Mortgage Originations Expected to Increase with Low Rates | Economic Focus
During the last week of May, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dipped below 4.0% and has remained there amid concerns over trade disputes, a possible economic slowdown, and market anticipation of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut. This decline in mortgage rates has caused a spike in purchase and refinance mortgage applications. Moreover, we expect that...
read moreWhat Needs to Happen in 2019 to Outpace 2018 in Terms of Home Sales?
We’ve been optimistic that sales are going to very modestly increase in 2019. For that to happen, economic growth needs to remain stable and mortgage rates need to remain under 5.25%. We expect both of those conditions to occur, which should support a modest rise in home sales. The latest monthly data indicate sales are...
read more2019 Forecast Orange County, CA and Beyond
Due to what happened in 2018, housing market began to shift from a 6-7 year seller’s market. 2018 started with low inventory, low interest rates, and numerous offers. Then the market shifted as interest rates rose, demand lowered, and inventory took off. Autumn market inventory continued rising. Demand continued to lower. Mid-November the expected market...
read moreMortgage Trends to Watch for in 2019
It’s going to be a challenging year for home buyers in 2019. They will continue to compete for a short supply of homes. Home prices and mortgage rates are likely to keep moving upward, bruising affordability. But 2019 is likely to bring some welcome developments, too, for buyers and mortgage borrowers. Builders are constructing more...
read morePreserving Affordable Housing Through Rental Assistance
Nearly one-third of our nation’s workforce, 41.7M people, make less than $12 per hour. For many of these Americans, public housing can provide a safe and affordable place to call home. However, our current inventory of public housing stock has aged to the point that many existing units are either in desperate need of major...
read more2018 & 2019 Growth Outlooks Steady as Housing Falters
Washington, DC – The Fannie Mae Economic and Strategic Research Group maintained its full-year 2018 and 2019 economic growth forecasts of 3.0% and 2.3%, respectively, despite expectations of slightly stronger third quarter growth than the prior forecast, according to its October 2018 Economic and Housing Outlook. The ESR Group still anticipates that growth slowed from...
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