Daily Mortgage Rate Lock Advisory

Rate Lock Advisory – Thursday Feb. 5th

Thursday’s bond market has opened in positive territory following the release of favorable economic reports. The stock markets are showing gains with the Dow up 44 points and the Nasdaq up 17 points. The bond market is currently up 15/32, which should improve this morning’s mortgage rates by approximately .250 of a discount point.

Both of this morning’s important releases gave us favorable results. Even weekly unemployment numbers that are not considered highly important came in weaker than expected. The Labor Department said that 626,000 new claims for benefits were filed last week. This was the largest weekly filing since October 1982 and helps support the theory that tomorrow’s monthly employment report will show bleak numbers.

The two more important reports were December’s Factory Orders and 4th Quarter Productivity numbers. The factory orders data showed a larger than expected drop of 3.9% in new orders. This was the fifth consecutive mo nthly decline in orders, which is a first for the report. Analysts were expecting to see a decline of 3.0%, meaning manufacturing activity is slower than thought. In addition, today’s report also revised November’s decline in orders from 4.6% to 6.5% that is now the largest monthly decline since July 2000.

The 4th Quarter Productivity and Costs data was the third piece of news posted this morning. It showed a surprising jump of 3.2% in worker output. This was more than double what analysts had expected, meaning workers were more productive in each hour worked last quarter. This is good news for the bond market and mortgage rates.

Tomorrow morning brings us the release of the almighty Employment report. It will give us the unemployment rate, number of jobs lost or added to the economy last month and average hourly earnings. Analysts are expecting it to show that the unemployment rate jumped 0.3% to 7.5% last month while 500,000 jobs were lost. The average earnings reading is expected to show that earnings rose 0.3%. A higher unemployment rate and larger job loss would be considered favorable news for the bond market and mortgage pricing. If we do get favorable results, I would expect to see bonds rally and mortgage rates fall tomorrow.

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 – Wednesday Dec. 3rd

Wednesday’s bond market has opened in negative territory despite the release of favorable economic news. The stock markets are in positive ground with the Dow up 87 points and the Nasdaq up 25 points. The bond market is currently down 17/32, which will likely push this morning’s mortgage pricing higher by approximately .250 of a discount point.

The revised reading to the 3rd Quarter Productivity report was posted this morning, showing an upward revision in productivity. What was previously estimated as a 1.1% rate was expected to be lowered to 0.9%. However, today’s release revealed a 1.3% annual rate, which means that workers were more productive than previously thought. That is considered good news for bonds and mortgage rates.

The Fed Beige Book will be released at 2:00 PM ET this afternoon. This report, which is named after the color of its cover, details economic conditions by region. It is relied on heavily during the FOMC meetings when determining monetary policy, so it results can influence bond trading and mortgage rates if it shows any significant surprises. I am expecting it to show significant signs of economic weakness and easing inflationary pressures. But, I believe the market has this news already built into it so the news may not lead to improvements in rates this afternoon.

Tomorrow’s only monthly report is October’s Factory Orders. This report is similar to last week’s Durable Goods Orders release except that this one includes orders for both durable and non-durable goods. This data usually isn’t a major influence on bond trading, but we may see it cause some movement in mortgage rates if it varies greatly from forecasts. Analysts are expecting to see a drop in orders of approximately 4.5%.

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… Lock 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 – Tuesday Dec. 2nd

Tuesday’s bond market has opened in negative territory following a rebound in stock prices. The stock markets are bouncing off yesterday’s beating with the Dow up 250 points and the Nasdaq up 47 points. The bond market is currently down 8/32, which will likely push this morning’s mortgage rates higher by approximately .125 of a discount point.

There is no relevant economic news scheduled for release today. It is the only day of the week that we will not get some type of relevant data. The next report that we need to be concerned with comes tomorrow morning with the release of the revised 3rd Quarter Productivity report. This index is expected to show a downward revision from the preliminary reading of worker productivity. Higher levels of productivity are thought to allow the economy to expand without inflationary pressures rising. This is good news for the bond market because economic growth itself isn’t necessarily bad for the bond market. It is the cond itions around economic growth, such as inflation that hurt bond prices and mortgage rates. Current forecasts are calling for an annual rate of 0.9%, down from the previous estimate of 1.1%.

