Last week's economic releases included readings on new and pre-owned home sales and the Federal Open Market Committee's customary post meeting statement. Fed Chair Jerome Powell gave his first press conference as Chair of the Federal Reserve and FOMC. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and first-time jobless claims were also released. February Sales of Pre-Owned Homes Exceed Expectations, New Home Sales Fall Short Sales of previously-owned homes exceeded expectations at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.54 million sales. Analysts expected a rate of 5.40 million sales based on … [Read more...]
What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – February 5th, 2018
Last week's economic releases included readings on pending home sales, Case-Shiller Home Price Indices and construction spending. The Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve released its monthly statement and weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims were released. Last week's economic readings wrapped with a report on consumer confidence. Case-Shiller: Home Prices Rise in November Home prices rose an average of 0.70 percent monthly and 6.20 percent year-over-year according to Case-Shiller's national home price index for November. Seattle, Washington posted the … [Read more...]
Mortgage Rates Dropping After Release Of Fed Minutes
Eariler this week, the Federal Reserve released the minutes from its 2-day meeting which ended August 1, 2012. Since the release, mortgage rates have dropped. The Fed Minutes are released on a schedule, three weeks after the FOMC adjourns from one of its 8 scheduled meetings of the year. The Fed Minutes are meeting minutes; like you'd see after a corporation shareholder meeting, or after a condo board meeting. Specifically, the Fed Minutes details the conversations among Federal Reserve members which shape our nation's economic policy. The most recent Fed Minutes show a central bank … [Read more...]
Planning Ahead For The Federal Reserve’s Next Move
In Washington, D.C. today, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) begins a 2-day meeting, its fifth of 8 scheduled meetings this year. Mortgage rates are expected to change upon the FOMC's adjournment. Rate shoppers and home buyers of Phoenix would do well to be alert. The Federal Open Market Committee is a rotating 12-person subcommittee within the Federal Reserve. It's the group which makes U.S. monetary policy. "Making monetary policy" has many meanings but the action for which the FOMC is most well-known is its setting of the Fed Funds Funds. The Fed Funds Rate is … [Read more...]