Don Grimes's (grimesd) Blog

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : February 28, 2011   Mortgage markets improved last week as Wall Street's concerns about the Middle East trumped its fears of inflation. Conforming and FHA mortgage rates in Michigan fell to a 3-week low. Last week marked the second straight week in whic...

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : February 22, 2011   Mortgage markets improved slightly last week, rebounding from the worst 1-week loss in recent history. The gains were geopolitical, however; the result of instability in the Middle East region. Economic data was overlooked as investo...

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : February 14, 2011  Mortgage markets worsened terribly last week. Amid more reports of an improving economy and fears of pending inflation, mortgage rates skyrocketed to their highest levels since April 2010.  According to Freddie Mac, mortgage rates mad...

Mortgage Rates Rise For The 7th Straight Day   Mortgage markets worsened for the 7th straight day Tuesday, equaling the longest losing streak of the last 5 years. Conventional, 30-year fixed mortgage rates are now scratching 5 percent, with FHA mortgage rates running roughly the same. This is a h...

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : February 7, 2011   Mortgage markets worsened last week as Wall Street came to terms with the expanding economy; and realized the Federal Reserve may be trying to induce inflation. Better-than-expected retail sales and positive job growth buoyed stock ma...

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : January 31, 2011  Mortgage markets improved this week as positive economic data was overshadowed by geopolitical strife. A flight-to-quality drove buy-side activity in mortgage bond markets, which, in turn, helped conforming rates fall across the state ...

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : January 24, 2011   Mortgage markets worsened last week in a holiday-shortened trading week. As the body of U.S. economic data continues to show slow, steady improvement, Wall Street is becoming a net-seller of mortgage-backed bonds. As a result, conform...

Building Permits Surge In December; Signals A Strong Spring Housing Market   Each month, in conjunction with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Census Bureau releases its New Residential Construction report. The report is comprised of several sections, one of which counts the nu...

Home Builders Slowed By Economy, But Seeing More Foot Traffic   Homebuilder confidence held firm for the second straight month this month, according to the National Association of Home Builders. The monthly Housing Market Index registered 16 out of a possible 100. January's reading is three point...

What's Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week : January 18, 2011   Mortgage markets worsened last week on a turn-around in sentiment across the Eurozone. The sort of "safe haven" buying that had buoyed mortgage bonds since the New Year dissipated, and mortgage rates resumed climbing. Last week marked...