by Jacob Lilley | Jun 15, 2018 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
As expected, the Fed raised rates this week. Mortgage rates and 10yr Treasury yields (which aren’t directly tied to the Fed Funds Rate) actually moved lower for the rest of the week. How did that happen and what might it mean for the bigger picture? Remember,... by Jacob Lilley | Jun 8, 2018 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
The Federal Reserve meets 8 times a year to set its policy rate: The Fed Funds Rate. At next week’s meeting, a “rate hike” is a foregone conclusion. And that’s precisely why it won’t matter. The financial market is the quintessential... by Jacob Lilley | Jun 1, 2018 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
Italian political drama already had an impressive impact on US interest rates last week. This week brought more surprises and even bigger reactions for better and worse (and in that order). Last week’s newsletter contains a fairly detailed discussion on the... by Jacob Lilley | May 25, 2018 | Blog, Mortgage Rates, Refinancing
It was a complex week in the world of mortgage rates and housing markets. Complexity often creates inconsistent news coverage. At best, most of the coverage fell short. At worst, some of it was downright wrong. Let’s clear things up! Last week’s... by Jacob Lilley | May 18, 2018 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
This week’s key story was the big spike in interest rates. Is it something that deserves our attention? Certainly! That’s why we give rising rates plenty of attention week after week. That having been said, is it the end of the world for the housing... by Jacob Lilley | May 11, 2018 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
The US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal dominated the news this week. This will arguably impact rates, albeit in a subtle, roundabout way. The housing market won’t care much, but it’s not without its own challenges. Interest Rate Considerations It... by Jacob Lilley | May 4, 2018 | Blog
One short week after witnessing a return of interest rate volatility, it disappeared again this week. Mortgage rates saw some small-scale ups and downs, but generally held very close to last Friday’s levels. All this despite the presence of important economic... by Jacob Lilley | Apr 27, 2018 | Blog
Last week marked an abrupt end to the gentle, sideways-to-slightly-lower trend in interest rates that had been intact since late February. This week, things got worse. Whether we’re talking about 10yr Treasury yields or the average 30yr fixed mortgage, rates jumped... by Jacob Lilley | Apr 20, 2018 | Blog
2018 began with a massive spike in interest rates. It was the proverbial big bad wolf for housing markets and for financial markets in general, or so we’re told. Refreshingly, the wolf was on vacation in March–rates moderated in a narrow, friendlier... by Jacob Lilley | Apr 13, 2018 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
Do the President’s tweets really move rates? Of course that’s going to depend on what he says, so let’s take a look at this week specifically. Tweets relating to missiles, Syria, and Putin played a central role in this week’s market movement....
