Daily Mortgage Rate Lock Advisory

Rate Lock Advisory – Monday Feb. 23rd

Monday’s bond market is currently down slightly despite stock losses. The Dow is currently down 53 points while the Nasdaq has lost 20 points. The bond market is currently down 4/32, which will likely push this morning’s mortgage rates higher by approximately .125 of a discount point.

The bond market and stock indexes are well off earlier levels. The stock markets opened in positive territory with the Dow up nearly 75 points earlier and the Nasdaq up 11 points. The bond market was down 12/32 during early trading, but as the stock markets have given back early gains and slid into negative ground, bonds are rising. This is likely as a result of investors shifting funds into bonds to escape the expected volatility in stocks. Some analysts are predicting stocks to fall further in the near future and bonds are benefiting.

This week brings us the release of six pieces of economic data for the bond market to digest along with some very important tes timony from Fed Chairman Bernanke. Two of the reports are considered to be of low importance, but a couple of them are considered to be of fairly high importance. None of this week’s relevant data is being released today.

Tomorrow morning brings us the first of this week’s data with the release of February’s Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) during late morning trading. This Conference Board index measures consumer confidence in their personal financial situations, giving us a measurement of consumer willingness to spend. Since consumer spending makes up two-thirds of the economy, related data is considered important in terms of gauging economic activity. It is expected to show a decline in confidence from 37.7 in January to 36.0 this month. A lower reading would be considered good news for bonds and mortgage rates.

Mr. Bernanke will deliver the Fed’s semi-annual testimony on the status of the economy late tomorrow morning. He will be speaking to the Se nate Banking Committee and market participants will watch his words very closely. The Fed Chairman is required to deliver this testimony twice a year, which is considered to be of extreme importance to the financial markets. We almost always see the markets move as a result of what he says during this testimony. Look for him to address the banking and housing crises specifically and their impact on the overall economy. His testimony begins at 10:00 AM ET with a prepared statement then is followed by Q & A with committee members. I am expecting to see the markets fluctuate during this session, possibly affecting mortgage rates also.

Overall, look for plenty of movement in bond prices and mortgage rates this week. I think we will see the most movement either tomorrow or Thursday, but Friday may be fairly active also. This would be a good week to maintain contact with your mortgage professional.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I wou ld…. Float if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.

Rate Lock Advisory – Sunday Feb. 22nd

This week brings us the release of six pieces of economic data for the bond market to digest along with some very important testimony from Fed Chairman Bernanke. Two of the reports are considered to be of low importance, but since we have data being posted every day of the week except for tomorrow, it is likely that we will see plenty of movement in mortgage rates the next few days.

Tuesday morning brings us the first of this week’s data with the release of February’s Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) during late morning trading. This Conference Board index measures consumer confidence in their personal financial situations, giving us a measurement of consumer willingness to spend. Since consumer spending makes up two-thirds of the economy, related data is considered important in terms of gauging economic activity. It is expected to show a decline in confidence from 37.7 in January to 36.0 this month. A lower reading would be considered good news for bonds and mortgage rates.

Mr. Bernanke will deliver the Fed’s semi-annual testimony on the status of the economy late Tuesday morning. He will be speaking to the Senate Banking Committee and market participants will watch his words very closely. The Fed Chairman is required to deliver this testimony twice a year, which is considered to be of extreme importance to the financial markets. We almost always see the markets move as a result of what he says during this testimony. Look for him to address the banking and housing crises specifically and their impact on the overall economy. His testimony begins at 10:00 AM ET with a prepared statement then is followed by Q & A with committee members. I am expecting to see the markets fluctuate during this session, possibly affecting mortgage rates also.

January’s Existing Home Sales report will be posted late Wednesday morning. This is one of the least important reports of the week, along with Thursday’s New Home Sales report. They measure housing sector strength and mortgage credit demand, but usually do not have a significant impact on bond trading or mortgage rates. The Existing Home Sales report is expected to show an increase in sales but new home sales are expected to fall slightly.

The only important data scheduled for release Thursday is January’s Durable Goods Orders data. This data gives us an important measurement of manufacturing sector strength by tracking orders at U.S. factories for items expected to last three or more years. A larger drop than the 2.3% that is expected would be good news for the bond market and mortgage rates. This data is quite volatile from month-to-month, so large swings are fairly normal.

