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 – March 16, 2015

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week March 16 2015Last week’s economic reports included job openings, retail sales, retail sales except automotive, consumer sentiment for March and the usual reports on weekly jobless claims and mortgage rates.

Job Openings Highest in 14 Years

The Labor Department reported that job openings reached their highest level in 14 years in January, and rose by 2.50 percent over December 2014 job openings. On a seasonally adjusted basis, there were five million job openings in January. Job openings rose by 28 percent year-over-year.

Hiring rose by 3.50 percent to 5.24 million, but analysts said that employers continue to have difficulty in finding workers with skills needed to fill their job openings. Winter weather was also mentioned as contributing to lower hiring rates.

Stable full-time employment is a key requirement for qualifying for a home loan. Inconsistent, part-time and self-employment typically make it more difficult to qualify for mortgages in today’s conservative lending environment.

Retail Sales Lower

Retail sales fell by –0.60 percent in February against an expected reading of +0.30 percent and January’s reading of -0.80 percent. This was the third consecutive drop in retail sales volume and suggests that consumers are not confident about spending. Retail sales except automotive were also lower with a February reading of -0.10 percent against an expected reading of +0.40 percent and January’s reading of -1.10 percent.

Mortgage Rates Rise, Weekly Jobless Claims Fall

According to Freddie Mac average mortgage rates rose across the board with the rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage at 3.86 percent, an increase of 11 basis points. The average rate for a 15-year mortgage rose by seven basis points to 3.10 percent. The average rate for a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage rose five basis points to 3.01 percent. Discount points were unchanged at 0.60 percent for fixed rate mortgages and 0.50 percent for a 5/1 adjustable rate mortgage.

Weekly jobless claims fell to 389,000 against expectations of 310,000 new jobless claims filed and the prior week’s reading of 325,000 new claims filed. This was good news after a spike in new jobless claims that was likely caused by bad weather. Although week to week data tends to be more volatile than month-to-month trends, there was good news in that new jobless claims fell below a benchmark of 300,000 new claims filed. Readings of 300,000 or fewer new jobless claims filed represent strong labor market conditions.

What’s Ahead

This week’s economic reports include the NAHB Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, federal reports on housing starts and building permits and the Federal Reserve’s FOMC meeting statement. Fed Chair Janet Yellen is scheduled to present a press conference, which analysts will watch closely for any indication of when the Fed will raise interest rates.

Related

Posted in: Market Outlook Tagged: Freddie Mac, Market Outlook, Mortgage Rates

Quick Home Search

Post navigation

« Three Inexpensive Makeovers That Will Boost Your Home’s Appeal to Young Buyers
Tax Time 2015: How Buying a New Home Can Impact the Amount of Tax You’ll Pay »

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...

… Continue reading...

The housing market has gone through a lot of change recently, and much of that was a result of how quickly mortgage rates rose last year. … Continue reading...

If you’re a homeowner ready to make a move, you may be thinking about using your current house as a short-term rental property instead of selling it. A short-term rental (STR) is typically offered as … Continue reading...

Search The Blog

Search for:

News, Tips & Advice

  • Around The Home (272)
  • Baby Boomers (9)
  • Buying Myths (111)
  • Chapter 7 Bankruptcy (1)
  • Consumer Tips (1)
  • Credit Scoring (1)
  • Demographics (24)
  • Distressed Properties (24)
  • Down Payments (46)
  • Federal Reserve (29)
  • FHFA (2)
  • Financial Crisis (1)
  • Financial Reports (135)
  • First Time Home Buyers (279)
  • For Buyers (518)
  • For Sellers (416)
  • Foreclosure (1)
  • Foreclosures (29)
  • FSBOs (19)
  • Gen Z (11)
  • Generation X (5)
  • Giving Back (3)
  • Happy Thanksgiving (1)
  • Holidays (12)
  • 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 (370)
  • Infographics (135)
  • Interest Rates (145)
  • Investment Properties (1)
  • Just For Fun (2)
  • Luxury Market (12)
  • Market Outlook (148)
  • Millennials (20)
  • Mortagage Tips (5)
  • Mortgage (87)
  • Mortgage Guidelines (19)
  • Mortgage Rates (150)
  • Mortgage Tips (11)
  • Move-Up Buyers (307)
  • New Construction (30)
  • News (81)
  • Personal Finance (26)
  • Pricing (210)
  • 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 (50)
  • Selling Myths (76)
  • Selling Your Home (1)
  • Senior Market (8)
  • Short Sales (4)
  • Statistics (2)
  • Taxes (3)
  • The Economy (20)
  • Time-sensitive (15)
  • Uncategorized (13)

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.

© 2023 · 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

RE/MAX of Greensboro BBB Business Review