Could a rate cut launch the housing market?
Mortgage interest rates (for the standard 30-year fixed rate) have fallen about a half percent over the past six months, from 4.7% in...
What is going to be the next inflation trigger?
I stated in my book What’s Next for the Economy, that I expect an oil shock to be an inflation trigger in the not too distant future. ...
Lower interest rates and less competition - how long will it last?
If you are in the market for a new home, now may be a good time to be looking. Interest rates have come down and are on a path for...
Will a Fed rate pause incur additional inflation risk?
My last Inflation blog topic centered around Fed Chairman Powell’s upcoming (December) Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, and...
Real Estate prices and sales have taken a pause; which direction will they go next?
There is much ado in the media these days about real estate sales “slowing” and interest rates increasing, including the topic of the 5%...
What should real estate investors think about the 5 percent test?
The five percent test, as in, 30-year fixed rate mortgages of 5% or greater, is being touted in the media as a potential deal breaker for...
Fed Policy Course: middle of the road?
As expected, the Fed announced another quarter point interest rate hike. Fed guidance for further rate increases was also as expected:...
Real Estate: Is now a good time to buy?
A lot of recent articles in the media have commented about potential issues or warning signs in the Real Estate market. They point to...
Are house prices getting out of reach?
House prices are up 8% in California and 7.1%, on average, across the country. In affluent neighborhoods, the increases are even higher...
Inflation has finally hit the Fed’s target of 2%. Will it stop there?
The Fed’s target of 2% annual inflation, based on personal consumption expenditures (PCE), hit 2% in May 2018, the first time in over six...