The first of two revisions to the 4th Quarter GDP reading is scheduled for release Friday morning. Analysts’ forecasts currently call for a decline of 5.4%, indicating that the economy was weaker in the last quarter of the ye ar than initially thought. It will be interesting to see where this figure falls and what its impact on the markets will be. Generally speaking, higher levels of activity are bad news for the bond market.

The last piece of data scheduled for release this week is the University of Michigan’s revision to their Index of Consumer Sentiment for February. Current forecasts show this index revising slightly higher than previously thought. The preliminary reading was 56.2 and is now expected to stand at 56.5, indicating that consumer sentiment was slightly stronger than previously thought. This index is important because it helps us measure consumer confidence that translates into consumer willingness to spend.

Overall, look for plenty of movement in bond prices and mortgage rates this week. I think we will see the most movement either Tuesday or Thursday, but Friday may be fairly active also. This would be a good week to maintain contact with your mortgage professional.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Float if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.

Rate Lock Advisory – Monday Dec. 29th

Monday’s bond market has opened in positive territory following early stock losses. The stock markets are starting the week off in negative ground with the Dow down 80 points and the Nasdaq down 27 points. The bond market is currently up 14/32, which will likely improve this morning’s mortgage rates by approximately .250 of a discount point.

This week brings us the release of only two pieces of economic news that are relevant to mortgage rates. It is another holiday-shortened week with the New Years Day holiday Thursday, so the data may have a heavier impact on trading than usual if it varies from forecasts by much. The bond market will close early Wednesday and possibly Friday as they did last week. With that type of schedule, many traders will not be working Wednesday or Friday, so any unexpected news or data may lead to a larger than usual reaction in the markets.

There is no relevant news scheduled for today. The first important release co mes late tomorrow morning when the Conference Board will post its Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for December. This is a pretty important release because it measures consumer willingness to spend. If consumers are more confident in their personal financial situations, they are more apt to make large purchases. Since consumer spending makes up two-thirds of the U.S. economy, any related data is watched closely by market participants and can have a significant influence on mortgage rate direction. Current forecasts are calling for a minor increase confidence from November’s reading of 44.9. Analysts are expecting tomorrow’s release to show a reading of 45.2.

The financial markets will be closed Thursday in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday. They will reopen Friday morning with the release of the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing index. This highly important index measures manufacturer sentiment. A reading below 50 means that more surveye d manufacturing executives felt that business worsened during the month than those who felt it had improved. Analysts are currently expecting to see a 35.4 reading in this month’s release, meaning that sentiment fell from November’s 36.2. A smaller reading will be good news for the bond market and mortgage shoppers while a higher than expected reading could lead to higher mortgage rates Friday morning.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Lock if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Lock if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.

Rate Lock Advisory – Sunday Dec. 28th

This week brings us the release of only two pieces of economic news that are relevant to mortgage rates. It is another holiday-shortened week with the New Years Day holiday Thursday, so the data may have a heavier impact on trading than usual if it varies from forecasts by much. The bond market will close early Tuesday and possibly Friday as they did last week. With that type of schedule, many traders will not be working Wednesday or Friday, so any unexpected news or data may lead to a larger than usual reaction in the markets.

There is no relevant news scheduled for tomorrow. Look for any significant changes in stocks to drive bond trading and mortgage rates. If the major stock indexes remain fairly calm, it is possible that bond prices and mortgage rates may follow suit. However, I still believe there is a possibility of seeing year-end weakness in bonds that may drive mortgage rates higher. Accordingly, I am still recommending to proceed with caution of still floating an interest rate.

The first important release comes late Tuesday morning when the Conference Board will post its Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for December. This is a pretty important release because it measures consumer willingness to spend. If consumers are more confident in their personal financial situations, they are more apt to make large purchases. Since consumer spending makes up two-thirds of the U.S. economy, any related data is watched closely by market participants and can have a significant influence on mortgage rate direction. Current forecasts are calling for a minor increase confidence from November’s reading of 44.9. Analysts are expecting Tuesday’s release to show a reading of 45.2.

