Skip to main content

Mortgage rates continued to rise!

WASHINGTON–Mortgage rates continued to rise

last week just as the spring buying season is approaching, but even though home prices have also been skyrocketing, the two trends are not expected to put much of a dent in a hot market.

The rising rates and prices, however, are expected to delay many potential buyers looking to purchase their first home.

After the average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage hit a low of 2.75% at the end of January, it had risen to 3.45% as of last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The average rate on the 30-year mortgage now stands at the same point at which it stood one year ago.  The same can’t be said for home prices, which are now up over 10% from this time in 2020, according to CoreLogic. Prices are expected to remain high due to the record low supply of homes for sale, noted MSNBC in its analysis.

MSNBC noted Homebuilders are not stepping up as much as hoped, because they are facing higher costs for land, labor and materials. They also continue to experience delays in getting materials to job sites, due to COVID-19.  Single-family housing starts came in much lower than expected in February, and the backlog of unbuilt homes is rising.

Permits Granted, But Projects Halted

"There has been a 36% gain over the last 12 month of single-family homes permitted but not started as some projects have paused due to cost and availability of materials," Robert Dietz, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders, told MSNBC. "Single-family home building is forecasted to expand in 2021, but at a slower rate as housing affordability is challenged by higher mortgage rates and rising construction costs."

For a new home with an estimated median price of $346,757 in 2021 and the recent 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate of 3%, a quarter percentage point increase in the interest rate would price out approximately 1.3 million households, according to a new calculation by the NAHB.

“The supply crunch of existing homes is only exacerbated by higher mortgage rates. Homeowners who sell would likely have to buy their next home at a higher interest rate, so that's a significant deterrent to moving,” observed MSNBC.

The number of newly listed homes for sale for the week ended March 13 was 24% lower year over year, according to realtor.com. The total number of homes for sale is now half of what it was a year ago, the report added.

Buyers Not Backing Off

The data show buyers are not backing off.

Buyers are in fact, "flooding the housing market early this year, eager to find a home of their own," according to Danielle Hale, realtor.com's chief economist. On average, homes are selling seven days faster than last year, MSNBC reported.

"This is the strongest seller's market since at least 2006," added Daryl Fairweather, Redfin's chief economist. "Buyers outnumber sellers by such a huge margin that many homeowners are staying put because they know how hard it would be to find a place to move to."
 

Comments

Post a Comment

Please no profanity or political comments.

Popular posts from this blog

The First Social Network

Credit Unions: The Original Social Network Long before likes, follows, shares, and friend requests, people built networks another way: They showed up for each other. That’s essentially how credit unions began. Not as financial corporations, but as human networks built on trust, shared experiences, and mutual support. In many ways, credit unions were the first true social networks. Before Technology Connected People, Communities Did Today’s social platforms promise connection. They help people share ideas, ask questions, organize communities, and support causes. But more than a century ago, credit unions were already doing something remarkably similar — only in person and with real financial stakes involved. Teachers gathered with teachers. Factory workers organized with coworkers. Church members helped fellow congregants. Military personnel supported military families. Firefighters stood beside fellow first responders. Police officers supported the communities and d...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Honor Our Heroes This Memorial Day

  First Responder Credit Union Academy   Attendee Registration Tucson, AZ 2026 ...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Vizo Financial and TCT Risk Solutions Announce Strategic Partnership

                  Vizo Financial and TCT Risk Solutions Announce Strategic Partnership to Enhance Risk Management Offerings Greensboro, N.C. (May 6, 2026) – Vizo Financial and TCT Risk Solutions are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership designed to expand and strengthen risk management solutions for credit unions. This partnership brings together Vizo Financial’s trusted role as a cooperative provider of back-office support, consulting and education with TCT Risk Solutions’ specialized risk management tools, which include credit migration, loan and deposit pricing, CECL, and asset liability modeling. Through this collaboration, Vizo Financial will offer TCT's signature software and advisory capabilities, equipping credit unions with actionable insights to better understand risk, optimize financial performance and make more informed strategic decisions. The partnership aims to help credit unions move beyond reactive risk m...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

FFIEC Proposes Biggest CAMELS Overhaul In 30 Years, Citing Need For Greater Transparency

