Mortgage rates today, January 15, 2019, plus lock recommendations

What’s driving current mortgage rates?

Average mortgage rates today did not change except on the government-backed loan front. The only report released today was December’s Producer Price Index (PPI). The index, which tracks prices at the producer (manufacturing) level, fell .2 percent, exceeding experts’ predictions of a /1 percent drop. That means less inflationary pressure and is good for mortgage rates.

However, that report is not one of the most important ones we see each month. Markets have been stalled recently as investors have frozen — mostly waiting to see what happens with the US government shutdown.

Industry publication Mortgage News Daily reported that, “With this being the longest-running shutdown, there’s been more and more uncertainty about its impacts.  Bonds have benefited from that uncertainty, and perhaps it is also behind the stalled stock rally.”

These rates are averages. Click here to get your personalized rate now. (Jan 22nd, 2019)

Financial data affecting today’s mortgage rates

This morning’s data are neutral-to-bad for mortgage rates. However, the changes are small, and afternoon rate increases are unlikely.

• Major stock indexes opened slightly higher (slightly bad for mortgage rates)
• Gold prices rose $2 to $1,294 an ounce. (This is slightly good for mortgage rates. In general, it’s better for rates when gold rises, and worse when gold falls. Gold tends to rise when investors worry about the economy. And worried investors tend to push rates lower)
• Oil prices rose $1 to $52 a barrel (Bad for mortgage rates because energy prices play a large role in creating inflation)
• The yield on ten-year Treasuries increased by 1 basis point (1/100th of 1 percent) to 2.70 percent. That’s bad for borrowers because mortgage rates tend to follow Treasuries, and this is the lowest reading in months
• CNNMoney’s Fear & Greed Index moved 3 points higher to a reading f 32 (out of a possible 100). That score is in the “fear” range. The direction of movement is bad for rates. “Greedy” investors push bond prices down (and interest rates up) as they leave the bond market and move into stocks, while “fearful” investors do the opposite.

Verify your new rate (Jan 22nd, 2019)

Rate lock recommendation

There is little happening in financial markets right now. You can probably afford to float a day or two if it will get you into a better tier — for example, a 15-day lock usually has a .125 percent lower rate than a 30-day lock. But if today’s reduction got you into your strike zone and you need to close quickly, grab your rate.

In a rising rate environment, the decision to lock or float becomes complicated. Obviously, if you know rates are rising, you want to lock in as soon as possible. However, the longer your lock, the higher your upfront costs. If you are weeks away from closing on your mortgage, that’s something to consider. On the flip side, if a higher rate would wipe out your mortgage approval, you’ll probably want to lock in even if it costs more.

If you’re still floating, stay in close contact with your lender, and keep an eye on markets. I recommend:

• LOCK if closing in 7 days
• LOCK if closing in 15 days
• LOCK if closing in 30 days
• FLOAT if closing in 45 days
• FLOAT if closing in 60 days

Lock in your rate. Start here. (Jan 22nd, 2019)

This week

This week is light on economic releases, and mortgage rates will likely move based on political happenings, such as the ongoing government shutdown, a trade war with China, and negotiations with Congress over the federal budget and the proposed border wall.

• Monday: Nothing
• Tuesday: December Producer Price Index (PPI), (forecast: .1 percent drop)
• Wednesday: Retail Sales (predicted: no change)
• Thursday: Housing Starts (predicted no change at 1.256 million / year rate)
• Friday: Industrial Production (expected to increase by .3 percent)

What causes rates to rise and fall?

Mortgage interest rates depend on a great deal on the expectations of investors. Good economic news tends to be bad for interest rates because an active economy raises concerns about inflation. Inflation causes fixed-income investments like bonds to lose value, and that causes their yields (another way of saying interest rates) to increase.

For example, suppose that two years ago, you bought a $1,000 bond paying five percent interest ($50) each year. (This is called its “coupon rate.”) That’s a pretty good rate today, so lots of investors want to buy it from you. You sell your $1,000 bond for $1,200.

When rates fall

The buyer gets the same $50 a year in interest that you were getting. However, because he paid more for the bond, his interest rate is now five percent.

• Your interest rate: $50 annual interest / $1,000 = 5.0%
• Your buyer’s interest rate: $50 annual interest / $1,200 = 4.2%

The buyer gets an interest rate, or yield, of only 4.2 percent. And that’s why, when demand for bonds increases and bond prices go up, interest rates go down.

When rates rise

However, when the economy heats up, the potential for inflation makes bonds less appealing. With fewer people wanting to buy bonds, their prices decrease, and then interest rates go up.

Imagine that you have your $1,000 bond, but you can’t sell it for $1,000 because unemployment has dropped and stock prices are soaring. You end up getting $700. The buyer gets the same $50 a year in interest, but the yield looks like this:

• $50 annual interest / $700 = 7.1%

The buyer’s interest rate is now slightly more than seven percent. Interest rates and yields are not mysterious. You calculate them with simple math.

Verify your new rate (Jan 22nd, 2019)

Mortgage rate methodology

The Mortgage Reports receives rates based on selected criteria from multiple lending partners each day. We arrive at an average rate and APR for each loan type to display in our chart. Because we average an array of rates, it gives you a better idea of what you might find in the marketplace. Furthermore, we average rates for the same loan types. For example, FHA fixed with FHA fixed. The end result is a good snapshot of daily rates and how they change over time.

Original Article Posted at : https://themortgagereports.com/46923/mortgage-rates-today-january-15-2019-plus-lock-recommendations