Last week's scheduled economic news was slim last week. The Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve issued its post-meeting statement, weekly readings on average mortgage rates and first-time jobless claims were also issued. FOMC: Fed Target Rate Unchanged, but Expected to Rise in December The Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve announced that it did not raise the target federal funds rate but set the stage for raising the benchmark rate n coming months. The current range for the Fed rate us 2.00 percent to 2.00 to 2.25 percent. The Fed expects to increase … [Read more...]

Last week's economic news included readings for Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, Commerce Department readings on construction spending and the University of Michigan's reading on consumer confidence. Labor sector reports on jobs growth and the national unemployment rate were posted along with weekly readings on mortgage rates and first-time jobless claims. Case-Shiller: Home Price Growth Lowest in 20 Months; Construction Spending Falls Home price growth hit its lowest pace in 20 months according to Case=Shiller's 20-City Home Price Index for August. Home prices grew by 5.80 percent … [Read more...]

Last week's economic news included readings on sales of new homes and pending home sales. A reading on consumer sentiment was also released along with weekly reports on mortgage rates and new jobless claims. Sales of New Homes Slide to Near 2 – Year Low According to Commerce Department readings on new home sales, the pace of sales slipped close to a two-year low in September; new homes sold at a seasonally-adjusted annual pace of 553,000 sales. September's reading was 5.50 percent lower than for August and was 13.20 percent lower year-over-year. Analysts expected a reading of 620,000 … [Read more...]

Last week's economic reports included readings on home builder confidence,sales of pre-owned homes and housing starts.  The Commerce Department also issued a report on building permits issued; weekly reports on mortgage rates and first-time jobless claims were also released. Homebuilder Confidence Rises One Point The National Association of Home Builders reported a reading of 68 for October,which surpassed August's reading of 67. Any reading over 50 indicates most home builders are confident about housing market conditions. Builders cited ongoing headwinds including higher prices for … [Read more...]