Economy

Generally positive news about the U.S. economy helped push rates lower, but worries about Congressional infighting over the debt ceiling could reverse the trend, Freddie Mac and Zillow said.

But lower mortgage rates and better traffic have made homebuilders a bit more optimistic, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Gen Zers and millennials want to "test drive" potential long-term living arrangements and neighborhoods, Javelin Strategy and Research found in a recent survey.

High inflation, rising interest rates and increased economic uncertainty may be telegraphing a further slowdown in U.S. new household formation during the closing months of 2022.

The most extreme example of FOMC interest rate market manipulation in 2020 to 2021 has now created a huge potential risk for lenders and investors, writes the chairman of Whalen Global Advisors.

The 30-year fixed loan rate dropped 15 basis points compared with last week as bond market investors acted in advance of this morning's Consumer Price Index report.

The U.S. Supreme Court turned away four appeals from shareholders of the government-sponsored enterprises who said they were entitled to compensation after the Treasury collected more than $100 billion in profits from the government-sponsored enterprises.

Declining mortgage rates and home prices drove more positive views compared to the prior month, but December's overall outlook remained negative, Fannie Mae said.

However, the jobs picture for December was better than what was expected, the Bureau of Labor Statistics data found.

The sector is not immune to the same economic instability that affects the single-family residential market, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.