From Our Economists
Disappointing Inflation Report Increases Odds of a November or December Rate Hike
The Fed remains unlikely to hike rates at next week’s policy meeting The latest inflation report on consumer prices in August came in a hair
Nepo-Homebuyers: 40% of Under 30s Received Family Money for Down Payment
Originally published to Forbes on August 21, 2023. An eye-popping 38% of recent homebuyers under age 30 used either a cash gift from a family member
September Rate Hike Increasingly Unlikely After This Week’s Jobs Report
The August jobs report keeps the probability of the Fed hiking interest rates in September very low. That could be promising for homebuyers watching for
Here’s Why Mortgage Rates Are Still So High Despite All the Good News on Inflation
Despite the fact that promising inflation data has led to expectations that the Fed will cut interest rates soon, mortgage rates remain above 7%. That’s
How You Can Protect Your Home From Climate Change
Originally published to Forbes on July 24, 2023. Climate change is not a distant threat, but a present danger that is already wreaking havoc on our
September Fed Rate Hike is Hard to Imagine After Another Month of Good Inflation News
This morning’s report on consumer prices came in exactly in line with expectations: The consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.2% month over month in July
In the Aftermath of Last Week’s Rate Hike, Fed Officials Will Speak This Week
In A Nutshell: A light economic calendar this week means the focus will be on digesting last week’s Fed meeting, and on any geopolitical developments.
Mortgage Rates Are Likely to Stay High as Fed Hikes Rates and Signals More to Come
Takeaway: The Fed hiked by 25 bps as expected and officially projected another hike this year, but Chairman Warsh’s remarks suggest more may be on
Markets Have Priced in a Fed Rate Hike This Week, But The Economic Case Is Far From a Slam Dunk
In A Nutshell: After last week’s inflation data, markets are almost certain a Fed rate hike is coming this Wednesday, but the economic case is
Why Homebuyers Have More Negotiating Power Right Now
Homebuyers have something they haven’t had much of in recent years: leverage. There were nearly 58% more home sellers than buyers in August—the biggest gap
Latest Inflation Report Points to an Uncertain Path Ahead for the Fed and Mortgage Rates
Takeaway: A higher-than-expected inflation report has markets anticipating a Fed rate hike next Wednesday, but there’s more room than usual for markets to be surprised.
This Week’s Inflation Data Could Be Deciding Factor in Whether the Fed Hikes Rates
Here’s our weekly economic update for the week of September 8. In A Nutshell: There’s much more uncertainty than usual heading into next week’s Fed
