Best Equity

11/11/2024

Mortgage Rates Lower Again As Lenders Catch Up With Bonds... After a tough couple month of mostly rising rates, we are a seeing a very small correction to bring rates for most lenders under 7%.

Depending on the loan scenario, rates can probably be found in the mid 6% range.

Call us to discuss today. (619)847-3115

The bond market dictates day to day movement for all manner of interest rates , including mortgages.  On election night, bond yields (another word for "rates") spiked as soon as traders felt the...

05/02/2024

📉 Interest Rate Update! The Fed kept their target rates steady, but here's the buzz: they're making moves on quantitative tightening (QT)! This means selling off assets to reduce money supply. 📉 Lower rates ahead?

The mortgage market reacted with lower rates. Perhaps this was a reaction to QT or perhaps it was a reaction the FED not raising their target. Either way, the slight improvement in rates was welcome after a rough month.

Stay tuned!

Recent indicators suggest that economic activity has been expanding continued to expand at a solid pace. Job gains have remained strong, and the unemployment rate has remained low. Inflation has ea...

04/20/2024

📉🏠 Update from Best Equity Mortgage:

As recently as March, both the Fed and financial markets anticipated up to three rate cuts in 2024. However, recent data has shifted perspectives significantly. While this week’s data played a background role, last week’s figures were a real game-changer. Inflation has resurfaced, and it has the markets spooked...

Stay informed, stay ahead.

The Fed expected to be able to cut rates 3 times in 2024 as recently as March. Financial markets agreed. But the data that's come out since then has everyone singing a different tune.  This week'...

12/26/2023

Rates have seen a fairly dramatic improvement in the last 30 days. The chart int he comments shows the mortgage backed securities bond market over the past 90 days. Movement upwards translates into lower rates. We started the month of December with rates over 7% and with some lenders rates below 6% might be possible.

Give me a call to discuss your scenario today. (619)847-3115

The astonishing pace of the recent drop in interest rates has raised some questions regarding sustainability and justification, but we can clear them up with a single chart. The Federal Reserve do...

12/13/2023

Today is FED day!!! News Conference starts at 11:30am PST.

In advance of the meeting, they have released their revised DOTs. They are calling for additional reduction in rates in 2024 and 2025 versus their previous DOT release.

This revisions shows as that the FED is seeing additional softening that may require rate reductions to jump start the economy or head off a coming recession...

2024 Dots 4.6% vs 5.1% prev this is all that really matters... 2025 dots 3.6% vs 3.9% prev As expected, 2pm has been all about the Fed's dot plot with investors hopin...

12/13/2023

The CPI - Consumer Price Index was released yesterday and the top line numbers definitely threaded the needle with core inflation hitting 0.3% versus a median forecast of 0.3% in month-over-month terms. That was the most important number of the day.

The annual inflation number continues to creep down and now sits just under 3.7%.

All-in-all, this appears to be good news for a soft landing, but we still expect rates to stay elevated for through the first quarter of 2024 at a minimum.

When it comes to interest rates reacting to scheduled economic reports, the magnitude of the reaction is generally correlated with the extent to which the data comes out better or worse than expecte...

11/30/2023

🎉 Exciting News from Best Equity! 🏡✨

We're thrilled to announce that conventional loan limits for San Diego County for 2024 have increased, and they are in effect NOW! 📈✅ This means more opportunities for you to secure the home of your dreams. 🏠💙

Ready to explore your options? Contact us today for a quote on rates! 📲 Call us at (619) 847-3115 or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We have a quick and easy online application and we offer a soft credit check that won't affect your score 🌐💳

Don't miss out on the enhanced possibilities in the real estate market! Let Best Equity guide you towards your homeownership goals. 🌟🔑

10/23/2023

Mortgage rates finally broke the 8% ceiling this week after months of gradual upward movement in the 7% range. At the same time, Existing Home Sales fell to the lowest levels in more than a decade. Pretty gloomy... but there are silver linings and perhaps even some overly optimistic Kool Aid to drink. As always, we'll try to focus on the warm bowl of porridge in the middle...

Mortgage rates finally broke the 8% ceiling this week after months of gradual upward movement in the 7% range. At the same time, Existing Home Sales fell to the lowest levels in more than a decade. P...

08/30/2023

🏡📊 Newly constructed homes are thriving due to limited inventory affecting existing home sales. While pre-owned home sales dropped over 16% from last year, new home sales surged ahead by 31.5%, reaching an annual rate of 714,000 units in July. The ongoing housing deficit and homeowners preserving low mortgage rates contribute to this growth. 📈🏠

If you are starting your search for a new home we can get you prequalified quickly WITHOUT a hard credit inquiry on your credit report.

Call or email us today (619)847-3115 or [email protected].

Sales of newly constructed homes appear to be benefitting from the very lack of inventory that is stifling existing home sales.  July’s sales of pre-owned homes lagged sales a year earlier by mo...

07/28/2023

Rates increased yesterday following the Fed rate increases, but not for the reason you would expect...

With Fed Chairman Powell sticking to the same song and dance, the markets are left in limbo and will continue to bounce around sporadically based on the data of the moment. This will continue until the Fed takes their finger off the rate increase trigger.

If you are shopping for mortgage or waiting to lock a loan, having a knowledgable lender that understands the market is important.

Call me or email to get a rate quote today. We can get you prequalified in minutes without affecting your credit. We offer "soft credit checks" for pre-qualification.

Erin James OConnor
Best Equity Mortgage
NMLS # 1530632
[email protected]
(619)847-3115

The Fed hiked its policy rate yesterday and now today, mortgage rates jumped quite a bit higher.  While there are already headlines drawing a connection between these two events, they are actua...

07/26/2023

After a June pause, the Fed resumed their increase in the fed funding rate. The July increase is consistent with a measured hawkishness for the central bank. Here is what the Fed had to say

“In determining the extent of additional policy firming that may be appropriate to return inflation to 2 percent over time, the Committee will take into account the cumulative tightening of monetary policy, the lags with which monetary policy affects economic activity and inflation, and economic and financial developments.”

Another key comment is that a return to a target 2% inflation rate could come by 2025.... the Fed left the door open for more rate increases and a prolonged hold at the top. While the Fed funding rate does not directly control mortgage rates, it is certainly a point of guidance. Mortgage rates tend to be more forward looking than the Fed fund rates due to the long term nature of the coupon.

POWELL: WILL MAKE DECISIONS MEETING BY MEETING POWELL: JUNE CPI WELCOME BUT ONLY ONE REPORT, ONE MONTH'S DATA POWELL: IF DATA SUGGESTS MORE HIKES ARE NEEDED THAT IS THE JUDGMENT WE'LL MAKE PO...

07/26/2023

Today is Fed day... This is usually a market mover for mortgage rates, bonds, and stocks alike. Most pundits think a .25% increase is a forgone conclusion. The language that Powell uses is more important. Inflation appears to be coming under control, but words matter for the bond markets.

While there's always a chance that any of the year's 8 scheduled Fed announcements will thread the needle, today's installment is just as likely to provide some clarity for market participants.  ...