowed last month. Mortgage rates are expected to go down as inflation decelerates toward the Fed's 2% target level. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit. Once the Fed starts cutting rates, which is likely to happen this year, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: Freddie Mac Organizations: April's, Federal Reserve, Mortgage, Zillow, Fed Locations: Chevron

☆ Why some investors are bullish on this asset class that's yielding over 6%
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Right now, securitized products in general look relatively cheap, said John Kerschner, head of U.S. securitized products and portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors. To meet this need, Janus launched its Securitized Income ETF (JSI) in November, which invests across the securitized space. JSI YTD mountain Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF Collateralized loan obligations Another fund Kerschner manages is the Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF . One way investors can get broad exposure to CMBS via BlackRock's iShares CMBS ETF . CMBS YTD mountain iShares CMBS ETF year to date However, Janus' Kerschner pointed out that all office work isn't going away.

Persons: Nick Travaglino, Nuveen, Travaglino, John Kerschner, Janus Henderson, Janus, Kerschner, Rick Rieder, I've, Rieder, CLOs, it's, isn't, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Kershner, We're Organizations: Investors, Fund, Janus Henderson Investors, SEC, Janus Henderson AAA CLO, Bank of America, AAA CLOs, BlackRock AAA CLO Locations: CLOs, BlackRock, Moody's, CMBS, multifamily

This means mortgage rates could start to go down more substantially as we approach the fall. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Nearly Flat (+0.02%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 6.05%, just 2 basis points higher than last week. Mortgage rates started ticking up from historic lows in the second half of 2021 and increased over three percentage points in 2022. Mortgage rates also rose dramatically in 2023, though they started trending back down toward the end of the year.

Persons: That's, you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: Federal, Federal Reserve, Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ Budget-minded homebuyers should look in these 23 cities where down payments are plummeting, even in an unaffordable housing market
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Affordability remains a headacheHome affordability has taken a huge hit since the pandemic as mortgage rates, property prices, and — by extension — down payments have surged. Mortgage rates have since more than doubled at over 7%, and houses cost over $70,000 more at $332,000. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate is now roughly triple the 2.7% rate it was at in early 2021. The savings rate in the late 2010s was around 6.5% of disposable income, and it spiked early in the pandemic due to a surge of government stimulus. 23 cities where down payments are down meaningfullyAlthough affordability is limited as mortgage rates, home prices, and down payments have risen, there are still dozens of cities where the cost of buying a house is headed lower.

Persons: —, Hannah Jones, Realtor.com, Freddie Mac, they'd, Jones Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Realtor.com

Average 30-year mortgage rates dropped this week and have been hovering in the upper 6% range, according to Zillow data. As inflation slows and the Federal Reserve is able to start lowering the federal funds rate, mortgage rates should go down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Go Down (-0.18%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 6.11%, 18 basis points lower than last week. Mortgage Refinance Rates30-Year Fixed Refinance Rates Fall (-0.28%)The average 30-year refinance rate is 6.99%, 28 basis points lower than last week.

Persons: you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve Bank, Federal Reserve, Investors, Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ Home Sellers' Tough Summer: Get Ready for Lower Prices, Fewer Offers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Rich baby boomers jumped in with all-cash offers, and sellers scored huge windfalls as weary buyers pushed prices to new heights. After all, people have to move for a wide variety of life reasons; mortgage rates be damned. "The further and further we get from the peak of the market," Peterson told me, "the harder it is to deny what's happened." Mortgage rates haven't fallen — in fact, they've gone up about 0.6 percentage points since the start of the year. "It can always be tricky telling somebody that they were just lucky because it makes you sound envious," Peterson told me.

Persons: Rich, Sellers, Eric Peterson, Peterson, Austin, Freddie, they've, Selma Hepp, Freddie Mac, Mike Simonsen, Redfin, towners, Libby Levinson, Katz, Price, Levinson, John Burns, they'll, Realtor.com, you'd Organizations: Freddie Mac, Reserve, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Altos Research, Sun, John, John Burns Research, Consulting Locations: Austin, Boise , Idaho, Denver

Once the Fed is able to start cutting the federal funds rate, mortgage rates should trend down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Go Down (-0.24%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 6.24%, 24 basis points lower than last week. Mortgage Refinance Rates30-Year Fixed Refinance Rates Fall Slightly (-0.06%)The average 30-year refinance rate is 7.36%, six basis points lower than last week. Mortgage rates also rose dramatically in 2023, though they started trending back down toward the end of the year.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Investors, Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ US home prices rose in February at the fastest pace in more than a year
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —US home-price growth accelerated in February at the fastest annual pace since November 2022, a sign that America’s housing market remains tough amid elevated mortgage rates. Of the 20 cities, San Diego saw the biggest increase in home prices in February, a steep 11.4% rise, followed by Chicago and Detroit. America’s housing market began to recover in the beginning the year as home sales surged from decades-lows in the fall and homebuilders began to feel to more upbeat about the economy. Mortgage rates have followed suit, since they track the 10-year yield. Economists don’t expect mortgage rates to drop meaningfully this year, and they could continue to climb if inflation remains stuck.

Persons: homebuilders, Freddie Mac Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Reserve, National Association of Realtors, Treasury Locations: San Diego, Chicago, Detroit, Portland , Oregon

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