Tag Archives: Interest rates

NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said, "The latest weakness in existing home sales still reflects the buyer bidding process in most of October, when mortgage rates were at a two-decade high before the actual closings in November.”

Mortgage applications climbed in November, but will home sales accelerate throughout the end of the year? Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American, details the state of existing-home sales and more market predictions.

In November, new listings jumped to their highest level since October 2022, while home prices also posted its biggest increase since the same time last year. Pending home sales also continued to rise, but many home purchases fell through at a record rate as some homebuyers got cold feet, according to a new Redfin report.

For the third meeting in a row, the Federal Open Market Committee chose to hold rates steady based on current market conditions and future predictions. Click through to find out the current interest rate and read a brief history of rate hikes since the pandemic began, as well as commentary from relevant economists and sources.

While the average homebuyer can now afford to spend even less on a home, a new Point2 study revealed that the median home price in the U.S. is now 50% higher than the average affordable home price.

In a new report, the OCC highlights the nation’s credit, market, operational, and compliance risks, as well as other key issues facing the federal banking system.

“Financial distress can be a vicious cycle,” said Cassandra Happe, Analyst at WalletHub. “People who can’t make payments on their accounts end up damaging their credit scores, which in turn makes it more difficult for them to qualify for the best solutions to their debt.”

“Mortgage rates are dropping due to easing inflation and investors betting the Fed will cut interest rates sooner than expected," said Redfin Economics Research Lead Chen Zhao. “Declining rates, along with a sizable year-over-year increase in new listings, are leading to more favorable conditions for some buyers."

While the housing market remains unpredictable, a surprising percentage of surveyed Americans report wanting it to crash in 2024, according to a new LendingTree study, as many believe that might be the only way they could afford a home.

According to a new study from First American, some 90% of homeowners remain discouraged by the idea of selling their homes. Will that change if mortgage rates were to decline in 2024? Here’s what experts predict about the ongoing “sellers’ strike.”