Housing Seen as Emerging Bright Spot by Freddie Mac Economists

Even with the unexpected decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2012, Freddie Mac's chief economist Frank E. Nothaft , and deputy chief Leonard Kiefer, see housing as an emerging bright spot . In the February issue of Freddie Mac's Outlook they point to a number of measures indicating that housing is an improving economic sector including that fixed residential investment made its first positive contribution to GDP growth since 2005, adding 0.4 percent to growth in the...

Mortgage Rates Recover Modestly After Treasury Auction

Mortgage rates moved slightly lower this afternoon after beginning the day in line with yesterday's worst levels of the year. Things looked relatively bleak as domestic market participants were greeted with flat trading levels vs Wednesday's late day weakness and stronger economic data in the morning that, at first, threatened to take rates even higher. But bond markets, including MBS (the mortgage-backed-securities that most directly affect mortgage rates) were able to hold their ground long enough...

• Who Owns 10,000 Houses? Finance Industry and Cybersecurity; QM's Impact on Volumes 7 Years from Now
• Foreclosure Activity Drops Sharply Thanks to New California Law
• MBS RECAP: Healthy Bounce Before And After 30yr Auction
• FHA's Galante Asks Congress For Increased Authority To Hold Lenders Accountable
• MBS MID-DAY: Bond Markets Undecided After AM Volatility
• CPFB Announces Implementation Plan to Help Lenders Comply

Micro News

Around the Web

• NAFCU hails new Royce-McCarthy MBL bill
• Freddie Mac: February 2013 U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook
• Flagstar Sells DocVelocity to Capsilon
• Sen. Warren: Too-big-to-fail is too-big-for-trial
• Low inflation may allow longer QE: Fed's Bullard
• Underwater & Drowning? Mortgages Targeted by Eminent Domain

Video News

	Santelli's Midday Bond Report
	Power House: Las Vegas' Housing Market
	U.S. Housing in `Cyclical Expansion,' Hatzius Says

Today's Comments

	"The idea that there are only 1 or 2 percent of credit reports with material inaccuracies is amusing. I guess it depends on the definition of a material..."
	"Recent policy changes and the increasing cost of FHA MIP will likely leave FHA serving only the highest risk borrowers. FHA will not likely abandon it's..."
	"Let's see, FHA is $16,000,000,000 in the hole. Our best and brightest's solution: Raise rates for both refinances and purchases, giving borrowers..."

Today's Q&A