From Our Economists
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
Today’s Hot Jobs Report is Pushing Mortgage Rates Up, But It Shouldn’t Be
The Fed will look at the big picture–including the fact that rates have already increased so much recently–when considering a November rate hike. At first
Climate Change Pushes Up Home Insurance Premiums
Originally published to Forbes on September 18, 2023. A recent study from PolicyGenius found that quoted homeowner’s insurance premiums increased by 21% nationally from May 2022
4 Ways to Buy Your First Home, Even as Affordability Worsens
Originally published to Forbes on September 12, 2023. For many young Americans, the dream of owning a home feels less like a middle-class milestone and more
How Would a Government Shutdown Impact the Housing Market? Low Demand in D.C., Temporary Dip in Mortgage Rates, Loan Delays
The impact of a federal government shutdown on the economy and the U.S. housing market would likely be small, unless it lasts much longer than
Fed Projects Rates Will Be Higher For Longer, Upping Chance of Elevated Mortgage Rates Into Next Year
The Fed increased projections for 2024 and 2025 rates at its September meeting, though it kept rates unchanged for now. That will likely keep mortgage
The UAW Strike Could Be a Drag on the U.S. Economy: Here’s the Good News and Bad News For the Housing Market
The United Auto Workers strike could hamper U.S. economic growth and potentially encourage the Fed to lower interest rates, which would bring down mortgage rates.
