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Tag Archives: rates

Mortgage rates hit new high since last July

According to National Mortgage News, the mortgage rate increases noticeably stifled recent borrower applications, but further growth should slacken right as the typical prime home buying season starts, said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “While activity remains high, it’s currently on par with early March, prior to the pandemic,” …

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Market Extra: 5 reasons why negative repo rates are different than the last overnight-funding crisis

It was a big deal in September 2019 when overnight-lending “repo” rates suddenly spiked as high as 9%, raising concerns on Wall Street and at the Federal Reserve to step in to avoid a potential crisis in a key financing cog of global finance. Now, some 17 months later, pretty …

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Personal Finance Daily: Americans scroll Amazon and Walmart for bargains — yet choose pricey healthcare services and throw away hundreds of dollars, and Texas AG sues energy provider over ‘sky-high’ rates after massive winter storm

Hi there, MarketWatchers. Don’t miss these top stories: Personal Finance Americans scroll Amazon and Walmart for bargains — yet choose pricey healthcare services and throw away hundreds of dollars New hospital-price transparency rules took effect earlier this year, but patient advocates say those rules only do so much. ‘We need …

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Optimism as mortgage rates rise

The average mortgage rate hasn’t risen this high since the end of July 2020. Higher rates signal an economy that’s slowly regaining its footing, noted Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, reported by HousingWire. Rising rates certainly didn’t slow new home sales in January. The U.S. census bureau reported sales …

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Personal Finance Daily: Mortgage rates soar to the highest level in nearly six months and 6 million people aren’t eligible for a COVID-19 pause on student-debt payments

Hi there, MarketWatchers. Don’t miss these top stories: Personal Finance ‘I will continue happily shopping there forever’: Costco customers react to retailer’s new $ 16 minimum wage Some 180,000 U.S.-based Costco employees will begin earning $ 16 an hour starting next week, the warehouse retailer’s CEO announced Thursday. We put …

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Mortgage rates spike, but there’s no reason to panic

Now that things are starting to look brighter, rates are rising to places they haven’t been in months. They’re being pushed up by optimism over vaccinations and the relief bill working its way through Congress – and by fears that an improving economy will spark inflation. Zillow economist Matthew Speakman …

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Rates adjust to new Administration

“After months of barely budging, mortgage rates rose significantly in early January at their strongest pace since the spring,” said Matthew Speakman, a Zillow economist. “But that upward momentum has since dissipated, and it appears that fears of an extended, more substantial spike in rates have diminished — at least …

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Mortgage rates hit another low, Congress ironing out stimulus deal

The dips keep on coming. This week’s Freddie Mac average on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 2.67%, another historic low. Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist Sam Khater was optimistic in this week’s release, saying “Homebuyer sentiment is sanguine and purchase demand shows no real signs of waning at all heading …

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