PCE Index rises

  • March 31, 2017
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  • realestatelife

An inflation index known as PCE rose 0.1% in February, bringing the increase over the past 12 months to 2.1%. It’s the first time the yearly rate of inflation topped 2% since March 2012. The PCE index is the preferred tool for the Federal Reserve to measure inflation. The rate of inflation is now above

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U.S. house prices show no sign of slowing

  • April 25, 2017
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  • realestatelife

U.S. house prices continued to show no signs of slowing, hitting their highest in nearly three years as demand remains hot, especially in the Pacific Northwest and Dallas. The S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city index rose 5.9% in the three-month period ending in February compared to the same period a year ago, an acceleration from its 5.7% yearly

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TAX CUT COMING?: Mnuchin says administration planning ‘biggest tax cut’ in US history

  • April 26, 2017
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  • realestatelife

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin confirms Trump administration aims to lower the corporate tax rate to 15 percent, saying a forthcoming proposal will constitute the ‘biggest tax cut’ for Americans in history.

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March University of Michigan misses

  • March 31, 2017
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  • realestatelife

March UofM Consumer Sentiment Index 96.9 vs. estimates of 97.6. A slight miss, but still at elevated levels..not a major factor in pricing for interest rates today.

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Durable-goods orders rise 0.7% in March to mark third gain in a row

  • April 27, 2017
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  • realestatelife

New orders for U.S. durable goods rose 0.7% in March to mark the third straight gain, though demand was inflated by new bookings for fighter planes and passenger aircraft.

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March Chicago PMI strong

  • March 31, 2017
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  • realestatelife

March Chicago PMI 57.7 vs. estimates of 56.5. This is a red-hot reading and generally negative for pricing, but today we re moving better for interest rates leading into the weekend.

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Jobless claims jump to one-month high of 257,000

  • April 27, 2017
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  • realestatelife

The number Americans who recently lost their jobs and sought unemployment benefits rose last week to a one-month high, though the increase appeared largely concentrated in New York state. Initial jobless claims jumped by 14,000 to 257,000, the Labor Department said Thursday.

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Housing affordability drops to 8-year low

  • March 31, 2017
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  • realestatelife

Housing affordability continues to slip lower, hitting levels not seen since 2008 and 2009. More housing markets are slipping below historical levels and homeownership is becoming out of reach for many as average incomes can’t keep up with growing home prices.

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ECB leaves interest rates

  • April 27, 2017
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  • realestatelife

European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged and made no adjustments to its monetary guidance.This guidance disappointed some traders who had bet that it might signal that interest rates could soon rise, despite the central bank’s warnings to the contrary.

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1 Time When Balance-Transfer Credit Cards Don’t Make Sense

  • April 1, 2017
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  • realestatelife

The dangerous thing about using credit cards is that if you don’t use them carefully, you can wind up neck-deep in debt — and getting out of that debt will cost you dearly. If you’re paying off a $10,000 balance over two years, and your APR is 18%, then you can expect to pay about

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