Your Daily Mortgage Commentary & Rate Lock Advice for Massachusetts Mortgage Rates
Courtesy of the Massachusetts Mortgage Broker
Monday’s bond market has opened well in negative territory following stronger than expected economic reports. The stock markets are starting the week in positive ground with the Dow up 74 points and the Nasdaq up 13 points. The bond market is currently down 17/32, but due to strength late Friday we will see little change to this morning’s Massachusetts mortgage rates compared to Friday’s morning rates.
There were two relevant reports posted this morning. The first was January’s Personal Income and Outlays data early this morning. It showed a 0.4% increase in income and a 0.2% rise in spending. The income reading was stronger than expected, but the spending increase fell short of forecasts. Therefore, this report can be considered neutral for mortgage rates.
The second report of the day was the Institute of Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing index. This index tracks manufacturer sentiment by rating surveyed trade executives’ opinions of business conditions. It showed a reading of 58.4 that was well above what analysts were expecting to see. This means that more surveyed manufacturers felt business had improved last month than the previous month, indicating a strengthening manufacturing sector. This can be considered bad news for bonds and Massachusetts mortgage rates.
There is no relevant economic data scheduled for release tomorrow, but we do have two speaking engagements to watch. Treasury Secretary Geithner will speak before a Senate Finance Committee at 10:00 AM ET regarding the U.S. budget. At the same time, Paul Volcker who is the Chairman of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, will testify to the Senate Bank Committee about high-risk banking activities. Since the government bonds are highly involved in the economic recovery and budget issues, these speeches may affect the markets if something unexpected is said. This could be positive or negative for bonds and mortgage rates, but are worth watching.
If I were considering purchasing or refinancing a home and predicting likely Massachusetts mortgage rates, I would…
Lock if my closing was taking place within 7 days…
Lock if my closing was taking place between 8 and 20 days…
Lock if my closing was taking place between 21 and 60 days…
Float if my closing was taking place over 60 days from now…
This is only a general opinion of what I would do if I were considering whether to lock or float a Massachusetts mortgage based on the current mortgage market. Your individual situation may be different. Contact me if you would like advice for your particular circumstances.
For detailed information on Massachusetts mortgage rates, check out my article, “Massachusetts Mortgage Rates Revealed – How Lenders Determine Mortgage Rates Every Day“.
Copyright : Mortgage Commentary
Geof McLaughlin, better known as The Massachusetts Mortgage Broker, is a nationally acclaimed mortgage professional committed to educating and empowering consumers about all things mortgage through his popular Massachusetts Mortgage Broker blog.
Geof is a top loan originator for one of the country’s leading mortgage companies, Mortgage Master Inc, with a proven reputation of offering its clients the best Massachusetts mortgage rates and lowest closing costs. He can be reached directly at 508.656.0055 or at geof@MAMortgageBroker.com.
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