The financial markets will be closed Thursday in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday. They will reopen Friday morning with the release of the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing index. This highly important index measures manufacturer sentiment. A reading below 50 means that more surveyed manufacturing executives felt that business worsened during the month than those who felt it had improved. Analysts are currently expecting to see a 35.4 reading in this month’s release, meaning that sentiment fell from November’s 36.2. A smaller reading will be good news for the bond market and mortgage shoppers while a higher than expected reading could lead to higher mortgage rates Friday morning.

Overall, I am still pessimistic towards mortgage rates, at least short-term. The week’s two reports are both considered important and can influence mortgage rates. If they report weaker than expected results, we could see rates close the week lower than last Friday’s closing levels. But, even if we get results that match forecasts, I suspect we will see selling in bonds and traders make year-end adjustments to their portfolios that could push mortgage rates higher for the week.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Lock if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Lock if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.

This holiday shortened week brings us the release of six important economic reports or news releases. Two of the six are considered to be of high importance to the bond market and mortgage pricing with one being of low importance. The remaining reports are considered to be of moderate importance to the markets. The financial and mortgage markets are closed tomorrow in observance of the Memorial Day holiday and will reopen Tuesday morning.

The Conference Board will start the week’s releases by posting their Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) at 10:00 AM Tuesday. This is a very important release that measures consumer willingness to spend. If the index rises, it indicates that consumers feel better about their personal financial situations and are more apt to make large purchases. If confidence is sliding, analysts think consumer spending may slow in the near future. The latter is good news for the bond market because it should ease concerns about inflationary pr essures, making bonds more attractive to investors. This should boost bond prices and push mortgage rates lower Tuesday morning. It is expected to show a reading of 61.0 after April’s 62.3 reading.

April’s New Home Sales data will be released late Tuesday morning. This report gives us a measurement of housing sector strength and future mortgage credit demand. However, it is actually the least important release of the week and probably will not have much of an impact on mortgage pricing. It is expected to show another decline in sales.

Wednesday morning we will see April’s Durable Goods Orders data. This report gives us an indication of manufacturing sector strength by tracking orders at U.S. factories for big-ticket products. It is currently expected to show a decline in new orders of approximately 0.7%. If this report shows a stronger than expected reading, we should see mortgage rates rise because it indicates manufacturing growth. If it shows a large r than expected drop, we should see rates improve Wednesday morning.

The first of two revisions to the 1st quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will be released at 8:30 AM Thursday. The second revision to this report comes next month but isn’t expected to have much of an impact on the financial markets. The GDP is the sum of all goods and services produced in the U.S. and is considered to be the best indicator of economic growth. Last month’s preliminary reading revealed a 0.6% annual rate of growth. Analysts expect an upward revision to this reading with the consensus being a .9% annual rate. If true, we may see the bond market react negatively and mortgage rates move higher.

Friday brings us the release of two pieces of data with the first being April’s Personal Income and Outlays data at 8:30 AM. This report gives us an indication of consumer ability to spend and current spending habits. An increase in income means that consumers have more money available to spend. Since consumer spending makes up two-thirds of the U.S. economy, this data can cause movement in the financial markets and mortgage rates. Current forecasts are showing a 0.4% rise in income and a 0.4% increase in spending. Weaker readings would be considered good news for bonds and mortgage rates.

The last report of the day and the last important data of the week will come from the University of Michigan who will update their Index of Consumer Sentiment for May. An upward revision would be considered a negative for bonds.

Overall, I think we have a busy week ahead of us. With the markets closed tomorrow, Tuesday’s data will set the tone for the first part of the week. The big reports of the week are Tuesday’s CCI and Wednesday’s Durable Goods. If Thursday’s GDP revision varies greatly from forecasts, it can also lead to sizable changes in rates.

If I were considering financing/refinanc ing a home, I would…. Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Lock if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.

This week is packed with relevant pieces of economic news in addition to another FOMC meeting. All seven of the reports are considered to be at least moderately important while several are considered very important to the markets and mortgage rates. This makes it likely that we will see plenty of movement in mortgage pricing over the next several days.

The first report comes late Tuesday morning when the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for April will be released. This Conference Board index is a key indicator of future spending by consumers. The group surveys 5000 consumers from across the country about their personal financial situations. If sentiment is strong or rising, it is believed that consumers are more apt to continue to spend. However, if they are concerned about issues such as job security and investments, they will probably delay making large purchases. The latter is better for the bond market and mortgage rates because the expected slowdown in sp ending would ease inflation concerns. But, a sizable increase could hurt the bond market, pushing mortgage rates higher Tuesday. It is expected to show a reading of 62.0, which would be a decline from March’s 64.5 reading.

