• March 31, 2017
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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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• March 30, 2017
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Federal Reserve officials, including Chicago Fed President Charles Evans and his Boston counterpart, Eric Rosengren are scheduled to speak at separate events and may comment on the central bank’s interest rate outlook. Wall Street stock futures pointed to a slightly lower open on Thursday as investors continued to be on watch for more signals on

• March 30, 2017
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The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits in late March dropped by 3,000 to 258,000, keeping new claims near the lowest level in decades. Economists polled had expected initial jobless claims to total 247,000 in the seven days stretching from March 19 to March 25.

• March 29, 2017
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The fundamentals of the U.S. economy are good and call for another one or two increases in short-term interest rates this year, said Chicago Fed President Charles Evans on Wednesday. Over the next few years, economic growth should average a little above potential, which is not even as high as 2%, Evans said in a

• March 29, 2017
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Contract signings for home sales boomed in February to the second-highest level in a decade, a trade group said Wednesday. Pending home sales rose 5.5% in February after falling 2.8% in January, the National Association of Realtors reported. That’s the highest level in close to a year

• March 29, 2017
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Treasury prices gained some ground on Wednesday after U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May began the Article 50 process, which formally begins the process of taking the country out of the European Union. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped 2.6 basis points to 2.398%. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond fell 2.3 basis

• March 28, 2017
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U.S. house prices roared to their highest in nearly three years as demand remains hot, especially in the west. The S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city index rose 5.7% in the three-month period ending in January compared to the same period a year ago, an acceleration from its 5.5% yearly increase in December. The 20-city index was up 0.2%