Fed signals borrowing costs may stay high

The Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate steady for a fifth consecutive meeting, but three officials favored an increase as persistent inflation and a potentially higher neutral rate cloud the outlook for borrowing costs. The shift suggests mortgage rates and other consumer loan rates could remai

Mortgage Rates Back Near Long-Term Highs

To be fair, mortgage rates haven't been far from their long-term highs in over a week, but today's 30yr fixed index level of 6.83% is functionally equivalent to the actual long-term high of 6.85% seen on July 23rd.   Higher rates are driven by weakness in the bond market. The latter can happen for m

Helping buyers look beyond the price

Real estate agents can help buyers make more informed decisions by focusing on the full monthly payment, including taxes, insurance and association fees, rather than the listing price alone. Discussing those costs early can prevent surprises, narrow the home search and demonstrate the value of an ag

Help buyers look beyond market headlines

First-time buyers can make a clearer buy-or-wait decision by weighing their finances, local market conditions, housing costs and future plans.