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☆ New home sales fell last month as mortgage rates hit 2023 high
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington, DC CNN —New home sales in the United States fell in October as typical mortgage rates reached their highest levels this year. This was below analysts’ expectations of an annualized sales pace of 723,000. The average mortgage rate for that loan has been lower recently, dropping down to 7.29% last week, according to Freddie Mac. New home builders often offer more financing options for homebuyers, she said, and are able to “buy down” mortgage rates to make their offerings more attractive than the resale market. With [mortgage] interest rates anticipated to drop in the coming year, more resale homes may go on the market – however there remains significant pent-up demand from buyers,” Mangold said.

Persons: Freddie Mac, ”, Kelly Mangold, ” Mangold, “ Organizations: DC CNN, US Department of Housing, Urban Development, Census, Federal Reserve, Real Estate Consulting, homebuyers Locations: Washington, United States

☆ Why American consumers may finally slow their spending, in charts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Christopher Hickey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Some experts think the combination of high housing costs, rising credit card debt and shrinking savings could mean the end of post-Covid splurges, maybe even as soon as this year’s holiday shopping season. Here are the pressures consumers are facing that could cause a spending slowdown. Keeping up with high prices not only has led to more credit card debt, but also more consumers are falling behind on the payments. Since the first quarter of 2022, the rate of newly serious delinquent credit card debt has risen roughly 90%. And that would mean Americans may be forced to finally pull back on their post-Covid spending spree.

Persons: “, ”, Erik Lundh, Freddie Mac, ” Lundh, Lundh, they’ve Organizations: Conference, Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, New York Federal Reserve, Social Security Administration, San Francisco Federal Reserve, SF Fed, New York Fed, Covid Locations: people’s

Mortgage rates are the lowest they've been in two months, with 30-year mortgage rates now hovering right around 7%. This is great news for mortgage rates, since it means we'll likely see some substantial drops in 2024. 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 interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates fell to 6.67% this week, according to Freddie Mac data.

Persons: you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Fed, Zillow, Investors Locations: Chevron

Average 30-year mortgage rates fell to 7.29% this week, 15 basis points down from last week, according to Freddie Mac. "Mortgage rates continued to decrease heading into the Thanksgiving holiday," Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's chief economist, said in a press release. 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. But experts believe the central bank is done raising rates, which means mortgage rates should ease somewhat. Once the Fed cuts rates, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: they've, Freddie Mac, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's, you'll Organizations: Zillow, Federal Reserve Locations: Chevron

☆ Mortgage rates fall for fourth week but stay above 7%
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington, DC CNN —Mortgage rates fell again in the most recent week, as inflation showed signs of slowing. It’s the fourth consecutive week of tumbling rates after rising for seven straight weeks. The average rate rose above 7% in mid-August and since then reached as high as 7.79% at the end of October. “In a few short weeks, mortgage rates have largely erased the sharp climb traversed in October,” said Danielle Hale, Realtor.com’s chief economist. Meanwhile, she added, existing home sales slid to their worst reading since 2010 as home prices rose and mortgage rates pushed the cost of buying even higher.

Persons: Freddie Mac, “, ”, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s, Danielle Hale, Hale, homebuyers, ” Hale Organizations: DC CNN — Locations: Washington

The latest decline brought the average rate on a 30-year mortgage down to 7.29% from 7.44% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday. “In recent weeks, rates have dropped by half a percent, but potential homebuyers continue to hold out for lower rates and more inventory,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. Political Cartoons View All 1265 ImagesThe average rate on a 30-year home loan climbed above 6% in September 2022 and has remained above that threshold since. Just four weeks ago, it averaged 7.79% — the highest average on record going back to late 2000. The average rate is now at the lowest level it’s been in nine weeks, when it was 7.19%.

Persons: Freddie Mac, “, ”, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Organizations: ANGELES, Treasury, Federal Reserve Locations: U.S

☆ US mortgage interest rates fall to two-month low
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A more timely mortgage tracker also saw the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fall to a two-month low. The third consecutive weekly decline in both gauges comes amid signals that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise interest rates further. The dip in mortgage rates meant more would-be purchasers. The MBA's Purchase Composite Index, a measure of all mortgage loan applications for purchase of a single family home, increased 3.9% from the prior week. Sellers locked into lower mortgage rates also continue to hold their homes, keeping housing inventory tight.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Freddie Mac, Sellers, Lindsay Dunsmuir, Chizu Nomiyama, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, Mortgage Bankers Association, Federal, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S

☆ Soaring mortgage rates take their toll on the US housing market as sales slump to a 13-year low
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Activity is now at a 13-year low as rising borrowing costs take their toll on the US housing market. Mortgage rates have cleared 7.5% this year, driven higher by the Federal Reserve’s war on inflation. AdvertisementThe spike in mortgage rates dragged on the US housing market once again last month, as activity plunged to a 13-year low even as prices ticked up. Soaring mortgage rates, driven to their highest level since the turn of the century by the Federal Reserve's war on inflation, have fueled the housing-market slowdown. As a result, existing homeowners have opted to cling to the historically low mortgage rates they locked in over the last 15 years rather than move house.

