Displaying blog entries 121-130 of 157
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Why Have Interest Rates Dropped Despite Predictions of Rising Rates?
The headlines agree mortgage interest rates have dropped substantially below initial projections. Many who are considering purchasing a home, or moving up to their dream home, might think that they should wait to buy, because rates may continue to fall.
A recent article on the Economists’ Outlook blog by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) provides insight into one major factor in the decline in interest rates, the crude oil price.
“As of January 5, 2015, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that the price of regular gasoline was $2.20/gallon, the lowest since gas prices peaked to about $ 4/gallon in May 2011.”
You may have noticed that filling your gas tank has become substantially less expensive in recent months. A welcome change from the close to $5 a gallon that many Americans were paying this time last year. The average US household is projected to save around $550 in 2015.
NAR explains the correlation like this:
“Lower oil prices mean lower inflation rate, which pushes down mortgage rates.”
Based on Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage survey as of January 22, 2015, the 30-year fixed rate averaged 3.63% and the 15-year fixed rate averaged 2.93%.
“The decline in oil prices is generally positive to households by way of the gas savings and lower mortgage payments. That savings will boost consumer spending in other areas. But there may be some layoffs in oil-producing states.”
No one really knows how long oil prices will continue to support low mortgage rates. In a New York Times article, the author points to the fact that “adding hundreds of billions of dollars to consumer spending” could start to have a “counter effect” on rates as the economy continues to strengthen.
“If firms start hiring again, and wages increase — that’s when the level of all interest rates in the U.S. would increase.”
The low interest rates we are currently experiencing are not going to stay around forever. The current projections from Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, NAR and the Mortgage Bankers Association all agree that interest rates will increase to between 4.3-5.4% by the end of 2015.
NAR reports: “At the median home price of $205,300, a 0.75 percentage point drop in mortgage rates will yield savings of about $1,000 annually.”
- Looking for a Mortgage Expert to assist you? Please feel free to give me a call - 469-951-9588
We finished 2014 with the 30 year fixed mortgage rate at 3.87% as per Freddie Mac. This is very close to the historic lows in the spring of 2013.
However, the Mortgage Bankers Association projects mortgage rates to be about 5% by the end of 2015. The website Investopedia agrees and gives some perspective on the 5% rate:
“Barring another financial and housing market implosion, and if the economy continues to improve, expect interest rates to rise in the latter half of 2015. If they do jump to the 5% range it will be a modest hike when compared to historical averages. Rates will still be far below the approximately 8.5% 30-year fixed-rates mortgages have averaged since 1971 when Freddie Mac started tracking them. Rates averaged 6% in the years leading up to the recession.”
Here are the latest 2015 mortgage rate projections from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Mortgage Bankers’ Association and the National Association of Realtors:
Freddie Mac's chief economist looks back & reexamines their 2014 predictions! Click here to read. It is a great review of the US Housing Data from 2014.
Their 2015 predictions can also be found here!
- Christie Cannon
One of the top financial ratings firms, Fitch Ratings, is blowing the whistle on Texas' hot housing market. Home sale prices in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are at record levels this year and Fitch Ratings warns that Texas home prices are about 11 percent overvalued. A lack of homes available for purchase coupled with North Texas' fast-growing economy has caused residential prices to jump by about 7 percent over the past year.
Economist Jim Gaines with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M Unversity said he’s looked at Fitch’s new Texas housing report and doesn’t agree with the conclusions. “I’m not buying the overvalued card right now,” Gaines said. “Yes, prices have increased substantially for Texas markets – but only after being essentially flat for almost five years.
Despite its warning about the inflated prices, Fitch's report points out the overall strength of the state's economy. Texas has been leading the country in both job growth and population gains.
Texas home price gains have already cooled from late last year and early in 2014. But the year-over-year gains in residential prices in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is still running about twice the long-term average rate and are higher than nationwide increases.
During the recent recession when many metropolitan areas in California, Nevada and Florida lost 50 percent or more of their home values, Texas prices fell only slightly. And the housing markets in Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio were some of the first in the country to recover. For more information on Fitch's findings click here.
469-951-9588
The "Elves" at RealtyTrac offer the Naughty and Nice U.S. Cities List.
Texas cities make 6 of the top 10; with Frisco as number 5!
You can see their report & methodology here:
The original article can be found on Realty Trac
Do you really need an agent to sell your house in today’s market? Here’s what Fannie Mae suggests to sellers on the Know Your Options section of their website:
“Select how you'll market and list the home (e.g., with a real estate agent or for sale by owner). There are pros and cons to each, but unless you are experienced at selling homes, it usually makes financial sense to get professional help—homes sold by agents typically sell at a higher price and spend less time on the market. An agent will also help you determine the best pricing for the house, they'll market the home, and they'll be your advocate throughout the process.”
If Fannie Mae says using an agent probably makes sense, perhaps you should interview an agent before putting your house up for sale. Full post here.
The latest version of our magazine is now available on our website! Check out all of our updated listings, real estate news and informational articles by going to www.ChristieCannon.com/Christie-Cannon-Magazine. 
New builds are on the rise nationally....and are up big in North Texas.
As builders continue to have record new home starts this year, costs and build times continue to rise. Almost half of Texas construction companies are facing the challenges of losing their workers to other, higher-paying industries. The shortage of contractors is creating rising costs and longer build times. In Texas, over 90 percent of construction firms reported that they faced challenges in finding workers and 48 percent reported that lost workers to other industries. Rising demand for oilfield workers has been a major culprit of luring away construction employees over the past few years. Read the full article here...
The newest report shows that existing home sales are at their highest level for 2014! Check out the latest report from the National Association of Realtors.
Displaying blog entries 121-130 of 157
