Your Daily Mortgage Commentary & Rate Lock Advice for Massachusetts Mortgage Rates
Courtesy of the Massachusetts Mortgage Broker
Monday’s bond market as opened well in positive territory after news broke that there was a net gain in foreign holdings of U.S. Treasuries during June. The stock markets were unaffected by the news. The Dow and Nasdaq are both starting the week with 13 points gains. The bond market is currently up 20/32, which should improve this morning’s Massachusetts mortgage rates by approximately .125 – .250 of a discount point from Friday’s morning rates.
There is no relevant economic data scheduled for release today, but three of the week’s four reports will be posted tomorrow morning. The first is July’s Producer Price Index (PPI) that gives us an indication of inflation at the producer level of the economy. There are two readings in the report- the overall index and the core data reading. The core data is more important because it excludes more volatile food and energy prices that can change significantly from month to month. Current forecasts call for an increase of 0.2% in the overall and a 0.1% increase in the core data reading. A larger increase in the core data could push Massachusetts mortgage rates higher Tuesday morning. If it reveals weaker than expected readings, we may see mortgage rates improve as a result.
The second report of the day is July’s Housing Starts data. This report gives us an indication of housing sector strength and future mortgage credit demand. However, it isn’t considered to be of high importance to the bond market or mortgage pricing and usually doesn’t cause much movement in Massachusetts mortgage rates unless it varies greatly from forecasts. It is the least important of the week’s reports and is expected to show a small increase in construction starts of new homes. The lower the number of starts, the better the news for the bond market, as it would indicate a weaker than expected housing sector.
July’s Industrial Production is the third. It gives us a measurement of manufacturing sector strength by tracking output at U.S. factories, mines and utilities. It is considered to be moderately important to the markets, but will likely not have much if an impact on Massachusetts mortgage rates due to the importance of the PPI reading. Current forecasts are calling for a 0.6% increase in production.
Overall, look for tomorrow to be the busiest day of the week, although today’s activity was a pleasant surprise. The rest of the week will likely be influenced more by stock prices than anything else, which may be quite volatile. Therefore, keep an eye on the markets and maintain contact with your mortgage professional if you have not locked an interest rate yet.
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…
Float 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.
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.
Written by Geof McLaughlin
Topics: Massachusetts Mortgage Rate Trends