Persons: —, Freddie Mac, Lawrence Yun, Yun Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Federal, Service, Biden Administration, NAR

Mortgage rates have been falling consistently for several weeks now, and 30-year mortgage rates are finally back down near 7% after spiking close to 8% last month. So far this year, high mortgage rates have made homeowners reluctant to sell and give up the low rates they're currently paying. 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. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates were 6.76% last week, according to Freddie Mac data, which is a five-basis-point drop from last week. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit.

Persons: It's, Lawrence Yun, Freddie Mac Organizations: homebuyers, National Association of Realtors, NAR, Zillow, Fed Locations: Chevron

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slumped in October to their slowest pace in more than 13 years as surging mortgage rates and rising prices kept many prospective homebuyers on the sidelines. That’s weaker than the 3.90 million sales pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet. They have fallen five months in a row, held back by climbing mortgage rates and a thin supply of properties on the market. Political Cartoons View All 1260 Images“Lack of inventory along with higher mortgage rates (are) really hindering home sales,” said Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist. That amounts to just a 3.6-month supply, going by the current sales pace.

Persons: ”, Lawrence Yun, Freddie Mac, homebuyers Organizations: ANGELES, National Association of Realtors, Homes, NAR Locations: U.S

☆ US existing home sales hit more than 13-year low; prices push higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"The combination of high prices, high mortgage rates, and millions of homeowners unwilling to move, given they've locked in low rates, has frozen the market," said Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union in Vienna, Virginia. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast home sales would slide to a rate of 3.90 million units. Existing home salesTIGHT SUPPLYThere were 1.15 million previously owned homes on the market last month, down 5.7% from a year ago. Most homeowners have mortgage rates under 5%, making many reluctant to sell. At October's sales pace, it would take 3.6 months to exhaust the current inventory of existing homes, up from 3.3 months a year ago.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Robert Frick, Freddie Mac, Lawrence Yun, Yun, Jeffrey Roach, Lucia Mutikani, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, WASHINGTON, National Association of Realtors, Navy Federal Credit Union, homebuyers, Reuters, Treasury, realtors, U.S, Congress, Builders, LPL Financial, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Vienna , Virginia, Northeast, West, Midwest, Charlotte , North Carolina

Average 30-year mortgage rates are currently more than half of a percentage point lower than they started the month. This is great news for mortgage rates, since it means we'll likely see some substantial drops in 2024. 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 interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates fell to 6.76% this week, according to Freddie Mac data.

Persons: you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Fed, Zillow, Investors Locations: Chevron

Mortgage rates have taken a nosedive over the past few weeks as the economy continues to show signs of slowing. Average 30-year mortgage rates fell to 7.44% this week, the lowest they've been since late September, according to Freddie Mac. "For the third straight week, mortgage rates trended down, as new data indicates that inflationary pressures are receding," Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's chief economist, said in a press release. 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 RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates are 6.76% this week, a five-basis-point drop from the previous week, according to Freddie Mac data.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's, you'll Organizations: Federal, Zillow, Federal Reserve Locations: Chevron

☆ Homebuilder stocks could get another boost from rate hikes ending
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —For over a year, the red-hot housing market has been at the mercy of the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes, which have driven mortgage rates to sky-high levels. Mortgage rates have hovered above 7% since August, according to Freddie Mac data. Both those factors have helped create a scorching-hot housing market and a boom in homebuilder stocks, as Americans turned to building as a buying alternative. Moderating bond yields could change the narrative for the housing market. Tight supply and elevated mortgage rates this year made home purchases the least affordable they’ve been since 1984.

Persons: Bell, Freddie Mac, Toll, DR Horton, Lennar, Price, Steve Sosnick, ”, John Petrofsky, Chris Isidore, Danielle Wiener, Bronner, haven’t, Clare Duffy, Donie, Meta Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New, New York CNN, Homeowners, DR, Federal, Treasury, Interactive, National Association of Home Builders, FBB Capital Partners, Starbucks, United Auto Workers, SAG, Writers Guild of America, Starbucks Workers United, Facebook, Street, Washington Post Locations: New York, Wells Fargo, Buffalo , New York, United States, Brazil, Israel, Italy

☆ US housing starts rise moderately; tight supply supporting new construction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, rose 0.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 970,000 units last month, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said. Overall housing starts rose 1.9% to a rate of 1.372 million units in October. The number of housing under construction dipped 0.1% to a rate of 1.674 million units. The inventory of single-family housing under construction declined 0.6% to a rate of 669,000 units, the lowest level since May 2021. The stock of multi-family housing under construction edged up 0.1% to 987,000 units, not far from recent record highs.

