Mortgage Resources

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...

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 morning.  48 hours...

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...

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 different...

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 adventures (also...

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 almost...

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...

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 anything...

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 market every month....