Eye On Housing
Author Archives
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30-Year Mortgage Rate Continues to Decline
For the fifth straight month, information compiled by Freddie Mac shows that mortgage rates continued to fall. As of May 2019, the 30-year FRM – Commitment rate, fell by seven basis points to 4.07 percent from 4.14 percent in April. The cycle peak was 4.87 percent in November. According to the June 2019 Federal Open Market Committee meeting statement, the… Read More ›
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Texas Leads Job Gains in May
Total nonfarm employment, seasonally adjusted (SA) increased by 2.4 million jobs, year-over-year (YoY), or 1.6% from May 2018 to May 2019. During this time, total nonfarm employment in the Western region increased by 2.0%. The South, Northeast, and Midwest recorded gains at 1.6%, 0.9% and 0.8% respectively, during this time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nonfarm payroll employment… Read More ›
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Housing Starts Relatively Flat in May
Total housing starts posted a 0.9 percent decrease in May (1.269 million units) compared to an upwardly revised April estimate of 1.281 million units, according to the joint data release from the Census Bureau and HUD. Relative to May 2018, total starts are 4.7 percent below the annual pace of 1.332 million units. Single-family production in May posted a monthly… Read More ›
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Single-Family Permit Continues To Be Weak in April
Over the first four months of 2019, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 261,119. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is a 6.5% decline over the April 2018 level of 279,302. Year-to-date ending in April, single-family permits reported growth only in the Northeast region of the country. The South, Midwest, and the West regions declined… Read More ›
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Housing and the Agriculture Industry in the Midwest
Housing markets in the Midwest have experienced weakness in recent quarters. For example, single-family permits posted a 3.6% decline in year-to-date data when comparing December 2018 level with December 2017 in the Midwest. Single-family permitting for the first four months of 2019 are down 11.3% in the Midwest when compared to the opening months of 2018. As of April, new… Read More ›
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30-Year Mortgage Rate at Recent Lows
For the fifth straight month, information compiled by Freddie Mac shows that mortgage rates continued to fall. As of April 2019, the 30-year FRM – Commitment rate, fell by thirteen basis points to 4.14 percent from 4.27 percent in March. The cycle peak was 4.87 percent in November. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that the contract rate for newly-built… Read More ›
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California Leads Job Gains in April
Total nonfarm employment, seasonally adjusted (SA) increased by 2.6 million jobs, year-over-year (YoY), or 1.8% from April 2018 to April 2019. During this time, total nonfarm employment in the Western region increased by 2.0%. The South, Northeast, and Midwest recorded gains at 1.7%, 1.2% and 1.0% respectively, during this time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nonfarm payroll employment… Read More ›
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Single-Family Permit Weakness at Start of 2019
Over the first three months of 2019, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 185,336. On a year-over-year basis, this is a 7.3% decline over the March 2018 level of 199,861. Year-to-date ending in March, single-family permits reported growth only in the Northeast region of the country. The South, Midwest, and the West regions declined by… Read More ›
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West Leads GDP Growth In 2018
Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in 49 states and the District of Columbia and declined in Alaska in 2018 compared to 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In 2017, 47 states and the District of Columbia recorded growth in GDP while three states (Kansas, Louisiana, and Connecticut) recorded a decline in GDP. As a result, nationwide growth… Read More ›
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30-Year Mortgage Rate Retreated in March
For the fourth straight month, information compiled by Freddie Mac shows that mortgage rates continued to fall in March 2019. The 30-year FRM – Commitment rate, fell by ten basis points to 4.27 percent from 4.37 percent in February. The cycle peak was 4.87 percent in November. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that the contract rate for newly-built homes,… Read More ›