From the BLS: Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in March. Thirty states recorded unemployment rate decreases, 8 states posted rate increases, and 12 states and the District of Columbia had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Forty-nine states and the...
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The nation's average mortgage interest rates are finishing 2011 near all-time historic lows, helping to keep homebuyer affordability high. The Freddie Mac mortgage market survey showed the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.95% for the week ending Thursday, up from the prior week's average of 3.91%. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged...
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Fannie Mae reported that the Single-Family Serious Delinquency rate was unchanged at 4.00% in October. This is down from 4.52% in October of 2010. The Fannie Mae serious delinquency rate peaked in February 2010 at 5.59%. Freddie Mac reported that the Single-Family serious delinquency rate increased to 3.54% in October, up from 3.51% in...
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Mortgage rates declined this past week, with adjustable-rate mortgages hitting new lows, according to Freddie Mac's latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey. Adjustable-rate mortgages hit new lows, with the 5-year Treasury indexed ARM averaging 2.91% this past week, down from 2.97% a week earlier. Last year, the same rate hit 3.45%. The 1-year, Treasury-indexed ARM...
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The Federal Housing Finance Agency said average mortgage rates for home sales averaged 4.57% in July. According to the FHFA, July marks the fourth straight month of slow and steady mortgage rate declines. The rate for fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 4.55% in July, down 6 basis points from 4.61% in June. The effective...
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?A surge in mortgage refinancing applications last week is likely to create a bump in lending activity, but only for as long as mortgage rates hold below the 4.5% level, analysts say. "For lenders, when mortgage rates take a drop like they have, especially when it involves record lows, the phones ring off the...
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Mortgage rates remained mostly unchanged this past week, with the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage remaining 4.5% for a second week. Even still, disappointing economic news kept rates well below 5% and significantly lower than the 6% mark that defined more stable economic times. The U.S. has not seen mortgage rates higher than 6% since late...
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• From the Kansas City Fed: Manufacturing activity matched an all-time survey high in February The month-over-month composite index was 19 in February, up from 7 in January and 14 in December. This reading matched all-time survey highs reached several times from late 2003 to early 2005. … The production index rose to 23,...
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Mortgage rates rose for the fourth consecutive week, according to the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market survey released Thursday. Frank Nothaft, chief economist at the government-sponsored entity, said rates followed suit behind bond yields, which increased during the week due to more investment. He said investment spawned from stabilization in Europe's debt situation. Freddie...
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Mortgage rates fell in two weekly surveys. The Bankrate national mortgage survey reported the interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 4.58%, down from 4.62% a week prior, while a survey from LendingTree.com reported the rate at 4.55%. Freddie Mac reported Wednesday that the average rate for a 30-year FRM increased slightly to...
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