RateMastery

Digging in; making sure the grass is greener on your side of the fence It’s that time of year. Time to start thinking spring. Lawn care comes front and center, as brown lawns begin to wake up and green ones with “issues” may need some attention. There is something about a beautiful lawn that increases the curb appeal of...

Market focus: NFIB Small Business Optimism Index and Trade Balance Small Business Optimism: The January NFIB Small Business Optimism Index dropped from 98.9 in Dec to only...

Drama in stocks and crypto doesn’t necessarily translate into drama for real estate Because the law of supply and demand can harbor some seemingly unrelated bedfellows, economists are watching closely as the volatility in the stock and cryptocurrency markets has left many on edge, including watching as historically high home and rent prices continue. Many are worried another...

Three things that can impact rates this week These are the three areas that have the greatest ability to impact rates this week. 1) Inflation, 2) The Fed and 3) Treasury Sales...

A quiet start to the week with CPI Thursday Jan jobs three time higher than estimates, the labor participation rate, the biggest increase on a m/m basis since well before the pandemic at 62.2%, average hourly earnings +0.7% with estimates 0.5%, yr./yr. +5.7% with estimates of...

For homebuyers, ignorance is never bliss and seller disclosure is everything When Sid Hudgens, the Danny DeVito character in the movie, LA Confidential, spoke, people listened. The Hollywood gossip columnist had one line he was known for: “Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush”. When buying real estate, seller disclosure is literally...

January jobs data comes in red hot January Non Farm Payrolls (NFP) increased by 467K vs. est. of 150K. Many "whisper" estimates were for below 0...

As COVID morphs into more variants, real estate trends morph as well “The great migration to the suburbs or to the country is down to a trickle,” says one New York City-based real estate broker. “City people are unlikely to leave the city if they have not already done so, and a lot of those who left are coming back. I don’t think they are running away...

The Bank of England surprises markets Challenger Job Cuts showed 19,064 announced corporate job cuts which was basically the same as December's pace. Initial Weekly Jobless Claims were lower than expected...

Romancing the loan: buying your first home as a new couple February means poems, cards, and gestures of love. If you are in newlywed heaven however, there is only one more task that makes newlywed couples feel even more official...

Huge miss with ADP Employment data The January ADP Employment change was much weaker than expected, showing a contraction of -310K hires vs...