Mortgage rates edge higher at the end of December.
News in end use
Weekly Jobless Claims Decline– in the Week Ending 25th December 2021
The U.S. Department of Labor reports declining initial filings for unemployment benefits.
Home Buyers and Sellers Changing Plans due to Inflation and High Energy Costs
A survey indicates inflation and energy costs are impacting expected home buyers and sellers.
Pending Homes Sales Decline in November 2021
The National Association of Realtors report pending home sales dropped 2.2% in November.
S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index Increases 19.1% in October
The Case-Shiller National Home Price index shows continued gains in US home prices.
New Residential Home Sales up Month-Over-Month but Down Year-Over-Year in November 2021
The U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly announced on Thursday (12-23-21) that new residential single-family home sales for November 2021 were at a SAAR of 744,000, according to estimates. This is 12.4% above the revised October rate of 662,000 but is -14.0% below the November 2020 estimate of 865,000.
Canadian GDP Increased 0.8% in October, Marking Fifth Consecutive Monthly Increase
Statistics Canada (StatsCan) reported today (12-23-21) that real gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.8% in October, following a 0.2% growth in September. The growth marks the fifth consecutive monthly gain in the GDP. Seventeen of the 20 industrial sectors posted gains in October. Construction rose 1.6% in October, following four declines in the previous five months, as all forms of construction activity were up in the month.
30-Year and 15-Year Mortgage Rates Move Lower in Week Ending December 23, 2021
Freddie Mac has released its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) for the week ending December 23, 2021. The PMMS reports that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.05% with an average 0.7 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.12%. A year ago, at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 2.66%.
Personal Income, Disposable Income, and Personal Consumption Expenditures All Increase in November 2021
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported on Thursday (11-23-21) that according to their estimates, personal income (PI) increased $90.4 billion, or 0.4% in November. Disposable personal income (DPI) increased $70.4 billion, or 0.4% in November. Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $104.7 billion, or 0.6% in November.
University of Michigan Final Consumer Sentiment Index Increases in December
The University of Michigan today (12-23-21), released its final Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI) for December. The Index of Consumer Sentiment increased to a reading of 70.6 in December, up from 67.4 in November. This is month-over-month increase of 4.7%.