Austin Mortgage Market

Austin Mortgage Market Update – For the week of June 21, 2010

The big news of the week revealed housing starts down 10.0% in May to an annual rate of 593,000 units. Closer inspection of the report reveals that all the drop came from the South. In fact, housing starts were actually UP in all other regions of the country. The South suffered in May with the Gulf oil spill disaster and major flooding. It's understandable that these unfortunate occurrences would make everyone, including home builders, more risk averse than usual. In any case, starts are UP 24.3% above their low a year ago April, with single-family starts UP 15.3% in the last year.

June 21, 2010|Inside Lending Newsletter|

Austin Mortgage Market Update – For the week of June 7, 2010

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported the Pending Homes Sales index rose in April for the third month in a row, registering a 6% increase over the upwardly revised March figure. This index measures the number of homebuyers signing purchase contracts. April Pending Home Sales hit their highest level since October 2009 and are UP 22.4% year-over-year. Like Existing and New Home Sales the week before, a good part of the gain was put to the tax credit expiration that required a signed contract by April 30. The NAR also forecast new home sales will be UP 18.5% for the year.

June 7, 2010|Austin Mortgage Market|

Jobs Report Falls Short

The big economic news this week was Friday's Employment data, which fell short of Wall Street forecasts and pushed mortgage rates lower. Investors continued to watch the situation in Europe, but there were no major market moving developments. Due to a rally on Friday, Austin mortgage rates ended the week lower.

June 4, 2010|MBS Quoteline Newsletter|

With yields near record lows and mortgage pricing at or near the best levels in some time, its fool’s gold not to lock in your Austin mortgage rates

With yields near record lows and mortgage pricing at or near the best levels in some time, its fool’s gold not to lock in your Austin mortgage rates. If traders jump the sell side, we see the trade to be shallow, say .50 bps worsening to mortgage pricing as cross currents from around the globe will still be there to support fixed income products.

June 3, 2010|Austin Mortgage Market|

Friday’s Employment data will be huge; some are calling for as much as 600K new jobs created

riday’s Employment data will be huge. Some are calling for as much as 600K new jobs created. Keep this in mind today and tomorrow as a print of that magnitude will raise holy H E double hockey sticks with Austin mortgage pricing. Be square or beware. We’ll handicap the report tomorrow.

June 2, 2010|Austin Mortgage Market|

Quiet trading in both stocks and bonds has greeted the market

Quiet trading in both stocks and bonds has greeted the market. Stocks opened on the soft side, down 80 or so on the Dow but have since recovered to go positive by 72 points. The 10 year note was up 10/32’s at one time but currently is trading plus 1/32nd to yield 3.30%. Mortgage back haven’t done much, trading plus 4/32’s at the highs and now are plus 2/32’s. We’re expecting more of the same until we start to set up (Thursday) for the May Employment report due out Friday at 7:30 am cst.

June 1, 2010|Austin Mortgage Market|

Austin Mortgage Market Update – For the week of May 31, 2010

For the third month in a row, Existing Home Sales beat expectations, UP 7.6% for April and UP 22.8% over a year ago. A lot of the gain was put to the tax credit expiration that required a signed contract by April 30. But buyers have till June 30 to close, so observers feel sales will probably increase for the next couple of months, then take a short break before rising again. Inventories were up from 8.1 to 8.4 months, but this is similar to April gains in prior years, rather than evidence of some huge "shadow inventory" hitting the market. Meanwhile, the median price for an existing home went to $173,000, up 4.0% from a year ago.

June 1, 2010|Inside Lending Newsletter|

China Reassures about European Debt

The economic data took a backseat to events in Europe again this week. Improved sentiment about the troubles in Europe influenced the willingness of investors to purchase riskier assets such as stocks, hurting bond markets. As a result, after dropping to the lowest levels of the year, Austin mortgage rates ended the week a little higher.

June 1, 2010|MBS Quoteline Newsletter|

Notes, bonds, and mortgage backs have slipped as we go into the last hour and a half of trading

Notes, bonds, and mortgage backs have slipped as we go into the last hour and a half of trading. Stocks have been pinched as well, down 75 points on the big board.

May 24, 2010|Austin Mortgage Market|

Austin Mortgage Market Update – For the week of May 24, 2010

Last Tuesday April Housing Starts were UP 5.8% at an annual rate of 672,000 units. This puts them UP 40.9% over a year ago, with single-family starts UP 10.2% for the month. April New Building Permits were off 11.5%, at an annual rate of 606,000. Some said these stats reflect builders' response to the expiration of the homebuyer tax credit. Nevertheless, housing has turned the corner....

May 24, 2010|Inside Lending Newsletter|

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