The Fed Beige Book will be posted tomorrow afternoon. This report, which is named after the color of its cover, details economic conditions by region. It is relied on heavily during the FOMC meetings when determining monetary policy, so it results can influence bond trading and mortgage rates if it shows any significant surprises.

The recent bond rally has driven bond prices higher and mortgage rates lower, however, I am concerned that we may see an increase in rates before they fall much further. The rally creates a situation where bond traders may sell holdings to capture profits from it. If there is a concern in the market whether bonds can improve much more, that move may happen sooner than later and can lead to a spike in mortgage rates. Therefore, I strong ly recommend that you maintain contact with your mortgage professional if still floating an interest rate because rate usually move higher much quicker than they improve.

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 – Monday Dec. 1st

Monday’s bond market has opened strong following weaker then expected economic news and a major sell-off in stocks. The stock markets are kicking the month off in the tank with the Dow down almost 400 points and the Nasdaq down 81 points. The bond market is currently up 30/32, which will likely improve this morning’s mortgage rates by approximately .500 of a discount point.

The week’s first piece of economic news was November’s manufacturing index from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) late this morning. It showed a reading of 36.2 that was below forecasts and is the lowest reading since May 1982. That indicates that manufacturer sentiment was weaker than many had thought last month. Since that hints at slower manufacturing activity it is good news for bonds and mortgage rates.

The recent rally in bonds has put us in uncharted waters in terms of their yields. The benchmark 10-Year Treasury Note is currently yielding 2.82%, which is it lo west on record. It broke below 3.00% last week for the first time since the Notes were issued in 1962. While mortgage rates have not recently plummeted as quickly as the yield has, they have fallen quite a ways and show signs of continuing to slide. The downside to that is the possibility of rates spiking higher at any moment. Bond yields and mortgage rates can worsen much quicker than they usually improve. Therefore, we need to remain extremely cautious during this rally as we could see an entire week’s worth of gains erased in a single morning if any of the major influences on bonds turns negative.

The next piece of data that we need to be concerned with comes Wednesday morning with the release of the revised 3rd Quarter Productivity report. This index is expected to show a downward revision from the preliminary reading of worker productivity. Higher levels of productivity are thought to allow the economy to expand without inflationary pressures rising. This is good news for the bond market because economic growth itself isn’t necessarily bad for the bond market. It is the conditions around economic growth, such as inflation that hurt bond prices and mortgage rates. Current forecasts are calling for an annual rate of 0.9%, down from the previous estimate of 1.1%.

The Fed Beige Book will be posted Wednesday afternoon. This report, which is named after the color of its cover, details economic conditions by region. It is relied on heavily during the FOMC meetings when determining monetary policy, so it results can influence bond trading and mortgage rates if it shows any significant surprises.

Overall, the most important day of the week is Friday with the employment figures being released, but today will also likely be one of the more important. Tomorrow will probably be the lightest day of the week, assuming we don’t see another major sell-off or rally in stocks.

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 Nov. 30th

There are five pieces of economic news that may affect mortgage rates this week. There are relevant reports scheduled for release every day except for Tuesday, meaning it likely will be a fairly active week for mortgage rates.

November’s manufacturing index from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) will kick off the week’s data at 10:00 AM ET tomorrow. This index measures manufacturer sentiment and can have a considerable impact on the financial markets and mortgage rates. Current forecasts call for a decline in sentiment from October to November. October’s reading was previously announced as 38.9. A weaker reading than the expected 38.0 would be good news for the bond market and mortgage rates. A reading below 50 means that more surveyed trade executives felt business worsened during the month than those who felt it had improved. That is a recessionary sign and could help keep mortgage rates low.

The next piece of data that we need to be conce rned with comes Wednesday morning with the release of the revised 3rd Quarter Productivity report. This index is expected to show a downward revision from the preliminary reading of worker productivity. Higher levels of productivity are thought to allow the economy to expand without inflationary pressures rising. This is good news for the bond market because economic growth itself isn’t necessarily bad for the bond market. It is the conditions around economic growth, such as inflation that hurt bond prices and mortgage rates. Current forecasts are calling for an annual rate of 0.9%, down from the previous estimate of 1.1%.

The Fed Beige Book will be posted Wednesday afternoon. This report, which is named after the color of its cover, details economic conditions by region. It is relied on heavily during the FOMC meetings when determining monetary policy, so it results can influence bond trading and mortgage rates if it shows any significant surprises.

