RE/MAX of Greensboro & PartnersRE/MAX of Greensboro & Partners

Triad Real Estate: Greensboro, High Point, Kernersville, Winston Salem

RE/MAX of Greensboro: 336.854.0500
RE/MAX Partners: 336.854.2400
My Account Login | Register
  • Menu
  • Home
  • Search Homes For Sale
  • Home Valuation
  • Meet Our Agents
  • the Blog
  • Join RE/MAX
  • Contact Us

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 22, 2015

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week - June 22, 2015Last week’s economic news included National Association of Home Builders / Wells Fargo (NAHB) Housing Market Index and Commerce Department reports on Housing Starts and Building Permits, the post-meeting statement of the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), and Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s scheduled press conference.

NAHB: Home Builder Confidence Hits 9 Month High

Home builder confidence in housing market conditions is growing in spite of a planned merger between two builders and related cost-cutting efforts. According to the NAHB’s the home builder index posted a reading of 59 in June as compared to an expected reading of 55 and May’s reading of 54. Any reading over 50 indicates that more builders are confident about housing markets than those who are not. June’s reading was the 12th consecutive month for readings above 50.

The NAHB index is composed of three assessments of market conditions. The reading for current market conditions was seven points higher at 65; builder confidence in current market conditions rose by 6 points for a reading of 69 and the reading for buyer traffic in new single-family housing developments rose five points to a reading of 44.

Regional results for builder confidence were also positive, with three of four regions posting gains in the three-month rolling average of builder confidence. The South posted a gain of three points to a reading of 60; the Northeast region also gained three points for a reading of 44. The West gained two points for a reading of 57 and the Midwest’s reading dropped by one point to 54.

Housing Starts Drop, Building Permits Increase

According to the Commerce Department, Housing starts fell in May while building permits rose. The reading of 1.04 million housing starts was lower than the expected number of 1.08 million starts and April’s reading of 1.17 million housing starts. Analysts note that apartment construction is heating up as fewer families are buying homes. Tight lending standards and concerns about stable job markets continue to keep would-be home buyers from buying homes.

Building permits in May rose from April’s reading of 1.14 million to 1.28 million permits issued. This report includes all types of building permits. David Crowe, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders noted that the demand for rental units in large metro areas was fueling the pace of permits for multi-family housing.

Fed: No Date Set for Rate Hike; Analysts Predict Rate to Rise in Fall

The Federal Reserve’s FOMC statement and Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s press conference did not provide a date for raising the target federal funds rate, but suggested that most members approved of a rate hike before year-end. While Chair Yellen characterized a rate hike as positive in terms of providing better yields on savings accounts, a rate hike would also lead to higher rates for consumer loans and mortgages.

Mortgage Rates, Jobless Claims Lower

Weekly jobless claims fell to 267,000 new claims filed, a reading much lower than expectations of 275,000 new claims filed and the prior week’s reading of 279,000 new jobless claims filed. Analysts said that the lower reading indicates a healthier labor market.

Mortgage rates fell across the board last week. Freddie Mac reported that the average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell by four basis points to 4.00 percent; the average rate for a 15-year fixed rate mortgage fell by two basis points to 3.23 percent and the average rate for a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage dropped one basis point to an average rate of 3.01 percent. Average discount points were 0.70 percent for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, 0.50 percent for a 15 year mortgage and 0.04 percent for a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage.

What’s Ahead

This week’s scheduled economic news includes reports on new and existing home sales and FHFA’s monthly home price report. Reports on consumer spending and consumer sentiment will also be released along with Freddie Mac’s mortgage rates survey and weekly jobless claims.

Posted in: Market Outlook Tagged: Commerce Department, FOMC, NAHB

Quick Home Search

Post navigation

« Safety Tips: 5 Ways to Prepare for a House Fire – and What to Do if One Breaks Out
Summer Staging: How to Stage Your Home to Appeal to Young Families »

My Account Login

Recent Blog Posts

Home Buyer Guide - Winter 2021

Home Buyer Guide - Winter 2021 Are You Thinking About Buying a Home? The process of buying a home can be overwhelming at times, but you don’t need to go through it alone. You may be wondering … Continue reading...