  W ASHINGTON—The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council is seeking public comment on a proposed overhaul of the CAMELS supervisory ratings framework, marking what regulators said would be the first comprehensive revision of the bank and credit union examination system in approximately 30 years. Michelle Bowman The proposal would revise the Uniform Financial Institutions Rating System—better known as CAMELS—to place greater emphasis on material financial risk and improve the transparency and predictability of supervisory ratings. Regulators said the framework would continue to evaluate institutions on capital adequacy, asset quality, management, earnings, liquidity and sensitivity to market risk, while modifying certain composite and component rating definitions and evaluation factors. In announcing the proposal, FFIEC Chair and Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said the revised framework is intended to create “a decisive shift toward transpare...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Syracuse Fire Department Credit Union

  p This just in - shared branching is HERE! What's shared branching? If you aren't nearby, you can visit a shared branching location throughout the country to perform a number of actions such as deposits, withdrawals, and loan payments. Traveling and need funds? Need a check while you're out of town? Try shared branching! More information and locations available on our website! https://www.syrfirecu.com/shared-branching/
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Meeting Portals - Why Choose MyBoardPacket.com

MyBoardPacket is known as the simplest, most secure, and affordable online board packet solution. A low monthly fee, with no setup fee, no annual contracts, free customer support and unlimited users! We use MyBoardPacket.com here at NCOFCU, and we love it! Exclusive discount of 25% for NCOFCU Members! Additional discounts are granted for small asset size credit unions! Why choose MyBoardPacket over other meeting portals? The Facts: MyBoardPacket was the first secure board portal on the market, starting in 2001. So easy to use that no training is required! However, for your peace of mind, you have unlimited support and training with your very own Trainer, which any Admin can schedule whenever needed. Unlimited users , committees, and meetings from anywhere! On MyBoardPacket everyone is on the same page . Month-to-month subscription – our customers are with MyBoardPacket because they love it, not because they are locked into a lengthy contract! MyBoar...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Just Out! - NCUA Stablecoin Plan Opens Door To Credit Union-Backed Digital Dollar Issuers

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—A sweeping new NCUA proposal to implement the GENIUS Act could open the door for credit union-backed stablecoin issuance, but only through separately licensed subsidiaries operating under an extensive new federal regulatory framework that limits risks to the Share Insurance Fund. The 269-page supplemental proposed rule issued Friday lays out how “permitted payment stablecoin issuers” affiliated with federally insured credit unions would be supervised, examined and regulated by the NCUA, while also establishing rules covering reserves, liquidity, custody, operational risk, cybersecurity, anti-money laundering compliance and disclosure standards. The proposal supplements an earlier February 2026 proposal by the agency focused primarily on licensing and investments in stablecoin issuers. Federally insured credit unions themselves would still be prohibited from directly issuing payment stablecoins under the GENIUS Act. Instead, issuance would have to occur through a separa...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Former JPMorgan Banker: Exploiting Consumers Is 'The Purpose Of The Banking ...

Former JPMorgan Banker: Exploiting Consumers Is 'The Purpose Of The Banking <b>...</b> : In October, 650000 Americans joined credit unions , which, as Mooney noted, are “supposed to be run in the interests of all members.” 40000 more joined them on Bank Transfer Day earlier this month. Wall Street, meanwhile, continues to ignore America's ... See all stories on this topic » ThinkProgress
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

The Rebounding Relevance of Adjustable-Rate Mortgages = By Kevin Hearden & Steve Rick

  This traditional mortgage lending product could help CUs attract high-contributing members and boost much-needed interest income. By Kevin Hearden & Steve Rick | August 19, 2022 at 03:33 PM Today, nearly three-quarters (72%) of credit unions’ total revenues come from interest income. So, when interest earnings as a percent of assets dropped almost 30% in April of this year, more than one alarm bell sounded within the movement. Credit union leaders across the country are rightly concerned about the sustainability of mortgage lending within what is already a highly competitive environment. In fact, lending executives participating in a May 2022 MGIC survey ranked the expected difficulty of 2022 at an eight out of 10. And while shiny startup strategies for boosting interest income make the headlines, it may be the resurgence of a traditional mortgage lending product that makes the difference. Borrowers Give ARMs a Fresh Look We’re talking, of c...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Visa, Mastercard Revisions Will Cost Merchants more Than $475 Million Annually, Economist Says

 NEW YORK—The two biggest U.S. card networks are preparing revisions to their interchange schedules that at least one research firm says will cost U.S. merchants an estimated $475 million in additional transaction fees. Though Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. have historically revised their rate schedules each April and October, “this April is particularly significant,” Callum Godwin, the Atlanta-based chief economist for CMSPI, a United Kingdom-based research firm, told Digital Transactions. The firm’s estimates indicate the changes in Visa’s rates will add up to a net $145 million in additional cost to acquirers. For Mastercard, the impact will net out to $330 million. The networks do not collect interchange. Merchant processors pay in...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»