Thursday’s only report of the day is October’s Factory Orders. This report is similar to last week’s Durable Goods Orders release except that this one includes orders for both durable and non-durable goods. This data usually isn’t a major influence on bond trading, but we may see it cause some movement in mortgage rates if it varies greatly from forecasts. Analysts are expecting to see a drop in orders of approximately 2.5%.
The Labor Department will post November’s Employment report early Friday morning. This is arguably the most important monthly report we see. It is comprised of many statistics and readings, but the most important ones are the unemployment rate, the number of news jobs added or lost during the month and average hourly earnings. Current forecasts call for another upward change in the unemployment rate to 6.8%, payrolls down approximately 300,000 and an increase of 0.2% in average earnings. An ideal scenario for mortgage sho ppers would be a higher unemployment rate than 6.8%, a larger decline in jobs and no change in the earnings portion.

Overall, the most important day of the week is Friday with the employment figures being released, but we may also see movement in rates Monday and Wednesday. The remaining days could be fairly quiet, depending on stock market gains or losses. Friday’s data could cause a significant change in rates, but if it reveals stronger than expected results we may see rates spike higher Friday morning. Ahead of the report, we may see pressure in bonds as investors prepare for its release. Accordingly, I am holding the lock recommendations for short and intermediate-term periods.

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… Float if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days… Float if my closing was taking pla ce 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 – Thursday Nov. 6th

Thursday’s bond market has opened in negative territory despite another round of stock losses and favorable economic news. The stock markets are continuing yesterday’s late selling that drove the Dow down 486 points and the Nasdaq down 98 points. The Dow has currently lost another 174 points while the Nasdaq has fallen 41 points. The bond market has fluctuated this morning between positive and negative ground, but currently stands down 11/32. This should mean that this morning’s mortgage rates will be approximately .125 – .250 of a discount point higher than yesterday’s rates.

This morning’s release of the 3rd Quarter Productivity reading revealed a larger than expected increase of 1.1% in employee output. This was slightly higher than forecasts, but is still considered to be good news for bonds because high levels if productivity allows the economy to grow without inflationary pressures rising.

The second piece of data this morning was last we ek’s unemployment figures from the Labor Department. They reported that 481,000 new claims for benefits were filed last week. This was a drop from the previous week but higher than expected. This news isn’t the cause of this morning’s stock weakness, but today’s data was watched more closely due to the importance of tomorrow’s monthly report.

October’s Employment report will be released early tomorrow morning. It is expected to show that the economy lost 200,000 jobs, that unemployment rate moved from 6.1% to 6.3% and that average earnings rose 0.2% during the month. The large drop in payrolls and 0.2% jump in the unemployment rate are numbers of concern to the markets, therefore, I don’t believe that we will need to see weaker than expected results to see bonds improve and mortgage rates move lower.

I am expecting to see more volatility in bonds and mortgage rates in the days ahead. Accordingly, it may be a good time to lock if closing in the im mediate future. Regardless though, I strongly recommend maintaining contact with your mortgage professional over the next week or so.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Lock 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 – Wednesday Nov. 5th

Wednesday’s bond market has opened in positive territory, continuing yesterday’s late rally. The stock markets are well into negative ground this morning with the Dow down 171 points and the Nasdaq down 37 points. The bond market is currently up 3/32, but due significant strength in bonds late yesterday, we will likely see an improvement of approximately .500 – .625 in today’s mortgage rates.

There is no important data scheduled for release today. Tomorrow’s sole important report is the 3rd Quarter Productivity reading. The productivity index is expected to show a level of worker productivity during the third quarter much lower than last quarter’s final reading of 4.3%. Analysts have forecasted a 1.0 rise in worker output. A larger increase would be good news for the bond market because high levels of productivity helps the economy to expand without inflationary pressures being a concern.

We also will get weekly unemployment figures from the Lab or Department early tomorrow morning. It is expected to show that new claims for benefits fell slightly to 476,000 last week. While this data usually does not have much of an impact on the markets because it tracks only a week’s worth of claims, tomorrow’s release may be a little more influential than usual. This is because the release will cover the last full week of October and with Friday’s monthly report coming out for the entire month, traders will be looking for any significant change in claims that may alter their estimates for the monthly report.

