Real Estate

Spoiler alert: it’s not Iran. And this morning’s yields are the 2nd lowest in more than 3 months behind last Friday. Last Friday was also a month-end trading day with a mini snowball rally that defied overt explanation (apart from “month end bond buying”)–a fact that led us to warn about the risk of “new […]

Home price appreciation pulled back slightly at the end of last year, according to December data from both FHFA and S&P/Cotality Case-Shiller. The reports reinforce the message that prices continued to appreciate modestly through the end of 2025. FHFA’s seasonally adjusted House Price Index shows home prices up 1.8% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of

Mortgage application activity edged ever-so-slightly higher last week, with the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reporting an increase of 0.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending February 20. Refi applications continue to do the heavy lifting. The Refinance Index increased 4% from the previous week and was 150% higher than the same week

At this point, it is getting a bit repetitive to bring up “the lowest rates in more than 3 years”–something that was officially the case twice this week. If we give rates credit for stably holding these long-term lows (and we should!), then every day this week has been the best in more than 3

Bonds Cap Stellar Week/Month With Strongest Close Bonds ended the week/month at their strongest levels with 10yr yields breaking below the 4.0% floor to close at 3.95+.  In addition to the low outright levels, the journey was accomplished with minimal volatility along the way. This is potentially surprising given this morning’s much higher PPI numbers,

Can’t you feel the anticipation building? March 5th… Trigger leads… Don’t tell me that you’ve forgotten all about it. When a borrower applies for a mortgage and their credit is pulled, that data has historically been sold as a “trigger lead” and dozens of calls are received. Starting March 5, according to the law, credit

We’d already discussed the fact that PPI has fallen by the wayside as a relevant market mover for bonds despite one or two instances of relevance nearly 2 years ago when bonds were desperate for any hints of change. Today’s PPI results and the ensuing bond market movement leave no doubt as to the relevance

Knock Knock Knockin’ on 10yr Floor Sometimes, it’s a shame that the 7yr Treasury isn’t the most popular bond market benchmark. If it were, today’s headline could reference “knockin’ on 7’s floor.” Whether it’s the 3.77 level in the 7yr Treasury yield or 4.0% in the 10yr, bonds are repeatedly approaching these “floor” levels over

Given that we have the somewhat unpopular job of reporting that today’s average top-tier 30yr fixed mortgage rate is 6.00 again, rather than the 5.99 seen earlier this week, we can at least find one glowingly positive development as a silver lining. In fact, the silver lining is more than a consolation prize. It’s actually

The latest example is ICE Mortgage Technology launching its new Homeowner Portal, powered by LERETA’s tax tracking data, “giving homeowners real-time visibility into their property tax and insurance payment information. The integration enhances transparency for borrowers while helping servicers improve efficiency and reduce inbound customer inquiries.” (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s