Tag Archive for ‘interest rates’

Purchasing and Refinance Activity Thrive Amid Low Rates

As the Mortgage Bankers Association’s 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate reached a new historic low of 3.3%, sliding down by 8 basis points from the previous week, its benchmark Market Composite Index increased by 8% from the previous week, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Purchase applications increased to the highest level in over 11 years and for the ninth consecutive week…. Read More ›

Mortgage Activity Buoyed by Growth in Purchasing

The latest home buying and refinancing data have shown an increase in overall mortgage activity, as indicated by the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Application Survey. The benchmark Market Composite Index increased by 2.7% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. The Primary Mortgage Market Survey’s interest rate hovered 2 basis points above the historical low of 3.40% reached… Read More ›

Purchasing Activity Recovers from April Lows

Current mortgage activity, as indicated by the Mortgage Bankers Association’s latest Weekly Application Survey, indicates a slight rise in purchasing activity and slight decline in refinancings of existing home loans, each by about 6% on a seasonally adjusted basis. Overall, the Market Composite Index decreased by about 2.6%. The contract rate as determined by the Primary Mortgage Market Survey slid… Read More ›

Credit for Builders Tightens, Virus Blamed

For the first time since 2012, builders and developers reported tighter credit conditions on loans for land acquisition, development and single-family construction (AD&C) in NAHB’s AD&C financing survey for the first quarter of 2020.  The net tightening index derived from the NAHB survey jumped to 22.7, about 40 points higher than the -22.3 reported in the fourth quarter of 2019. … Read More ›

Rates on Construction Loans Continue to Drift Downward

In the fourth-quarter of 2019, builders and developers reported declining interest rates on all types of loans covered in NAHB’s quarterly survey on acquisition, development and construction (AD&C) financing (Exhibit 8).  The average interest rate declined from 6.39 to 6.13 percent on loans for land acquisition, from 6.31 to 5.94 percent on loans for land development, from 5.99 to 5.63… Read More ›

Reversing Trend, Interest Rates on AD&C Loans Decline in 3rd Quarter

In the third-quarter of 2019, builders and developers reported declining interest rates on all types of loans covered in NAHB’s survey on acquisition, development and construction (AD&C) financing. In the third quarter, the average interest rate declined from 6.59 to 6.39 percent on loans for land acquisition, from 6.49 to 6.39 percent on loans for land development, from 6.21 to… Read More ›

Fed Lowers Target Rate for Third Time in 2019

The Federal Reserve reduced the target range for the key, short-term federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a top rate of 1.75% at the conclusion of its October Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. This was the third cut in 2019, almost fully reversing a set of increases enacted in 2018. The FOMC views these enacted reductions as… Read More ›

Fed Lowers Rates in September

The Federal Reserve reduced the key, short-term federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a top rate of 2% at the conclusion of its September Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. This was the second cut in 2019, partially reversing a set of increases enacted in 2018. The more dovish stance of the Fed is good for housing and… Read More ›