Friday’s Employment report is expected to show that the economy lost 200,000 jobs, that unemployment rate moved from 6.1% to 6.3% and that average earnings rose 0.2% during the month. The large drop in payrolls and 0.2% jump in the unemployment rate are numbers of concern to the markets, therefore, I don’t believe that we will need to see weaker than expected results to see bonds improve and mortgage rates move lower. However, stronger than forecasted readings could give back this morning’s improvements to rates since the markets are expecting weak numbers.

I am expecting to see more volatility in bonds and mortgage rates in the days ahead. Accordingly, it may be a good time to lock if closing in the immediate future. Regardless though, I strongly recommend maintaining contact with your mortgage professional over the next week or so.

If I were considering financing/refinancing a home, I would…. Lock 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 – Tuesday Nov. 4th

Tuesday’s bond market has opened up slightly despite sizable stock gains during early trading. The stock markets are strong this morning with the Dow up 262 points and the Nasdaq up 42 points. The bond market is currently up 2/32, which will likely improve this morning’s mortgage rates by approximately .125 of a discount point.

Today’s only relevant data came from the Commerce Department who posted September’s Factory Orders report. It showed a decline of 2.5% that was an improvement from August’s 4/3% drop, but was also much weaker than the 0.8% decline that was expected. This means that new orders at U.S. factories fell much more than thought and indicates a rapidly slowing manufacturing sector. This is good news for bonds and mortgage rates.

There is no important data scheduled for release tomorrow. Thursday’s sole important report is the 3rd Quarter Productivity reading. The productivity index is expected to show a level of worker productivi ty during the third quarter much lower than last quarter’s final reading of 4.3%. Analysts have forecasted a 1.0 rise in worker output. A larger increase would be good news for the bond market because high levels of productivity helps the economy to expand without inflationary pressures being a concern.

We also will get weekly unemployment figures from the Labor Department early tomorrow morning. It is expected to show that new claims for benefits fell slightly to 476,000 last week. While this data usually does not have much of an impact on the markets because it tracks only a week’s worth of claims, tomorrow’s release may be a little more influential than usual. This is because the release will cover the last full week of October and with Friday’s monthly report coming out for the entire month, traders will be looking for any significant change in claims that may alter their estimates for the monthly report.

If I were considering financing/refinanci ng 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 Nov. 3rd

Monday’s bond market has opened in positive territory following weaker than expected economic news. The stock markets are posting gains with the Dow up 42 points and the Nasdaq up 15 points. The bond market is currently up 3/32, but we may still see slight increase in this morning’s mortgage rates due to weakness late Friday.

The week’s first report came late this morning from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). They posted their Manufacturing Index for October, showing a reading of 38.9 that was well below forecasts and a 26-year low. The index measures manufacturer sentiment and this morning’s release indicated sentiment is softening. This is good news for bonds and mortgage rates because slowing manufacturing activity usually means a weakening economy and eases inflation concerns.

Tomorrow’s only relevant news is September’s Factory Orders report. This report is similar to last week’s Durable Goods Orders release except it includes o rders for both durable and non-durable goods. It is expected to show 0.8% decline in orders from August’s level. A larger decline would be good news for the bond market and mortgage rates while a smaller than expected drop is bad news.

There is no important data scheduled for release Wednesday. Thursday’s report is the 3rd Quarter Productivity reading. The productivity index is expected to show a level of worker productivity during the third quarter much lower than last quarter’s final reading of 4.3%. Analysts have forecasted a 1.0 rise in worker output. A larger increase would be good news for the bond market because high levels of productivity helps the economy to expand without inflationary pressures being a concern.

The last report of the week is the most important. Friday brings us the release of one of the most important monthly reports- the Employment report. The Labor Department will post October’s employment stats early Friday morning. The report is comprised of many statistics and readings, but the most important ones are the unemployment rate, the number of new jobs added or lost during the month and average hourly earnings. Current forecasts call for a 0.2% rise in unemployment to bring the national rate to 6.3%, a drop in payrolls of approximately 200,000 and a 0.2% increase in average earnings. Weaker than expected readings should rally bonds and lead to improvements in mortgage rates, especially if the stock markets react poorly to the news.

Overall, I am expecting to see a moderately active week in mortgage pricing. The key to the week will be Friday’s employment numbers, but any significant swings in the stock markets may also influence whether mortgage rates close the week higher or lower than this morning’s levels.

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.