Mortgage rates

Mortgage rates posted a slight increase this week following the Federal Open Markets Committee's decision to boost short-term rates by 25 basis points, according to Freddie Mac.

A stronger than expected refinance market led Fannie Mae to increase its origination projections for the first quarter by nearly 4% in its March outlook.

Only a small percentage of borrowers are deterred by the higher rates seen this year, even with the additional cost making it tough for first-time buyers to find affordable properties.

Residential mortgage originations fell 19% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2017, due primarily to a large drop in refinance volume, according to Attom Data Solutions.

Houston-area homebuyers face a tightening supply of homes just as the busy Spring home-buying season is about to hit.

After increasing for nine consecutive weeks, mortgage rates dropped for the first time in 2018, according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

Continued increases in mortgage rates caused the refinance loan application share to fall to its lowest level since September 2008, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

There's too much momentum and too little debt for rising interest rates to derail the U.S. economic expansion or drive up the cost of home ownership.

Thanks to low mortgage rates, homes in most metros are actually more affordable today than they were in 1990.

If GSE reform leads to the 30-year mortgage's demise, homebuyers' monthly payments could soar by $400, according to a recent Zillow estimate. But lenders aren't convinced this housing finance staple is in any danger of being replaced.