Persons: Jeffrey Roach, Ben Ayers, Freddie Mac, Bill Adams, Thomas Ryan, Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Nomiyama, Nick Zieminski Organizations: WASHINGTON, Commerce Department, LPL Financial, Commerce, Data, National Association of Home Builders, Nationwide, Federal Reserve, Treasury, Comerica Bank, Reuters, Realtors, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Charlotte , North Carolina, homebuilding, Commerce Department's, Northeast, Columbus , Ohio, Dallas, West, South, Midwest

☆ Spiking mortgage rates are pricing poorer Americans out of the housing market – with a third of all homes bought in cash, Redfin says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Mortgage rates have soared north of 7% in recent months, driven higher by the Federal Reserve's war on inflation. One-in-three homebuyers are paying all-cash rather than taking out a mortgage, according to data from Redfin. AdvertisementMore than a third of homes are being bought in cash, according to data from Redfin, with low affordability and high mortgage rates pricing poorer Americans out of the housing market. That's a sign that wealthier Americans are making up a greater share of homebuyers with sky-high mortgage rates pricing out the rest of the population, Redfin said. Existing homeowners have also opted to cling to the historically low mortgage rates they locked in over the last 15 years.

Persons: —, Redfin, Dana Anderson, Freddie Mac Organizations: Federal, Service, National Association of Realtors, Business Locations: That's

The pace of new construction quickened in October as both building permits and housing starts rose despite elevated mortgage rates, the government reported on Friday. New housing starts were 1.372 million compared to 1.346 million a month earlier. “A good inflation report and steadily declining mortgage rates provide some relief to the market. Also on a positive note, mortgage rates fell this week following the CPI and the resultant drop in bond yields from their recent highs. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to an average of 7.44% in the week ending Nov. 16, a drop from 7.5% a week earlier, Freddie Mac said on Thursday.

Persons: Wells, ”, Lisa Sturtevant, homebuyers, Freddie Mac, Odeta Kushi Organizations: Census Bureau, Department of Housing, Urban, National Association of Home Builders, MLS, homebuilders, ”, CPI, “ Builders, First Locations: Midwest, West

Just last month, many feared 30-year mortgage rates would finally surpass 8%, making mortgages even more unaffordable for the average homebuyer. 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. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 7.50% last week, according to Freddie Mac. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates were 6.81% last week, according to Freddie Mac data, which is a 22-basis-point drop from last week. Mortgage rates started ticking up from historic lows in the second half of 2021 and increased significantly in 2022.

Persons: Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow Locations: Chevron

☆ US homebuilder confidence drops for fourth month in a row
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington, DC CNN —Homebuilder confidence dropped for the fourth month in a row in November as mortgage rates neared 8%. But recent economic data suggests housing conditions may improve in coming months. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in November fell six points to 34, according to the National Association of Home Builders / Wells Fargo Housing Market Index released Thursday morning. Specificially, Dietz said, the 10-year Treasury rate moved back to the 4.5% range for the first time since late September, which will help bring mortgage rates down closer to or below 7.5%. In November, 60% of builders provided sales incentives of all forms, down slightly from 62% in October.

Persons: ”, Alicia Huey, ” Huey, NAHB, Robert Dietz, NAHB’s, Specificially, Dietz, ” Dietz, Freddie Mac Organizations: DC CNN, National Association of Home Builders, Federal Reserve, Treasury Locations: Washington, Wells Fargo

☆ Mortgage rates fall for third straight week, bringing some homeseekers off the sidelines
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Mortgage rates have cooled in recent weeks as markets absorbed the latest economic indicators, including an improving inflation picture. “For the third straight week, mortgage rates trended down, as new data indicates that inflationary pressures are receding,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. When Treasury yields go up, so do mortgage rates; when they go down, mortgage rates tend to follow. “The gap between the 10-year Treasury yield and the 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate is historically around 180 basis points,” she said. “While the gap has narrowed somewhat, the 30-year mortgage rate remains 280 basis points higher than the bond yield.”By historical norms, she said, mortgage rates should be under 6.5%.

