Mortgage interest rates have been trending upward all year. So, what’s ahead, and why?
The Federal Reserve Board will be meeting at the end of next month, and right now, the markets are banking on another .25% increase, according to Origination Pro, a publication for mortgage loan officers.
“Again?” Yes, as I type this, I have received an alert that rates are going up midday and to lock now if you’re floating your rate.
“Why?” Because good economic news leads to higher rates.
- The number of new jobs for August was higher than expected.
- More individuals are re-entering the workforce.
- Wages have increased, on average.
- Consumers are spending more money, putting cash into the marketplace.
- Consumer confidence is soaring.
Chairman Jerome H. Powell said in his speech on changing markets and monetary policy:
“Over the course of a long recovery, the U.S. economy has strengthened substantially. The unemployment rate has declined steadily for almost nine years, and at 3.9 percent, is now near a 20-year low… With solid household and business confidence, healthy levels of job creation, rising incomes, and fiscal stimulus arriving, there is good reason to expect that this strong performance will continue.”
Read the full speech here.
Time for Action!
If you have an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM), consider refinancing into a fixed rate, if you plan to keep the house for a substantial amount of time.
If you want to shorten your mortgage term to 20 years or 15 years, do so now before rates go higher.
If you want to buy a home and stop paying rent, don’t procrastinate. Get pre-approved for financing and contact a local real estate agent.
If you are working on your credit, ask your loan officer if you can qualify for an FHA loan now while your credit is improving.
As always, thank you for reading and recommending my books and services.
To C. Warren I have A TON of inquiries on my Experian Credit Report. Mainly from American Express! There are others, but there’s over 50 with American Express. Can I dispute these?
Sent from my MetroPCS 4G LTE Android device
I would suggest calling Am Ex and asking why they put 50 inquiries on your report. If they are soft inquiries, then they don’t affect your score in any way and they would not show up on a credit report ordered by a mortgage lender. On the other hand, if they are hard inquiries, then you’d want to get them removed. Only authorized hard inquiries are allowed.