Rate Environment
The Economy
- At the end of July, the Fed made its first policy rate cut since 2008. Over the following week, mortgage interest rates dropped to their lowest level since 2016.
- President Trump announced a new round of tariffs on Chinese imports to start in September. Stocks plummeted and bonds rallied, pushing mortgage rates lower.
- Weekly jobless claims fell last week, pointing to a strong labor market despite a slowing economy and deteriorating trade relations with China.
Housing News
- Fannie Mae's Home Purchase Sentiment Index hit a record high in July, showing consumer confidence. The HPSI reached 93.7, up 7.2 points over last year.
- Mortgage applications rose 5.3% from the previous week and 46.5% over a year ago. Most of the increase was in refinance applications.
- Home prices continued to rise in the 2nd quarter. The national median existing single-family home sales price was $279,600, up 4.3% from a year ago.
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