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☆ Fitch downgrades Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac after US rating cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A man walks through a plaza at the new Fannie Mae headquarters in Washington, U.S., October 4, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueAug 2 (Reuters) - Ratings agency Fitch on Wednesday downgraded U.S. mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Long-Term Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) and senior unsecured debt ratings to 'AA+' from 'AAA' after the U.S. rating downgrade on Tuesday. The agency said the cut was a result of Tuesday's downgrade and was "not being driven by fundamental credit, capital or liquidity deterioration at firms". "The downgrade to the ratings of Fannie and Freddie was a certainty after Fitch's downgrade of the US rating since the two ratings are linked," said Gennadiy Goldberg, Head of US Rates Strategy at TD Securities. The move to cut U.S ratings on Tuesday drew an angry response from the White House and surprised investors, coming despite the resolution of the debt ceiling crisis two months ago.

Persons: Fannie Mae, Kevin Lamarque, Fitch, Freddie Mac Long, Fannie, Freddie, Gennadiy Goldberg, Urvi, Megan Davies, Chris Reese, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, AAA, U.S, TD Securities, White, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Bengaluru, New York

☆ US existing home sales fall; annual house price decline slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 20 (Reuters) - U.S. existing home sales dropped to a five month-low in June, depressed by a chronic shortage of houses on the market that slowed the pace of decline in annual house prices. Existing home sales fell 3.3% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.16 million units, the lowest level since January, the National Association of Realtors said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast home sales would drop to a rate of 4.20 million units. The median existing house price fell 0.9% from a year earlier to $410,200, the second-highest price ever. The median house price rose 3.5% from May.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Lawrence Yun, Lucia Mutikani, Paul Simao Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Reuters, Federal, Thomson Locations: Midwest, West

☆ US single-family starts drop; building permits hit 12-month high
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Summary Single-family housing starts drop 7.0% in JuneSingle-family building permits increase 2.2%Multi-family starts fall 11.6%; permits drop 5.6%WASHINGTON, July 19 (Reuters) - U.S. single-family homebuilding fell in June, but permits for future construction rose to a 12-month high as a severe shortage of previously owned houses for sale supports new construction. The decline in housing starts reported by the Commerce Department on Wednesday partially retraced an abnormally large 18.7% surge in May, which had pushed groundbreaking on single-family housing projects to an 11-month high. Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, dropped 7.0% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 935,000 units last month. In June, single-family homebuilding fell in the Northeast, Midwest as well as the densely populated South, but jumped 4.6% in the West. Housing starts and building permitsHOUSING STABILIZING"Today's report continues to suggest stabilization," said Murat Tasci, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.

Persons: homebuilding, Mark Palim, Fannie, Freddie Mac, Murat Tasci, Nancy Vanden, Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Nomiyama, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Commerce Department, Builders, Reuters, Federal, National Association of Home Builders, Treasury, Housing, JPMorgan, Oxford Economics, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, Fannie Mae, Washington, homebuilding, Northeast, Midwest, Wells Fargo, New York, West, Nancy Vanden Houten, U.S

☆ US single-family housing starts to drop; building permits hit 12-month high
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

☆ US new home sales jump in May; median house price falls
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast new home sales, which account for a small share of U.S. home sales, slipping to a rate of 675,000 units. New home sales are counted at the signing of a contract, making them a leading indicator of the housing market. The housing market has likely found a floor and could be even improving. Economists say the signs of revival in the housing market suggested the Federal Reserve would need to keep raising interest rates. The housing market has been the biggest causality of the U.S. central bank's fastest rate hiking cycle since the 1980s.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Organizations: U.S, Commerce Department, Reuters, Housing, Thomson Locations: U.S, Northeast, South, Midwest

☆ What Is a Jumbo Mortgage, and How Do You Get the Best Rates?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Beth Decarbo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

What is a jumbo mortgage? Do jumbo loans come with jumbo mortgage rates? Many times, jumbo rates are lower than those for conforming loans, in part because the stringent requirements to qualify for a jumbo loan lessen the risk that borrowers will default. Tips to save on a jumbo loanWith some savvy strategies, house hunters in need of a jumbo mortgage can reduce their costs. Chase, for example, offers the highest jumbo limits (up to $9.5 million), which is one of the reasons it is Buy Side’s pick for best jumbo mortgage lender.

