With the elections and the Fed meeting next week to hopefully clarify QE2, things could get wild. We also have the Employment report for October a week from tomorrow. Austin mortgage borrowers are advised to take advantage of any rate improvement we see as the skies have yet to clear.
We see this as an early warning sign that risk reward is not in your favor, Austin mortgage borrowers. Overall sentiment and economic fundamentals will continue to support a low interest rate environment but not without corrections and volatile conditions.
There were no major surprises in the economic data or the Fed announcement this week. As a result, while volatility remained day to day, Austin mortgage rates ended nearly unchanged for the third straight week.
In a week full of major economic news, mortgage rates ended with little change. Wednesday's Fed meeting produced little reaction in mortgage markets. The PPI inflation report was higher than expected, but the more closely watched CPI report was right on target, remaining at low levels. Economic troubles in some developing nations produced a flight to safer assets, which helped mortgage markets late in the wee
Since the Fed meeting on Wednesday of last week, Austin mortgage rates have improved a little each day. There was no major economic data released during the week, and even a weak 30-yr Treasury auction on Thursday failed to stall the rally in mortgage markets. As a result, Austin mortgage rates ended the week moderately lower.
While daily volatility was high this week, Austin mortgage rates ended just slightly lower than last week. The primary factors influencing Austin mortgage rates were offsetting. The economic growth data released this week was stronger than expected, but inflation remained low. While the first two Treasury auctions produced impressive results, the final one was relatively weak.
Stronger than expected economic data, solid earnings reports, and upward revisions to the Fed's growth forecast propelled the Dow stock index above the 10,000 level for the first time since October 2008. However, these same factors were unfavorable for Austin mortgage rates, and they ended the week modestly higher.
