by Jacob Lilley | Dec 10, 2021 | Blog
When housing becomes difficult to find in Bozeman, many choose to settle in Bozeman’s next-door neighbor Belgrade, MT. While Bozeman’s population booms at 52,619, Belgrade’s population tops off at 10,551. But don’t mistake Belgrade as the second banana to Bozeman just... by Jacob Lilley | Dec 3, 2021 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
Several developments are converging on the global economy and financial markets at the moment. Each brings its own causes for concern. Together, they bring a significant increase in volatility. Should we be worried about Omicron? Answering such questions is beyond the... by Jacob Lilley | Nov 26, 2021 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
Just when it looked like the current week would fizzle out on a negative note for rates, our least favorite market mover is back in the news. B.1.1.529 (designated now as “Omicron”), a new covid variant hit the market like a ton of bricks on Friday... by Jacob Lilley | Nov 19, 2021 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
Winter is coming, both literally and figuratively. While the fallout remains to be seen, financial markets are already reacting. In the literal sense, colder ambient temperatures are generally correlated with increased covid case counts. The following chart shows per... by Jacob Lilley | Nov 12, 2021 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
Several sources for mortgage rate data are doing consumers a major disservice this week. At least two of them are claiming that the average top tier 30yr fixed rate is still under 3.00%. It’s not. One disclaimer right up front: different companies have... by Jacob Lilley | Nov 5, 2021 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
This week, the Fed announced a reduction in its bond buying. In separate news, the big jobs report was much stronger than expected. Both of these events should have pushed rates higher. So why didn’t they? Let’s start with the Fed and its bond buying... by Jacob Lilley | Oct 29, 2021 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
For anyone following interest rates very closely in 2013, the taper tantrum is not easily forgotten. It describes the bond market’s knee-jerk response to the realization that the Federal Reserve would be winding down its bond purchase program. With the Fed... by Jacob Lilley | Oct 22, 2021 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
Over the past 30 days, interest rates have risen sharply. This is true for both mortgage rates and bond market benchmarks like 10yr Treasury yields. But another version of the 10yr Treasury yield continues to operate near all-time lows. How can rates simultaneously be... by Jacob Lilley | Oct 15, 2021 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
After a calm summer at historic lows, interest rate volatility has ramped up heading into the fall. What are rates worried about, and is this just the beginning of more drama? In a word: maybe! Because they’re based on bonds, rates are always worried about... by Jacob Lilley | Oct 8, 2021 | Blog, Mortgage Rates
It goes by many names: The Employment Situation, Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP), or simply “the jobs report.” No matter what you call it, the Labor Department’s massive collection of employment statistics is one of the most important events for the bond...
