evan@evanhitch.com

Modest Weakness, But Range Persists Bonds lost ground today, but not for any particular reason. Most importantly, there was no major reaction to the lack of progress in peace talks over the weekend (which would have been hard considering the talks didn’t happen). Earlier in the war, this sort of development would have had a […]

Despite the elevated volatility risk heading into the weekend, mortgage rates are starting the week in exactly the same territory compared to Friday afternoon. As always, our rate tracking refers to top-tier 30-year fixed rates for the average lender. The absence of meaningful movement in the underlying bond market is a testament to an increasingly

What happens if labor or materials become too expensive here in the United States? Despite the move toward rejuvenating the manufacturing-based economy in the United States by the current Administration, people will follow the money and go elsewhere, whether it be dental work, hair transplants, or… manufactured housing. With the high cost of home construction,

The word of the day is “stalled.” You can’t get far reading top news stories over the weekend without seeing it in reference to the negotiations that looked at least somewhat possible on Friday afternoon. At that time, official word was that Witkoff/Kushner were heading to Pakistan on Saturday morning to meet with Iran’s FM Araghchi,

Similar Volatility But in a Friendlier Direction The bond market saw a roughly identical amount of volatility on each of the last 2 days of the week, but Friday’s version played out in a friendlier direction. Headlines suggested improved prospects of peace negotiations over the weekend. While there is no scheduled talk with the US

With zero change versus Thursday’s latest levels, the 30yr fixed mortgage rate index maintained a 0.03% range for the entire week (and 0.04% going back to last Tuesday). At 6.32%, today’s mark is close enough to Friday’s 6.29% to say rates are hovering at the lowest levels in more than a month. The sideways drift

Short version: The Pending Home Sales Index remains in the same low, narrow, sideways range that’s been intact for 3 years. The good news is that there’s been a reliable floor. The bad news is that the top of the range lines up with the historic lows seen in 2010 (April 2020 notwithstanding).  Longer version:

Mortgage applications surged last week, posting a strong rebound as declining rates and improving market sentiment drove broad-based gains. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 7.9% increase on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending April 17. Both refinance and purchase activity contributed to the increase, with the Refinance Index rising 6% from

Lender and Broker Products and Services Two established names in mortgage verification. One national CRA built to serve how lenders actually operate. Advantage Partners Solutions brings together the experience of Advantage Credit and Partners Credit and Verification Solutions into a single, unified partnership. Here’s how it works: clients access credit reporting through Credit Interlink, our

Markets were largely flat overnight but volatility picked up just after 7am ET after headlines suggested US/Iran negotiations could resume as early as today. That was good for almost a $4 drop in oil and a 3bp drop in 10yr yields. Roughly half of that improvement was erased just over an hour later when additional