Persons: Freddie Mac, ”, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s, Price, Jiayi Xu, Jerome, Powell, ” Xu, Bob Broeksmit, Lawrence Yun, ” Yun, “, Lisa Sturtevant, ” Sturtevant Organizations: DC CNN —, Mortgage, Association, Federal Reserve, Treasury, Consumer, “, National Association of Realtors, Bright MLS Locations: Washington

☆ US bond rally points to more affordable housing market
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Amina Niasse | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Growing confidence that U.S. bond yields have hit their peak and could head lower from here looks set to make the housing market more affordable in coming weeks. Some analysts think mortgage rates are positioned to come down even more quickly as the spread between conventional 30-year mortgage rates and the 10-year Treasury yield, now near the largest since the 1980s, normalizes. "That's part of the reason why mortgage rates are so elevated - because of that uncertainty on rates and the volatility of rates," Kiefer said. Reuters GraphicsMeasures of bond market volatility have fallen from earlier this year, and as bond yields show signs of falling further, home affordability may be set to improve. The median mortgage payment has risen steadily since 2022, and is now 11% higher than the current period last year.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Freddie Mac, Len Kiefer, Freddie Mac's, Kiefer, Joel Kan, Kan, Amina Niasse, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, Federal, Treasury, Reuters, Mortgage Bankers Association, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Treasuries

☆ Homebuyers struggling to score a house right now have a glimmer of hope
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Josée Rose | Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Taylor Morrison's COO said builders can often offer homebuyers better rates on a newly built house. High mortgage rates, home prices teetering near an all-time high, and historically low inventory are keeping many buyers — and sellers — on the sidelines. The larger share of new homes on the market means paying a mortgage rate around 7% isn't the only way into a home. During its third-quarter earnings call , Taylor Morrison explained that it's attracting "well-qualified consumers even among our first-time homebuyers" and 88% of its buyers are using its financing assistance. As Business Insider previously reported, would-be buyers may have more luck securing a lower rate if they buy a new-construction home.

Persons: Taylor, Erik Heuser, Heuser, —, homebuilder Taylor Morrison, Taylor Morrison, Freddie Mac, Tawn Kelley, It's, they're Organizations: Service, Finance Locations: Florida , Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Washington, Nevada

☆ 15 cities where U.S. homebuyers make the largest down payments—the top 5 are in California
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Homebuyers put down an average of 13.8% of the home price in 2023, according to a Realtor.com analysis of the 150 largest real estate markets for the quarter ending in September. Here's a look at the 15 most expensive real estate markets, based on the median cost for a typical down payment on a home. In Killeen, Texas, median down payment is only $2,182. This includes Fayetteville, North Carolina; Shreveport, Louisiana; and El Paso, Texas, where median down payments are $5,000 or less. U.S. Department of Agriculture loans also require no down payment, which might lead to low down payments in relatively rural areas.

Persons: Homebuyers, That's, Freddie Mac, Warren Buffett Organizations: PMI, Santa, Thousand Oaks, Seattle, Boston, Cambridge, Fort, Stamford -, U.S . Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S . Department Locations: California, U.S, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara , California, Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley , California, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara , California, Angeles, Long, Anaheim , California, Santa Rosa, Petaluma , California, Oxnard, Ventura , California, Tacoma, Bellevue , Washington, Diego, Chula Vista, Carlsbad , California, Newton , Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Fort Collins , Colorado, Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom , California, Naples, Marco Island, Florida, York, Newark, Jersey City , New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Portland, Vancouver, Hillsboro , Oregon, Washington, Bridgeport, Stamford, Stamford - Norwalk , Connecticut, U.S . California, Killeen , Texas, Killeen, Fayetteville, North Carolina, Shreveport , Louisiana, El Paso , Texas

Average 30-year mortgage rates reached 23-year highs in October, but they dropped last week and are at their lowest in over a month. This is good news for mortgage rates — although the federal funds rate doesn't directly impact mortgage rates, the general rule of thumb is that when the Fed's rate goes up, so do mortgage rates. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates were 6.81% last week, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates increased dramatically in 2022 and have been volatile so far in 2023, but they're expected to trend down later this year.

Persons: Jerome Powell, you'll, Freddie Mac Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow Locations: Chevron

Average mortgage interest rates have fluctuated since yesterday, but almost all new-purchase rates are down since this time last week. 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. 30-year Fixed Mortgage RatesThis week, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 7.50%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates are 6.81% this week, a 22-basis-point drop from the previous week, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates started ticking up from historic lows in the second half of 2021 and increased over three percentage points in 2022.

Persons: you'll, Freddie Mac Organizations: Federal, Zillow, Federal Reserve Locations: Chevron

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