Persons: Beth DeCarbo, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac won’t, Greg McBride, ”, Jacob Channel, Andy Wagner, Wagner, Bankrate’s McBride, Michael P, aren’t, Lani, —, Guy Cecala, ” Cecala Organizations: New, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Government, Jumbo, Nations Lending, ARM, American Mortgage Resource Inc, Inside Mortgage Finance, Bank of America, Chase, Mortgage Finance Locations: Minneapolis, Sacramento, CA, Denver, Boston, San Diego, New York City, Jackson, Chicago, Massachusetts, Wells, Fargo

☆ Homebuilder Lennar raises full-year forecast for home deliveries
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 14 (Reuters) - Lennar Corp (LEN.N) on Wednesday raised its full-year forecast for home deliveries, as the homebuilder benefits from upbeat demand that far outpaced supply. Homebuilders are benefiting from the lack of existing home inventory and pent up demand they were unable to meet in previous years. The perennial shortage of homes on the market is frustrating would-be buyers eager to take advantage of dips in mortgage rates. The Miami-based homebuilder raised its total home deliveries forecast for 2023 to 68,000 to 70,000 homes, up from its prior guidance of between 62,000 and 66,000 homes. The company reported a second-quarter profit of $3.01 per share, above average analysts' estimate of $2.32 per share, according to Refinitiv data.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Stuart Miller, Kannaki, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Lennar, National Association of Realtors, Thomson Locations: The Miami, Bengaluru

☆ Elon Musk is wrong about a housing-market crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Selma Hepp, the chief economist at CoreLogic, said that's not going to happen. The nation's dearth of housing supply will keep home prices high and prevent a crash. On Monday, the billionaire — who has built a multi-million dollar portfolio of real estate properties — shared one of his most contentious opinions so far in 2023: "Commercial real estate is melting down fast. She said the housing naysayers are wrong and that the housing market is instead heading towards a recovery. Hepp attributes the real estate market's rebound to an imbalance of housing supply and demand that has heightened competition amongst borrowers.

Persons: Elon Musk, Selma Hepp, that's, —, Ray Farris, Ian Shepherdson, Freddie Mac, Hepp, CoreLogic, San Francisco — Organizations: Service, Privacy, SpaceX, Credit Suisse, San Locations: West Coast, Diego, Durham , Connecticut, Boston, New York City, Redfin

☆ U.S. existing home sales post second straight monthly decline
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - U.S. existing home sales fell for a second straight month in April, with prices rising in roughly half of the country, which together with possibly higher mortgage rates could delay a housing market recovery. Existing home sales dropped 3.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.28 million units last month, the National Association of Realtors said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast home sales would fall to a rate of 4.30 million units. Home resales, which account for a big chunk of U.S. housing sales, tumbled 23.2% on a year-on-year basis in April. The housing market has taken the biggest hit from the Federal Reserve's fastest monetary policy tightening campaign since the 1980s.

☆ US single-family homebuilding, permits rise in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary Single-family housing starts rise 1.6% in AprilSingle-family building permits increase 3.1%Overall housing starts climb 2.2%; permits fall 1.5%WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - U.S. single-family homebuilding increased in April, but data for the prior month was revised sharply lower, suggesting that the housing market slump was far from over even as some segments show signs of stabilizing. The rise in single-family housing starts last month reported by the Commerce Department on Wednesday was concentrated in the West, with the rest of the three regions reporting big declines. Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, rose 1.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 846,000 units last month. Single-family housing starts plunged 28.1% on a year-on-year basis in April. The single-family homebuilding backlog increased 4.5% to 139,000 units, while the completions rate for this segment dropped 6.5% to a rate of 971,000 units.

☆ U.S. single-family housing starts rise in April; March revised down
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - U.S. single-family homebuilding increased in April, but data for the prior month was revised sharply lower, suggesting that the embattled housing market was struggling to find a floor, despite a retreat in mortgage rates. Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, rose 1.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 846,000 units last month, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday. Data for March was revised down to show single-family homebuilding falling to a rate of 833,000 units instead of increasing to a pace of 861,000 units as previously reported. A survey on Tuesday showed the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market index increased in May to the midpoint mark of 50 for the first time since July 2022 as a dearth of previously owned homes supported new construction. The housing market has taken the biggest hit from the Federal Reserve's fastest monetary policy tightening campaign since the 1980s to tame inflation.