Some Highlights Based on a recent Gallup poll, real estate has been rated the best long-term investment for nine years in a row. Owning real estate is more than just a place to call home. It’s also … Continue reading...

It can be tempting, especially with how hot the housing market has been over the past two years, to consider selling your home on your own. But today’s market is at a turning point, making it more … Continue reading...

A recent survey from Bankrate asks prospective buyers to identify the biggest obstacles in their homebuying journey. It found that 36% of those polled said saving for a down payment is one of their … Continue reading...

Search The Blog

Search for:

News, Tips & Advice

  • Around The Home (272)
  • Baby Boomers (6)
  • Buying Myths (88)
  • Chapter 7 Bankruptcy (1)
  • Consumer Tips (1)
  • Credit Scoring (1)
  • Demographics (19)
  • Distressed Properties (22)
  • Down Payments (37)
  • Federal Reserve (29)
  • FHFA (2)
  • Financial Crisis (1)
  • Financial Reports (135)
  • First Time Home Buyers (212)
  • For Buyers (413)
  • For Sellers (343)
  • Foreclosure (1)
  • Foreclosures (23)
  • FSBOs (15)
  • Gen Z (8)
  • Generation X (4)
  • Giving Back (3)
  • Happy Thanksgiving (1)
  • Holidays (11)
  • Home Building Tips (5)
  • Home Buyer Tips (198)
  • Home Buying Tips (1)
  • Home Care (3)
  • Home Decorating (2)
  • Home Financing Tips (4)
  • Home Maintenance (1)
  • Home Mortgage (3)
  • Home Mortgage Tips (134)
  • Home Ownership (2)
  • Home Seller Tips (162)
  • Home Selling Tips (27)
  • Home Tips (1)
  • Home Values (6)
  • Homebuyer Tips (6)
  • Homeowner Tips (7)
  • Housing Analysis (184)
  • Housing Market (18)
  • Housing Market Updates (284)
  • Infographics (106)
  • Interest Rates (121)
  • Investment Properties (1)
  • Just For Fun (2)
  • Luxury Market (11)
  • Market Outlook (148)
  • Millennials (15)
  • Mortagage Tips (5)
  • Mortgage (87)
  • Mortgage Guidelines (19)
  • Mortgage Rates (150)
  • Mortgage Tips (11)
  • Move-Up Buyers (238)
  • New Construction (26)
  • News (74)
  • Personal Finance (26)
  • Pricing (176)
  • Rankings (2)
  • RE/MAX Buyer & Seller Tips (1)
  • RE/MAX of Greensboro (17)
  • Real Estate (309)
  • Real Estate 101 (10)
  • Real Estate Definitions (3)
  • Real Estate Tips (43)
  • Real Estate Trends (2)
  • Rent vs. Buy (43)
  • Selling Myths (56)
  • Selling Your Home (1)
  • Senior Market (6)
  • Short Sales (4)
  • Statistics (2)
  • Taxes (3)
  • The Economy (20)
  • Time-sensitive (14)
  • Uncategorized (12)

Home Buyer Tips

Looking For A Major Lifestyle Change? Consider Buying A ‘Micro’ Home

With the cost of a home on the rise and the concept of being sustainable becoming more popular, many people are considering moving to a smaller home to minimize their impact. It’s important, however, to consider what living small is really like before deciding that it’s the right move for you.

Around The Home

The Basic Home Security Checklist Every Home Needs

Did you realize that only around 17 percent of the homes in the United States have a security system? Leaving your residence unprotected can come back to haunt you in the future.

Home Seller Tips

Selling Your Home FHA? Learn These Tips To Ensure A Smooth Closing

Before an owner can market a property to buyers that want to use a FHA loan, he will want to familiarize himself with the FHA’s standards. FHA won’t insure loans on just any property. While their standards aren’t as stringent as they used to be, a home needs to be in relatively good condition to qualify for FHA financing.

© 2022 · Greensboro Real Estate Inc. dba RE/MAX of Greensboro & RE/MAX Partners

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | *Affiliated Business Notice

Each Office Independently Owned and Operated.
Greensboro Real Estate Inc Supports Equal Housing Opportunity
*Affiliated Business Notice

Click for the BBB Business Review of this Real Estate in Greensboro NC
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok