Federal Reserve FOMC Announcement

The stage was set in high suspense for FOMC's post-meeting announcement on Wednesday. As fall approaches, analysts and the media are looking for any sign of when and how much the Fed will raise its target federal funds rate. According to CNBC, some analysts were projecting two interest rate hikes before year end, but the truth of the matter remains unknown until the Federal Open Market Committee announces its intentions. Meanwhile, reports of what Fed rate hikes will mean for consumers were released prior to the FOMC statement. Real estate analyst Mark Hanson said that a rate hike would "crush"…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – July 27, 2015

Last week's scheduled economic news releases were limited as no news was released on Monday or Tuesday, but good news did arrive in the form of a dip in mortgage rates for fixed rate loans. The National Association of Realtors® reported higher sales of pre-owned homes and FHFA reported that home price growth associated with mortgages held or backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac held steady in May. Sales of Pre-Owned Homes and FHFA House Prices Rise According to the National Association of Realtors®, June sales of existing homes reached their highest level since February 2007. Sales of used…
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Good News! Existing Home Sales, FHFA Home Prices Increase

Housing markets show continued signs of strengthening according to reports released on Wednesday. The National Association of Realtors® reported that sales of pre-owned homes rose to 5.49 million in June as compared to May's revised reading of 5.32 million pre-owned homes sold and expected sales estimated at 5.42 million sales. Expectations were based on May's original reading of 5.35 million sales. June's reading was the highest since February of 2007. Readings for existing home sales are calculated on a seasonally adjusted annual basis. Buyers Gain Confidence in Labor Markets, Rush to Beat Rate Hikes Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the…
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