According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), U.S. home prices rose by 1.40 percent for the fourth quarter of 2014 and were up by 0.80 percent month-to-month from November. The seasonally adjusted FHFA House Price Index measures purchase transactions for...
Federal Reserve
Fed Not in a Hurry to Raise Rates: FOMC Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting held January 27 and 28 were released on Wednesday. According to the minute's transcript, it appears that Fed policymakers are in no hurry to raise the target federal funds rate. Members said that raising...
What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – February 16, 2015
Last week's economic news included an index of labor market conditions provided by the Federal Reserve, a report on small business sentiment, and a report from the Labor Department on job openings. Weekly jobless claims, Freddie Mac's mortgage rates report and a...
What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – February 9, 2015
Last week's economic news included construction spending, which fell shy of expectations but exceeded the prior month's spending, and several consumer and labor-related reports. The details: Mortgages More Accessible: Fed Survey A Federal Reserve survey of senior loan...
What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 20, 2015
Last week's scheduled economic news was mixed. Job openings increased and jobless claims increased, and consumer sentiment rose. Mortgage rates fell across the board. Labor market conditions improved and consumer prices fell in large part due to decreasing fuel...
FOMC Statement: No Year-End Surprises
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) said in its last statement for 2014 that although economic conditions have improved at a moderate pace, the Fed believes that the target federal funds rate of between 0.00 and 0.25 percent remains "appropriate." While labor...
Federal Open Market Committee, Fed Chair: No Rush to Raise Rates
Wednesday's customary post-meeting statement issued by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve provided some relief to investors and analysts concerned that the Fed may soon raise its target federal funds rate. The target federal funds rate has...
What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – Aug 11, 2014
Last week's housing related news was minimal, but a Federal Reserve survey of senior loan officers revealed that although credit standards for commercial and industrial loans as well as credit cards are easing, current mortgage credit standards are more stringent than...
FOMC Minutes: Committee Discusses “Normalizing” Policy
April's meeting of the Fed's Federal Open Market Committee was held along with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Meeting minutes released Wednesday indicated the committee's interest in "normalizing" its monetary policy. This included the FOMC's...
What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – May 27, 2014
Last week's economic news was dominated by speeches given by Federal Reserve presidents, the minutes from April's FOMC meeting and commencement address given by Fed Chair Janet Yellen. The latest readings for new and existing home sales were also released. Federal...