FOMC

Wide short-term swings in interest rates — and loan prepayments — that we've all witnessed have serious secondary effects on consumers, lenders, investors and also policymakers.

Mortgage rates were unchanged from last week, but going forward, they are likely to decline following investors' reaction to the Federal Open Market Committee's July 31 short-term rate cut announcement.

The Federal Reserve reduced short-term rates for the first time in years, and accelerated its plan to stop shrinking the Fed’s balance sheet by rolling maturing mortgage-backed securities into Treasuries.

Bond market investors acted cautiously in the wake of next week's Federal Open Market Committee meeting and that likely resulted in mortgage rates moving lower this past week.

The potential for home resales rose 1.1% month-to-month as mortgage rates fell, but buyers only became more entrenched as their purchase power increased, according to First American.

After three weeks of holding fairly steady, average mortgage rates ticked up this week, ironically due to investor optimism that the Federal Open Market Committee will cut short-term rates, according to Freddie Mac.

Fannie Mae increased its mortgage origination forecast as lower interest rates, driven by economic uncertainty, will lead to more refinance activity, but other factors will continue to hold back home purchases.

Will the runoff of MSRs leave a hole in the capital of the mortgage finance industry?

Mortgage rates remained stable as the 30-year fixed-rate loan settled in near 3.8% for the third straight week, according to Freddie Mac

Mortgage rates remained unchanged as investors' concerns over U.S. foreign trade policy, which triggered the previous week's drop, were moderated, according to Freddie Mac.