Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:29 — 31.2MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | RSS | More

Mortgage Mom Radio airs weekly focusing on topics that will educate our listeners around mortgage lending. This week Debbie returns from her Mommy Makeover to peel back the curtain a little on the last couple weeks. She then continues on to inform everyone interested in a refinance that you have not missed your window, interest rates are still great for refinancing right now! Debbie and Heidi also go on to discuss loan options most people don’t consider and important things to know about filing taxes if you are near closing on a home.

A Look Into the Markets

“Can you take me High Enough?” by Damn Yankees

This past week we watched long-term rates, like mortgages, improve slightly despite a surprising comment from Treasury Secretary, Janey Yellen. Let’s break it all down and look at what’s on tap for next week.

“It may be that interest rates will have to rise somewhat to make sure that our economy doesn’t overheat” – Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen

Janet Yellen was being interviewed on Zoom when she unleashed this seemingly innocent and likely honest comment. Well, it sent shockwaves across the stock market, pushing the NASDAQ down as much as 400 points on Tuesday alone.

Yellen was once the Fed Chair, and in that former role, it would be her duty to share comments on monetary policy. As Treasury Secretary, it is not her role to discuss rates. Especially, considering the active Fed Chair Jerome Powell saying over and over just days earlier at the Fed Meeting that “now is not the time” to raise rates.

There is big pressure on the Fed to help keep rates low. First and foremost are the upcoming “Plans” being debated in Washington D.C. The American Jobs Plan and American Family Plan are estimated to cost another $4 trillion, on top of the $1 trillion-plus still not spent from the American Rescue Plan. All this spending must be paid for by selling new bonds in the market. What we as a country can’t afford now is higher rates as the expense to service all this new debt will be an enormous burden.

Sell in May and Go Away

Stocks, especially the tech-laden NASDAQ, may have used Yellen’s comment as a reason to sell – but some of the downward pressure in stocks may be a seasonal phenomenon called “Sell in May and Go Away”. The idea is that stocks generally underperform during the summer months when many take vacations, thereby creating lower trading volume, larger price swings and more risk.

As you could imagine, the pain in stocks was a gain for bonds. The 10-year yield declined to 1.56%, down nicely from 1.75% from just a few weeks ago.

If the summer selloff in stocks continues, we may see further improvement in rates.

Opportunity knocks again

With the recent improvement in rates, many more people can still benefit from a refinance and it will certainly help drive the purchase market. However – any rate improvement could be short-lived – here’s three reasons why locking at today’s rates may make sense:

1. Treasury Secretary Janey Yellen’s comments for higher rates, was honest. Lumber and other commodity prices are soaring – higher rates would cool that off.
2. There is growing pressure on Fed Chair Powell to start “tapering” bond purchases. Again, in response to “frothy” assets like stocks and real estate.
3. We are going to see higher inflation numbers over the next few weeks – what we don’t know is how high the numbers will be or how bonds will react. Bonds do not like inflation – it’s like kryptonite to Superman…a killer.

Bottom line: Rates have improved of late, but the good times may be relatively short-lived. Those thinking about locking in today’s rates should do so.

Looking Ahead

Next week we will get a reading on consumer inflation by way of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). It is forecast to come in above 3% year over year – mainly due to year over year increases in oil and commodities. This will be the first time in 50 years since headline year over year consumer inflation will be higher than 30-year mortgage rates.

Longer-term, this would be unsustainable as inflation can’t run above mortgage rates. Either inflation must decline or rates must move higher to compensate for higher inflation or a little bit of both.

The Fed is forecasting inflation to moderate later this year, that is why they say they are “not even thinking about, thinking about” raising rates or tapering bond purchases. We shall see if this comes to pass.

We are LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday at 5 PM. Watch us record our show! Ask us your questions right in the feed, we’ll read those and answer them for you. Make sure to subscribe to our channel and turn on your notifications to know when we get started.

Mortgage Mom Radio equips you with all of the mortgage education that you could ask for right at your fingertips! Listen to our Podcast with hours of shows and topics, download our PHONE APP loaded with every mortgage tool that you could need, and last but not least, watch our weekly Homebuyer Workshop Series on YouTube! Mortgage Mom Radio

How do you schedule a phone appointment with mom? Call our office, 844-935-3634. Get your free consultation today! Do you want our phone app to have the tools you need at your fingertips? Click the link: PHONE APP

Debbie Marcoux is licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act, NMLS ID 237926, also licensed in AZ-0941504, FL-LO76508, GA-69178, IL-031.0058339, NV-57237, OR, TN-184373, TX, WA-MLO-237926 | Heidi Slagle-Points CA NMLS ID 1666881