Fannie Mae economists no longer expect a recession and are considerably more optimistic that mortgage rates have additional room to come down below 6 percent.
Category: inflation
Jump in key inflation gauge may delay mortgage rate relief
Futures markets still hold out hope for a March rate cut, even as annual inflation increased to 3.4 percent in December, moving away from the Fed’s 2 percent goal for the first time since September.
Falling mortgage rates haven’t sparked homebuyer stampede
Recent decline in rates is “some cause for optimism,” but requests for purchase loans are still down 12 percent from a year ago.
Mortgage rates poised to drop as Fed projects 3 cuts
Federal Reserve policymakers anticipate three rate cuts by the end of next year, but many think the central bank may cut faster and harder.
Mortgage rates edge up on surprisingly strong jobs report
Employers added 199,000 workers to their payrolls in November, a sign that the economy may achieve a soft landing but making Fed spring rate cuts less likely.
Homebuyer sentiment tallies record low amid falling rates
Fannie Mae economist warns that, while mortgage rates have retreated, the primary drivers of housing pessimism are persistent affordability challenges and worries about household finances.
Economists agree rates have peaked. But will they come down?
Two closely watched forecasts agree that mortgage rates have probably peaked, but diverge sharply on how quickly they’ll come down over the next two years.
Mortgage rates inch back up after Powell warns Fed could hike again
Speaking at an IMF research conference, Powell said the Fed is committed to raising rates as high as needed to bring inflation down, and “we are not confident that we have achieved such a stance.”
Economists now less certain 2024 will bring much mortgage rate relief
Fed’s “higher for longer” rate strategy could keep home sales from rebounding in 2024 or limit the strength of a recovery, according to two closely followed forecasts.
Mortgage rates hit 20-year high as demand ‘close to multi-decade’ low
Homebuyer demand for mortgages inched up slightly last week, as rates climbed to the highest level in more than two decades, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey.