A huge rally in risk-free benchmark Treasuries failed to have a measurable impact in good-credit-quality mortgage rates, as investors continue to pull back from investments which feature even quantifiable risks. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) managed a dip of a single basis points
...
07/30/2007
According to the MBA's latest Weekly Mortgage applications are now scratching a 5-Month low as weakening demand for purchase applications are evident. The NAR's existing homes report on Wednesday shows sales volume off 11.4% from year-ago levels; Inventory numbers stay at a 15-Year high.It's evid
...
07/30/2007
As far as subprime goes, at least three firms announced this week that they would no longer offer the popular "2/28" mortgage, so named because it features a fixed rate for two years, followed by up to 28 years of ever-changing interest rates, typically on a six-month basis. Everything from a lac
...
07/26/2007
In the news, two bond rating agencies, Moody's and Standard & Poor's bond ratings on mortgage-backed securities within the subprime sector have been significantly downgraded, meaning the premium on subprime loans sold to the secondary markets will continue to suffer. Rate increases were necessar
...
07/21/2007
Subprime Meltdown. Mortgage Foreclosures. Downgraded Bonds. Have you seen the news lately? There's just no easy way to slice this one, so let's get real: Subprime is extremely volatile right now. As you probably know, most lenders raised rates this week anywhere from 50 - 200 basis points.
...
07/21/2007
Bond rating agencies have come under fire for the valuations they ascribed to securities backed by those subprime loans. As downgrades are issued for those offerings, certain investors (such as pension funds) cannot hold the now-lower-rated securities; subsequently, more are likely to be dumped o
...
07/16/2007
How does what you do benefit the quality of life of your customers? Life events, not the level of interest rates, drive borrowing needs. Helping people achieve the fullness of their life is remarkable. Doing a good job on their loan isn't.I read a quote from Tom Ward, one of the most successful
...
07/11/2007
Fewer layoffs, higher stock prices and lower gasoline costs have served to improve moods. The weekly ABC News/Washington Post survey of Consumer Comfort jumped by five points during the week of July 1, landing at -7, a seven-week high. Perhaps the short holiday week this week helped improve attit
...
07/11/2007
A few signals of stronger economic growth pushed money into stocks at the expense of bonds, and mortgage rates closed the week on an upward bent. According to the nation's leading survey of mortgage pricing, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) rose by a single basis point to 6.81%, and
...
07/10/2007
The best way to set yourself apart is to become an expert in a specific niche. If you niche yourself you will do tremendously more business then if you are trying to chase and capture every piece of the pie. You want to focus on just a specific slice of the pie. You needn't be concerned about loo
...
07/06/2007
