Mortgage Blog - June 25, 20186/25/2018 ![]() Last week’s economic reports included readings from the National Association of Home Builders, Commerce Department reports on housing starts and building permits issued. Sales of pre-owned homes were reported along with weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims. Builder Confidence Slips as Trade Wars Boost Lumber Prices According to the National Association of Home Builders, home builder confidence in current market conditions was down two points to 68 as compared to May’s index reading of 70. Analysts said that rising lumber prices impacted builder sentiment and have replaced labor costs as builders’ primary expense. Increased building costs were cited as a concern for builders despite high demand for homes and limited homes for sale. Rising materials costs were attributed to trade wars caused by recent tariffs on lumber. NAHB said that three components of the Home Builders Housing Market Index were also lower in June. Builder confidence in current market conditions slipped one point to an index reading of 75; builder confidence in market conditions within the next six months also dropped one point to 76. Builder confidence in buyer traffic in new housing developments dipped one point to 50. Any reading over 50 indicates more builders than fewer were confident about housing market conditions. Housing Starts Hit 11-Year High in May May housing starts surpassed April’s reading of 1.280 million starts on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. May’s reading of 1.350 million starts also surpassed expectations of 1.300 million starts. Higher volume and faster pace of building homes was good news for real estate and mortgage industry pros, as building more homes is the only way to relieve marked shortages of available homes in many areas. Rising materials costs could dampen construction pace as tariffs and resulting trade wars increase. May’s reading for housing starts was the highest since 2007 and was 20.00 percent higher year-over-year. Building permits issued in May were 4.60 percent lower than April’s reading. Building permits were issued at a pace of 1.301 million permits on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. Sales of Pre-Owned Homes Slip as Supply Tightens Previously owned homes sold at a slower pace in May as short supplies of homes constrained already tight markets. The National Association of Realtors® reported 5.43 million sales on a seasonally-adjusted annual basis. Analysts expected a reading of 5.52 million sales based on April’s reading of 5.45 million sales. May sales of previously owned homes were three percent lower year-over-year. Analysts said that there is little relief in sight and that there is a growing disparity in home sales; sales of homes worth $250,000 or more were up six percent, while sales of homes worth less than $250,000 fell by eight percent. Short supplies of homes for sale encouraged bidding wars and sidelined first-time and moderate-income buyers. Mortgage Rates, New Jobless Claims Lower Freddie Mac reported lower average mortgage rates last week; the rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage dropped five basis points to 4.57 percent; rates for a 15-year fixed mortgage were eight basis points lower at 4.04 percent and rates for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages were unchanged at an average of 3.83 percent. Discount points averaged 0.50 percent for 30-year fixed rate mortgages, 0.40 percent for 15-year fixed rate mortgages and were 0.30 percent for 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages. First-time jobless claims fell to 218,000 claims filed last week as compared to the prior week’s reading of 221,000 new claims filed and expectations of 220,000 new claims. Buy? Refi? Prequalify. What‘s Ahead for the Week of June 25, 2018 This week’s scheduled economic releases include Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, new and pending home sales and weekly readings on mortgage rates and new jobless claims. Monday June 25, 2018 8:30 am Chicago Fed National Activity Index May 10:00 am New Home Sales May Tuesday, June 26, 2018 9:00 am Case-Shiller US Home Price Index April 10:00 am Consumer Confidence Index June 1:00 pm Raphael Bostic Speech 1:45 pm Rob Kaplan Speech Wednesday June 27, 2018 8:30 am Durable Goods Orders May 8:30 am Core Capex Orders May 8:30 am Advance Trade in Goods May 10 am Pending Home Sales May 11 am Randal Quarles Speech 12:30 pm Eric Rosengren Speech Thursday June 28, 2019 8:30 am Weekly Jobless Claims 8:30 am GDP Revision Q1 10:45 am James Bullard Speech Friday June 29, 2018 8:30 am Personal Income May 8:30 am Consumer Spending May 8:30 am Core Inflation May 9:45 am Chicago PMI June 10 am Consumer Sentiment (Final) June Buy? Refi? Prequalify. Get the Insider Track on Interest Rates! Cheers! Scott Synovic AnnieMac Home Mortgage Colorado's Mortgage Expert www.coloradosmortgageexpert.com 303.668.3350 Direct NMLS: 253799 / AnnieMac Home Mortgage NMLS: 338923 Regulated by the Division of Real Estate The material contained in this newsletter has been prepared by an independent third-party provider. The content is provided for use by real estate, financial services and other professionals only. The material provided is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment and/or mortgage advice. Although the material is deemed to be accurate and reliable, there is no guarantee it is without errors. Scott Synovic is a top performing mortgage loan originator providing superior levels of service and satisfaction to clients and business partners in Colorado - www.scottsynovic.com NMLS #253799 Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation #2289
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