☆ Borrowers with low credit may benefit from a new mortgage fee structure, says Guy Cecala
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBorrowers with low credit may benefit from a new mortgage fee structure, says Guy CecalaCNBC's Diana Olick and Guy Cecala, executive chair of Inside Mortgage Finance, join 'Power Lunch' to discuss the debate over a new mortgage fee structure from Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, risk concerns associated with loans for bad credit borrowers, and pay differentials between low and high credit score individuals.

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with Inside Mortgage Finance's Guy Cecala
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with Inside Mortgage Finance's Guy CecalaCNBC's Diana Olick and Guy Cecala, executive chair of Inside Mortgage Finance, join 'Power Lunch' to discuss the debate over a new mortgage fee structure from Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, risk concerns associated with loans for bad credit borrowers, and pay differentials between low and high credit score individuals.

☆ US consumer confidence hits nine-month low; housing market bottoming out
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Consumers have shown resilience despite high inflation and a rise in interest rates, keeping the economy afloat, thanks to a strong labor market. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index fell to 101.3, the lowest reading since July 2022, from 104.0 in March. The survey's so-called labor market differential, derived from data on respondents' views on whether jobs are plentiful or hard to get, rose to 37.3 from 36.5 in March, consistent with a tight labor market. "Take consumer purchase plans with a grain of salt," said Tim Quinlan, a senior economist at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina. That skepticism also extended to home purchase plans.

☆ US housing market stabilizing as single-family homebuilding, permits surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Summary Single-family housing starts increase 2.7% in MarchSingle-family building permits jump 4.1%Overall housing starts fall 0.8%; permits drop 8.8%WASHINGTON, April 18 (Reuters) - U.S. single-family homebuilding increased for a second straight month in March, while permits for future construction surged, offering some glimmers of hope for the depressed housing market ahead of the busy spring selling season. The improvement in the single-family housing market segment, which was reported by the Commerce Department on Tuesday, likely reflected buyers taking advantage of a retreat in mortgage rates. A survey on Monday showed falling mortgage rates and tight supply of previously owned houses were supporting the new home market. Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, rose 2.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 861,000 units last month. Single-family housing starts dropped 27.7% on a year-on-year basis in March.

☆ US homebuilder sentiment improves further; NY state manufacturing rebounds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Other data on Monday showed manufacturing activity in New York state increased for the first time in five months. Housing and manufacturing have been hammered by the Federal Reserve's fastest interest rate hiking campaign since the 1980s. The survey's measure of current sales conditions rose two points to 51. The survey's measure of future business conditions rose to 6.6 from 2.9 in March. The capital spending index rose 3.2 points to 16.5, while the technology spending measure fell to 10.3 from 13.3 in March.

☆ US pending home sales rise for third straight month; loan demand increases
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - Contracts to buy U.S. previously owned homes increased for a third straight month in February, raising cautious optimism that the housing market slump could be bottoming out. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast contracts, which become sales after a month or two, would fall 2.3%. The surprise increase occurred despite a rise in mortgage rates from early February through early March, according to data from mortgage finance agency Freddie Mac. Before the recent rise, mortgage rates had mostly been on the decline since November. The housing market outlook is, however, uncertain because the financial market stress has caused banks to tighten lending standards, which could make it harder for prospective homebuyers to borrow.

☆ Hedge funds are dumping these stocks most exposed to tight financial conditions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

As the banking crisis unfolded, hedge funds turned bearish on financials and other stocks exposed to tightening credit conditions, according to Goldman Sachs. The smart-money cohort has sharply reduced net exposures to "Lending Sensitive Stocks" in the aftermath of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, according to Goldman's prime brokerage data. The hedge funds' long positions in those credit-sensitive companies divided by short positions — known as the long/short ratio — ended last week at 1.72, the lowest level in more than five years, the data said. Meanwhile, hedge funds have been dumping U.S. bank stocks amid the chaos with long/short ratio in that category standing at 1.28, near a 10-year low, Goldman said. The demise of Silicon Valley Bank left investors concerned that other regional banks might face similar balance sheet issues, a possible mismatch between long-dated assets and short-dated liabilities.

