The Morning Report
Get the news and information you need to take on the day.
The causes of the housing market’s well-documented ills, whatever those causes may be, do not appear to include interest rates.
The 1-year Treasury rate, which serves as a common benchmark by which adjustable mortgage payments are recalculated, has also meandered down since July. However, the current 1-year Treasury rate of 4.9 percent compares to an average rate of 3.6 percent in 2005 and 1.9 percent in 2004. As a result, ARM borrowers of recent years can expect their payments to increase substantially when reset time comes.
For new buyers, though, the mortgage rate picture has improved quite a bit in the past half year. The housing market does not seem to be taking comfort – but perhaps real estate would be faring even worse had not declining rates provided a tailwind.
– RICH TOSCANO