There was a problem returning the RSS feed.
There was a problem returning the RSS feed.

:

Incidental Weakness. Bigger Considerations on The Horizon

8/21/2026 2:36 PM

Incidental Weakness. Bigger Considerations on The Horizon Without any data or compelling market movers, bonds came into the day light on inspiration. Low volume/liquidity left the door open for any determined traders to have a bigger-than-normal influence on the market. That arguably happened between 9...Read More

Mortgage Rates Drift Modestly Higher

8/21/2026 1:35 PM

For all practical purposes, Friday"s mortgage rates were unchanged versus Thursday"s, but if we"re splitting hairs, the average lender rose 0.01% to 6.77% for a top tier 30yr fixed.  While many news outlets continue focusing on the mid-week announcement regarding Treasury"s bond buyback program, today"s bond market volatility was unrelated. C...Read More

Housing Starts Drop in July as Permits Point to Stronger Future Activity

8/21/2026 1:21 PM

Residential construction pulled back in July as housing starts and completions declined from June levels, while building permits rebounded. The latest Census Bureau data suggests builders remained cautious about active construction, even as the increase in permits pointed to somewhat stronger activity ahead. Privately owned housing starts fell 12...Read More

Pending Home Sales Slip 2.3% in July

8/21/2026 1:14 PM

Pending home sales declined again in July as elevated mortgage rates and record-high home prices continued to weigh on buyer demand. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), which tracks signed contracts on existing homes, fell 2.3% from June and was down 2.2% from a year earlier, reaching its lowest level si...Read More

Builder Confidence Technically Higher But Still Sideways in The Big Picture

8/21/2026 1:07 PM

Builder sentiment improved slightly in August, but confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes remained subdued as elevated mortgage rates, rising construction costs and broader economic uncertainty continued to weigh on the industry. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) increased ...Read More

No Major Changes in Mortgage Demand

8/21/2026 12:58 PM

Mortgage application activity was little changed last week as higher mortgage rates continued to weigh on purchase demand. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 0.4% decrease in total application volume on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending August 14. Purchase applications decreased 2% from the previous week on a seaso...Read More

AI Production, Product Launch, Processing Tools; Webcasts; Lender M&A; LO Tips

8/21/2026 10:52 AM

LOs tell me that they are counseling potential borrowers. “If you’re in the market for a home, focus on the things you can control. Save for your down payment which can be less than 20 percent, but the more you can put down, the less you have to borrow and the lower your monthly payments. Consider your priorities. Can you live further from the city...Read More

Summertime Data-Free Friday Mystery Box

8/21/2026 8:29 AM

Bonds were a hair stronger overnight and are now a hair weaker at 9:15am ET. They may flip back and forth a few more times before the close. Ultimately, data-free summertime Fridays are fairly random events. If no big players have big intentions, they can fizzle sideways. But due to lower participation, if big trades come through, they can have a b...Read More

Tune Out The Noise

8/20/2026 4:08 PM

Tune Out The Noise Yesterday"s Treasury buyback announcement and today"s comments from Bessent make for good drama in financial news, but the actual market impact had run its course within minutes of the initial announcement and we haven"t seen solid evidence that the market has continued to care. Rather, t...Read More

Highest Mortgage Rates in Just Over a Week

8/20/2026 3:38 PM

While Freddie Mac"s weekly mortgage rate survey may show rates moving slightly lower this week, today"s rates are actually higher than they were at the same time last week (6.76% vs 6.69%). Financial news continued to focus on yesterday"s announcement of Treasury buybacks after Secretary Bessent spoke on CNBC this morning, but today"s bump in rates...Read More

---