Welcome back!

Week in Review:

Mortgage rates decreased on the week primarily because consumer confidence reports showed consumers don’t share the rosy outlook of politicians and the media. Interest rates improved about .125%

What to Expect:

This week we get a number of economic reports including the Department of Labor’s Jobs Report. This report includes the latest government data on job losses and the unemployment rate. A poor report could cause rates to decrease further.

This month marks the end of the Fed’s Mortgage-Backed Securities purchase program. As we talked about in the past, we feel home loan rates are subject to increase after the program is over. Furthermore, the Fed must eventually sell what they have purchased which could have a reverse effect on rates.

Breg-ometer:

Next 7 Days: Same range

Next 30 Days: Same range

Next 90 Days: Home loan rates increase

Courtesy of:

Bob Bregitzer

Southeast Mortgage

[where: 30339]

The Week in Review:

Home loan rates decreased slightly during the week partly due to the Department of labor’s Job Report that showed 20,000 jobs were lost in January.

What to expect:

It will be a quite week for economic reports. The most meaningful report is the Retail Sales report which is expected to show a small increase in consumer spending activity.

While rates have decreased the past couple of weeks, don’t ignore “the elephant in the room”. The Fed purchased $12 billion in Mortgage-Backed Securities last week to help bring those rates down. The purchase program goes away in March. Without the stimulus provided by this program, rates are susceptible to moving higher.

Breg-ometer:

Next 7 Days: Same range

Next 30 Days: Same range

Next 90 Days; Rates moving higher

Courtesy of:

Bob Bregitzer

Southeast Mortgage

[where: 30080]

The Week in Review:

Good News/Bad News. The Fed announced last week that they will keep “rates low for an extended period of time”. However, they also announced that they will not be extending the mortgage-backed security purchase program scheduled to end in March.

Home loan rates experienced quite a bit of mid-week volatility but ended unchanged from the previous week.

What to expect:

What does the Fed announcement mean? The Fed maintains the ability to keep short-term rates low. However, their primary method of keeping long-term rates (ie. 30 year fixed mortgages) low was the mortgage-back security program. With this program ending, we have to believe that long-term rates will increase.

Breg-ometer:

Next 7 Days: Same range

Next 30 Days: Same range

Next 90 Days: Increasing rates

Courtesy of:

Bob Bregitzer

Southeast Mortgage

The week in review:

The two biggest economic reports of last week came in lower than expected. Both the Consumer Price Index and the Retail Sales Report helped home loan rates slightly decline on the week.

What to Expect:

The markets were closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. day, but there will be plenty of news the rest of the week. We’ll receive another key report on inflation and on Thursday we’ll get a read on the manufacturing sector with the Philadelphia Fed Report.

As with last week, a tame inflation reading and a weaker than expected manufacturing report could lead to an interest rate decrease.

Breg-ometer:

Next 7 Days: Same range

Next 30 days: Same range

Next 90 Days: Rates expected to rise

Courtesy of:

Bob Bregitzer

Southeast Mortgage

[where: 30080]

Smyrna Vinings Featured Home

In the market for a new home? Don’t miss out on this wonderfully updated 4BR/2.5BA brick home with side entry garage situated on a large, wooded lot located in Mableton, just off of Nickajack Road. This Wieland Signature home has is move-in ready.  Updates and upgrades include:

• New double-pane Argon Gas Low-E Film Windows
• New high-efficiency HVAC system
• New insulated steel garage doors
• New 30 year architectural shingles
• 20,000 gallon Koi Pond with Stone Waterfall
• Large Fenced Wooded Corner Lot
• Large 15×40 Deck
• New Exterior Paint
• Professionally Landscaped
• Oak Hardwood Floors
• Upgraded Berber Carpet

To learn more about this Smyrna Vinings home for sale, click on the Virtual Tour above, check out the property flyer or contact us directly. Click here to schedule a showing.

This 4BR home is located at 401 Chrispen Trace, Mableton, GA 30126 and is offered at $225,000 and is a must-see. Don’t forget that first-time homebuyers can qualify for the $8,000 tax credit and move-up homebuyers can qualify for the $6,500 tax credit.

Exclusively marketed by:

Aaron Hofmann

Keller Williams Realty

770-653-9601

aaron@SmyrnaVinings.com

SmyrnaVinings.com

[where: 30126]