Wednesday brings us the release of two important reports along with the FOMC meeting. The first is the preliminary version of the 1st Quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is arguably the single most important report that we see on a regular basis. The GDP is the sum of all products and services produced in the U.S. and is considered to be the best indicator of economic growth or contraction. I expect this report to cause major movement in the financial markets Wednesday and therefore the mortgage market also. Analysts are expecting to see output at an annual rate of 0.4%. A smaller increase would be ideal for mortgage rates a sit would fuel recession concerns. But, a larger increase would almost certainly cause inflation concerns in the b ond market that would push mortgage rates higher Wednesday morning.

The next report of the day is the 1st Quarter Employment Cost Index (ECI), which tracks employer costs for wages and benefits. This gives us a measurement of wage-inflation. If it shows a large increase, we may see inflation concerns cause the bond market to fall and mortgage rates to rise. A smaller than expected increase would be good news for the bond market and mortgage pricing. Current forecasts are showing a rise of 0.8%.

This week’s FOMC meeting will begin on Tuesday but will not adjourn until Wednesday afternoon. It will likely adjourn with an announcement of another rate cut to key short term interest rates. Just how much of a reduction is open for debate. Look for another round of volatility following the 2:15 PM ET post-meeting statement.

March’s Personal Income & Outlays is the first of two reports due to be posted Thur sday morning. This data helps us measure consumers’ ability to spend and current spending habits, which is important to the mortgage market due to the influence that consumer spending related information has on the financial markets. If a consumer’s income is rising, they are more likely to make additional purchases. This raises inflation concerns and has a negative affect on the bond market and mortgage rates. Current forecasts are calling for a 0.4% increase in income and a 0.2% rise in spending.

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) will post their manufacturing index late Thursday morning. This is one of the first important economic reports released each month and gives us an indication of manufacturer sentiment. A reading above 50 means that more surveyed trade executives felt business improved during the month than those who felt it had worsened. This points toward more manufacturing activity and could hurt bond prices, pushing mortgage rates higher. But , if we see a drop from last month’s reading of 48.6, the bond market should thrive and mortgage rates will probably fall. It is expected to show a reading of 48.0.

The week’s most important release is being saved for nearly last. The almighty Employment report will be released Friday at 8:30AM, giving us April’s employment statistics. This is where we may see a huge rally or major sell-off in the bond market and large changes in mortgage rates. The ideal situation for the bond and mortgage markets would be an increase in the unemployment rate and fewer than expected new payrolls. Just how much of an improvement or worsening depends on how much variance there is between forecasts and actual readings. This could turn out to be a wonderful day in the mortgage market, but it also carries risks of seeing mortgage rates move higher if the Labor Department posts stronger than expected readings. Current forecasts are calling for a 5.2% unemployment ra te and approximately 80,000 jobs lost during the month.

Friday’s second report and the last of the week is March’s Factory Orders data at 10:00AM. This is a fairly important release because it measures manufacturing sector strength. It is similar to last week’s Durable Goods Orders, except this report includes non-durable goods such as food and clothing. Generally, the market is more concerned with the durable goods orders like refrigerators and electronics than items such as cigarettes and toothpaste. This is why the Durable Goods report usually has more of an impact on the financial markets than the Factory Orders report does. Still, a smaller increase than the 0.4% that is expected could push mortgage rates slightly lower, while a larger increase will likely lead to higher rates. But, the employment numbers are of much more importance to the markets than this data is.

Overall, look for plenty of movement in the financial markets and mortgage rates this week. Wednesday or Friday will likely be the most important day of the week with the GDP and Employment numbers being posted along with the FOMC adjournment, but we may see noticeable changes to rates Tuesday also. If this week’s reports reveal weaker than expected economic conditions, the bond market should rally and mortgage rates should fall significantly for the week.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Float if my closing was taking place within 7 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days… Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now… This is only my opinion of what I would do if I were financing a home. It is only an opinion and cannot be guaranteed to be in the best interest of all/any other borrowers.