Banking giants Citi (C.N), Wells Fargo (WFC.N) and JP Morgan (JPM.N) were also 1%-3% higher in the pre-market. Japanese financial institutions have sufficient capital buffers to absorb losses caused by external factors, including risks caused by SVB's collapse, the Bank of Japan said. Traders currently see a 50% chance of no rate hike at that meeting, with rate cuts priced in for the second half of the year. The prospect of higher rates had been "the reason investors have been really excited about Japan bank stocks", Ikeda added. We just ask for a little bit of time because of the volume," FDIC employee Luis Mayorga told waiting customers.

[1/2] Customers wait in line outside a branch of the Silicon Valley Bank in Wellesley, Massachusetts, U.S., March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Brian SnyderMarch 14 (Reuters) - Silicon Valley Bank's collapse continued to pound global bank stocks on Tuesday as investors fretted over the financial health of some lenders, despite assurances from U.S. President Joe Biden and other policymakers. The European banks index (.SX7P) fell 0.6% after posting its biggest percentage loss in more than a year on Monday. "Bank runs have started (and) interbank markets have become stressed," said Damien Boey, chief equity strategist at Sydney-based investment bank Barrenjoey. The prospect of higher interest rates had been "the reason investors have been really excited about Japan bank stocks", Ikeda added.

"Bank runs have started (and) interbank markets have become stressed," said Damien Boey, chief equity strategist at Sydney-based investment bank Barrenjoey. A furious race to reprice interest rate expectations also buffeted markets as investors bet the Federal Reserve will be reluctant to hike next week. Traders currently see a 50% chance of no rate hike at that meeting, with rate cuts priced in for the second half of the year. The prospect of higher interest rates had been "the reason investors have been really excited about Japan bank stocks." After marathon weekend talks, HSBC HSBA.L said it was buying the British arm of SVB for one pound ($1.21).

☆ U.S. house price inflation cools further in December
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The S&P CoreLogic Case Shiller national home price index, covering all nine U.S. census divisions, increased 5.8% year-on-year in December. Prices increased 5.8% in 2022, pulling back from 2021's record-setting 18.9% gain. The housing market has been hammered by the Federal Reserve's aggressive monetary policy stance, with residential investment contracting for seven straight quarters, the longest such stretch since 2009. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased to an average of 6.50% last week from 6.32% in the prior week, according to data from mortgage finance agency Freddie Mac. While higher mortgage are hurting demand and cooling house price inflation, the FHFA noted that "these negative pressures were partially offset by historically low inventory."

☆ U.S. pending home sales post largest gain in 2-1/2 years in January
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Contracts to buy U.S. previously owned homes rose by the most in more than 2-1/2 years in January, but a resurgence in mortgage rates could delay a much-awaited housing market turnaround. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said on Monday its Pending Home Sales Index, based on signed contracts, jumped 8.1% last month, the biggest increase since June 2020. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast contracts, which become sales after a month or two, rising 1.0%. The second straight monthly increase in contracts could see existing home sales rebounding or posting another small decline after logging their 12th straight monthly decrease in January. Despite signs the worst is over, it could take a while for the housing market to turn around.

☆ Here's why it makes sense that stocks are rallying as rates rise and a recession approaches, and what to own because they could keep going, according to research firm Leuthold Group.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Marley Jay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Leuthold Group CIO Doug Ramsey says the "irrational" stock market rally could continue. Ramsey says that when economic indicators hit a low point, it's generally very good for stocks. It might not make a lot of sense that stocks have jumped in 2023 even as recession concerns have risen and interest rates have climbed to 15-year highs, notes Doug Ramsey, investment chief at Leuthold Group. Ramsey concedes that the moves are "irrational," but that doesn't mean there is no reason to be optimistic about stocks. He notes that a closely watched measurement of economic activity, the Conference Board's Leading Economic Index, is in a downturn.

☆ White House to roll out plan to lower first-time home buyers' mortgage costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 22 (Reuters) - The White House on Wednesday will unveil a plan to reduce mortgage insurance fees charged to first-time home buyers, helping an estimated 850,000 borrowers save about $800 a year on the cost of a typical loan, it said in a statement. Vice President Kamala Harris will announce the plan to lower fees on Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans at an event in the Washington suburb of Bowie, Maryland. The FHA charges the fees to insure lenders against riskier loans often taken out by lower-income home-buyers. Government data last week showed single-family homebuilding and permits for future home construction declining in January. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to an average 6.32% last week from 6.12% the week prior, according to data from mortgage finance agency Freddie Mac.

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