Almond Tree Mortgage: Karstin Hickerson, Mortgage Broker NMLS #239050

10/13/2024

Dixon Friends and Family - please join me at Rustaller at 5-7 pm tomorrow evening for a family-friendly, casual mingle with Mayor Steven C Bird. Great opportunity to chat with Steve about his vision for the next 4 years for our amazing community.

09/18/2024

First Mortgage rates did not decrease by .5% today.
The Fed Fund rate (Prime index) was reduced by .5% today.

Fed Fund rate directly affects HELOCs and other consumer debt. Mortgage-backed securities directly affect first mortgage rates (conv, FHA, VA, etc) Think of these as "sisters" - separate things, but a reduction with the Fed Fund leads to a positive reaction with mortgage-backed securities, leading to a slight continued reduction in first mortgage rates.

08/28/2024

Mortgage Rates for today - is it refinance time?

07/01/2024

🏡 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽: 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 👎
Rates moved slightly higher to end the week, despite a positive reaction to Friday's inflation data. Most lenders started off Friday with better rates but were forced to reissue new rate sheets through the afternoon as mortgage bonds lost ground in month's end trading. Mortgage bonds are the basis that lenders use when setting mortgage rates.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁: 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲 ⚠️
Mortgage rates are likely to move this week, but whether that move is higher or lower will depend on the labor market data. Markets will close early on Wednesday and be closed on Thursday for the holiday, as will most mortgage lenders. Friday has the most potential to see rates move.

📈 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸:
- Economic data: There will be a handful of reports throughout the week that will affect mortgage rates.
- Jobs data: Tuesday brings labor market data on job openings and layoffs, while Friday brings the BLS jobs report showing unemployment, wages, and new jobs created in June.
- Independence Day: Since the 4th falls on a Thursday, many traders will take an extended weekend, and the resulting decrease in trading volume adds to the potential volatility for rates this week.

06/29/2024

This weekends open house ** 4046 Central Ln, Winters CA **

06/26/2024

06/24/2024

🏡 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽: 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 👍
Rates were basically unchanged last week, not only for the week but with very little movement day-to-day. Overall it was a very quiet week for rates.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁: 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗹𝘆 👍
Mortgage rates shouldn't move much this week, but could improve a little bit if this week's inflation data comes in as expected. Keep in mind though that we could see a lot more volatility next week with labor data and the Independence Day holiday.

📈 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸:
- Economic data: There's really not a lot happening this week although Thursday will bring the final GDP numbers for the first quarter. It isn't likely this data has a big effect on mortgage rates though.
- Inflation data: Friday will bring the Fed's favored inflation gauge, which is expected to show the slowest inflation since late last year and open the door to possible Fed rate cuts later this year.
- The Fed: Mortgage rates will remain near the current levels as long as markets believe the Fed will cut rates later this year. Markets are currently expecting the Fed to cut rates starting in September and to cut rates twice by the end of the year. If markets believe the economic and labor market data would require the Fed to cut rates sooner or more aggressively, that would help mortgage rates improve. That is why next week's labor market data will be important to mortgage rates.

06/20/2024

Rate update -

06/18/2024

I always am being asked about how we underwrite Self Employment income -

06/17/2024

🏡 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟳, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽: 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 👍
Rates improved last week when data showed both wholesale and consumer inflation is once again moving lower. The Fed left its policy rate unchanged last week and Fed Chair Powell signaled the Fed isn't likely to make any moves at the next meeting in July, with Fed officials projecting between 1-2 cuts this year.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁: 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 👎
While it was great to see rates move lower last week, we could be seeing rates capped out for the near term, meaning we aren't likely to see them move lower this week and instead are likely to see them get slightly worse. For those in process and closing soon, consider discussing locking with your mortgage pro. Those not yet under contract or in process though shouldn't worry much, rates are not likely to move that much higher.

📈 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸:
- Juneteenth holiday: Markets will be closed in observance of Juneteenth on Wednesday, and mortgage rates won't move that day.
- Economic data: Only a couple reports this week to watch, retail sales on Tuesday and PMI data on Friday. If the data reflects economic weakness we could see rates improve just slightly, but stronger data would pressure rates higher on the week.

06/10/2024

🏡 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽: 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘇𝘆 👎
Rates improved early in the week as markets grew optimistic that the Fed was likely to cut its policy rate at least a couple of times by the end of the year. However, rates jumped higher on Friday when the BLS jobs data showed a lot more jobs were created than what had been forecast, ending the week just slightly better than the previous week.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸'𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁: 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗲 ⚠️
Rates this week will definitely move higher or lower, we just don't know which way they will go. Rates should start the week off calm, but Wednesday brings inflation data and the Fed meeting. Depending on how the data comes out and what the Fed says, we could see rates start to improve again or they could move quite a bit higher. There is a lot of risk this week.

📈 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸:
- Inflation data: The CPI inflation report comes out Wednesday morning before mortgage rates are released and will affect rates that day.
- Fed meeting and press conference: The Fed is unlikely to cut or hike rates at this month's meeting, however will release its quarterly forecast for rates. Fed Chair Powell's press conference is also likely to cause rates to move Wednesday afternoon.

06/06/2024

Progress! After 26 months of yuck!