Jennifer McCarthy - Mortgage Loan Officer - NMLS #2050563

09/10/2026

Market Update
Thursday, September 10, 2026

What's going on, and why does it matter?

Mortgage bonds are trading sharply lower this morning, and oil prices are back over $100 per barrel for the first time since May. As expected, the European Central Bank hiked short-term interest rates in Europe by 0.25%, citing prolonged inflation pressures due to the Middle East conflict. Meanwhile, the Producer Price Index (PPI) here in the US came out elevated, with year-over-year wholesale inflation clocking in at a nasty 5.4%.

What should you do about it?

Lock your rate to be safe.

Daily Bond Market Update

09/09/2026

Three reasons why there's not a housing bubble in the US...

Three Reasons Why There's Not a Housing Bubble in the US

09/09/2026

Market Update
Wednesday, September 9, 2026

What's going on, and why does it matter?

Mortgage bonds opened lower this morning, and stocks are set to fall as financial markets grapple with higher oil prices and an intensifying war between the US and Iran. Meanwhile, the US Treasury is set to provide more details today on the buyback of long-dated government bonds announced last month. Financial markets may react, and mortgage pricing may be volatile as a result.

What should you do about it?

Lock your rate to be safe.

Daily Bond Market Update

09/08/2026

Four reasons why house prices aren't likely to come down significantly...

Four Reasons Why House Prices Aren't Likely to Come Down Significantly

09/08/2026

Market Update
Tuesday, September 8, 2026

What's going on, and why does it matter?

Oil prices are continuing to rise amid ongoing hostilities in the Middle East, with Iran's latest strikes targeting Saudi energy sites. Meanwhile, last Friday's blockbuster jobs report showed that employers added nearly three times as many jobs as expected last month. These signs point toward a Federal Reserve rate hike at the next meeting, scheduled for next week. The only thing that may prevent this is a weak CPI consumer inflation report, which is due this Friday. For that reason, mortgage pricing may be volatile in the days leading up to Friday's CPI report, and financial markets are likely to react strongly one way or another once those numbers come out. In the meantime, mortgage bonds are trading firmly in negative territory as the holiday-shortened week kicks off.

What should you do about it?

Lock your rate to be safe.

Daily Bond Market Update

09/04/2026

Market Update
Friday, September 4, 2026

What's going on, and why does it matter?

Mortgage bonds are retreating after the monthly jobs report came in stronger than market expectations this morning. The data shows 162,000 jobs were created last month, compared with market expectations of 58,000. There were also significantly higher revisions for prior months, with July's numbers revised up by 44,000 and June's numbers revised up by 11,000. This data likely paves the way for a rate hike at the Federal Reserve's upcoming monetary policy meeting mid-month. US financial markets are closed on Monday for Labor Day.

What should you do about it?

Lock your rate to be safe.

Daily Bond Market Update

09/03/2026

Market Update
Thursday, September 3, 2026

What's going on, and why does it matter?

Mortgage bonds continue to struggle in negative territory amid higher oil prices and escalating hostilities between the US and Iran. Global bond yields remain elevated. On today's economic calendar, the monthly US trade deficit jumped and weekly jobless claims ticked slightly higher. Investors will be looking to tomorrow's monthly jobs report for clues on what the Fed might do at the September 15-16 meeting.

What should you do about it?

Lock your rate to be safe.

Daily Bond Market Update

09/02/2026

Something I've been quiet about for a while...

My debut novel, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙅𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙤𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚, comes out October 20th. It's a mystery set at the National Art Center in Tokyo, where a museum registrar named Keiko Ito solves a murder the only way she knows how: through the paperwork.

𝗜’𝗺 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀. If you want a free digital advance copy (EPUB or PDF) and are willing to leave an honest review around launch, grab your copy at the link below. Come join my ARC (Advanced Review Copy) team!

𝕱𝖆𝖎𝖗 𝖜𝖆𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌: this is a quiet, methodical book. No car chases, no blood splatters—just a slow-burn, art-world puzzle. If you like The Cloisters or B.A. Shapiro, you'll feel right at home.

👉 https://dl.bookfunnel.com/kd90qgovow

09/02/2026

Market Update
Wednesday, September 2, 2026

What's going on, and why does it matter?

Mortgage bond prices opened lower this morning and are trading at their worst levels of the year after global bond yields hit multi-decade highs yesterday. On today's economic calendar, the ADP Employment report came out slightly weaker than market expectations. It will be interesting to see if this triggers a small rebound in bond prices ahead of Friday's official monthly jobs report.

What should you do about it?

Lock your rate to be safe.

Daily Bond Market Update

09/01/2026

Rents have increased for 16 years in a row, and they're still going up...

Rents Have Increased for 16 Years in a Row, and They're Still Going Up