Money, Debt, Real Estate, and Credit talk with Jeff Underwood

Mortgage markets gained last week, picking up momentum into the weekend. Global demand for mortgage-backed bonds helped push mortgage rates to new lows, and closing costs eased somewhat, too.

According to Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage rate survey, the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 3.89% nationwide. In order to get access to 3.89% mortgage rates, Freddie Mac said, mortgage applicants should expect to pay a full set of closing costs plus 0.7 discount points.

1 discount point is equal to 1 percent of your loan size.

Loans with “low closing costs” or “no closing costs” will be at higher rates than Freddie Mac’s published, average rate.

The biggest reason why mortgage rates fell last week is because — once more — concerns over European sovereign debt resurfaced on Wall Street. This has been an ongoing story for more than a year, and one that won’t likely end soon.

Several Eurozone nations saw their respective credit ratings downgraded last week, a move that sparked safe haven buying of U.S. mortgage bonds. France was stripped of its top credit rating. Slovakia, Italy and Austria were each downgraded, too.

Markets were also influenced by a conflict between Greece’s creditor banks and the nation-state’s government. The breakdown in talks increases the likelihood of the Eurozone’s first sovereign default.

Meanwhile, domestically, in-line Retail Sales figures and rising consumer confidence helped to prop up the U.S. dollar, a move that’s linked to lower mortgage rates.

This week, the markets were closed for the federal holiday Monday, and re-open Tuesday without much data on which to trade. Several inflationary reports are set for release including the Producer Price Index and the Consumer Price Index; and, in housing-related data, we’ll see the Housing Starts report and Existing Home Sales figures for December.

Expect mortgage rates to follow the Eurozone story this week. Pessimism and weak data will be good for mortgage rates in Arizona and nationwide. Strength will lead mortgage rates higher.

If you’re still floating a mortgage rate or have otherwise yet to lock, mortgage rates are lower than they’ve been in history. It’s an ideal time to make aan interest rate commitment.

Jeff Underwood

Mortgage markets improved last week, pushing mortgage rates in Arizona lower for the second straight week. Conforming fixed and adjustable-rate mortgage cut new, all-time lows, and FHA mortgage rates did the same.

In a holiday-shortened trading week, stronger-than-expected U.S. economic data and ongoing weakness within Europe drove investors into the U.S. mortgage-backed bond market. When demand for bonds is high, mortgage rates improve.

The Refi Boom continues.

Since beginning their descent last February, mortgage rates have shed 114 basis points en route to reaching 3.91%, the current, “average”, 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate nationwide and a new all-time low, according to Freddie Mac and its mortgage market survey. If you’re among today’s home buyers or would-be refinancers, on a $200,000 mortgage, the 1.14% rate drop represents a monthly mortgage payment savings of $135 — $1,623 per year.

Larger loans save more, smaller loans save less.

This week, with little economic news set for release, mortgage rates are expected to take their cue from the 8 Federal Reserve members scheduled to speak in public, and from whatever news may bubble up from the Eurozone.

The Federal Reserve said it will communicate its vision for the U.S. economic more openly and more often so Wall Street will be watching the Fed members’ speeches this week, in search of clues about the Fed’s 2012 roadmap.

For example, there has been speculation that a new round of stimulus would be introduced at the Fed’s next meeting later this month. If, after listening to this week’s speeches, investors sense it will happen, mortgage rates may be susceptible to an increase in Chandler and everywhere else.

We’ll also be watching the Retail Sales report this week, due Thursday. Retail Sales are a reflection on consumer spending and consumer spending accounts for roughly 70% of the U.S. economy. If Retail Sales make gains, it may spark stock market gains at the expense of mortgage bonds.

This, too, would result in higher mortgage rates.

You can’t time the mortgage market, but with mortgage rates this low, it’s hard to go wrong. Talk with your loan officer to get a live rate quote.

Jeff Underwood

Mortgage markets improved last week during a holiday-shortened trading week. The mortgage bond markets were closed Monday for Christmas, and closed early Friday afternoon. Trading volume was light all week long, which contributed to a year-end rally.

Mortgage bonds made their largest one-week gain in two months as conforming mortgage rates in Arizona fell to new lows nationwide.

Because most of the improvements transpired Wednesday and Thursday, Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage rate survey failed to capture the action. The survey’s poll of more than 125 banks across the country “closes” Tuesday.

As a result, Freddie Mac reported mortgage rates rising to 3.95% with an accompanying 0.7 discount points plus closing costs, where 1 discount point equals one percent of your borrowed amount. However, those rates represented the high point for the week.

By Friday, conforming loans “with points” were noticeably lower as compared to Freddie Mac’s weekly survey. Loans without discount points were little changed, however.

The same was true for FHA mortgages.

This week, though, the calendar reads 2012. Unfortunately, we’re still watching the stories that drove mortgage rates for much of 2011 — the Eurozone and its members’ debt obligations, and the U.S. jobs market.

As the year concluded, there were fresh fears of trouble in Italy, which has large amounts of debt due in the early part of the year. There were also stern warnings from Eurozone leaders that a difficult 2012 may be ahead.

Events like these are often good for U.S. mortgage rates.

And, this week, the government releases its December Non-Farm Payrolls report. The report moves markets — especially when the actual number of jobs created deviates from consensus estimates.

Economists expect that 150,000 net new jobs were created in December.

Momentum may draw rates lower this, or mortgage rates may begin to rise instead. The direction depends on the outlook for 2012, both domestic and international. The safe play is to lock a mortgage rate now.

Rates have more room to rise than to fall.

Jeff Underwood