Author: Greg Heym
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The Line: Mortgage Rates Rise Again
No major economic news came out this week, so today’s column consists of a bunch of quick hits on mortgage rates, unemployment claims, job security, and two special wishes. Mortgage Rates Rise Again The average 30-year conforming mortgage rate rose to 6.38% this week, up from 6.22% the previous week. One year ago, mortgage rates were averaging 6.65%. Since the war…
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The Line: The Fed Leaves Rates Alone
Today, we have the latest from the Federal Reserve. The Fed Leaves Rates Alone As expected, the Fed made no changes to interest rates this week. While that doesn’t seem that exciting, they did release their latest summary of economic projections, which gives us some insight into when they may act again. Here’s a summary of their economic forecast: To sum up, the Fed expects decent…
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The Line: Consumer Prices Up 2.4% from a Year Ago
While today is Friday the 13th, we promise not to scare you in this edition of The Line. Consumer Prices Up 2.4% From a Year Ago The consumer price index rose 0.3% in February and was 2.4% higher than a year ago. Both these figures matched expectations, so this report is good news. Core CPI, which excludes food and…
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The Line: Mortgage Rates Fall Below 6% for the First Time in Over Three Years
This week, we celebrate a milestone for mortgage rates, and wonder if anyone’s job is safe from AI. Mortgage Rates Fall Below 6% for the First Time in Over Three Years What a great way to start off this week’s column! According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year conforming mortgage rate fell to 5.98% this week, its first…
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The Line: Job Growth Much Higher than Expected in January
This week, we dedicate this column to the delayed January jobs report. Job Growth Much Higher than Expected in January Yep, you read that correctly. Payrolls rose by 130,000 last month according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than double the Dow Jones estimate. Wait a minute, didn’t the ADP report issued last week say that employment was up by just 22,000 in…
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The Line: Private Sector Employment Rose by Just 22,000 in January
It’s the first Friday of the month, which usually means a BLS jobs report. However, since the government shut down for a few days that report won’t come out until next week. Luckily for us ADP came to the rescue yet again, with their January Employment Report. Private Sector Employment Rose by Just 22,000 in…
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The Line: The Fed Leaves Rates Alone
This week, we have the latest from the Fed and tell you why Americans shouldn’t be so pessimistic about the economy. The Fed Leaves Rates Alone The Federal Reserve made no change to the federal funds rate at their meeting this week, a move that surprised nobody, even Gomer Pyle. The Fed summed up their thinking this way: “Available indicators suggest that…
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The Line: Mortgage Rates Remain New Three-Year Low
This week, we present the latest on mortgage rates, home sales, and the value of property in New York City Mortgage Rates Remain New Three-Year Low The average 30-year conforming mortgage rate ticked up to 6.09% this week, slightly higher than the previous week but still near a three-year low. Rates began to rise on Monday, due to tensions…
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The Line: Inflation Lower than Expected in December
There was a lot of economic data released this week, so welcome to another lightning-round edition of The Line. Inflation Lower than Expected in December The core consumer price index, which excludes food and energy prices, rose 0.2% in December and was 2.6% higher than a year ago. Both figures were slightly below forecast, which was…
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The Line: Employment Rose by 64,000 in November
In this week’s Line— our last post of 2025— we celebrate the return of timely government data, with the latest on jobs and inflation. Employment Rose by 64,000 in November Here’s the breakdown on the BLS report: While the higher-than-expected gain in jobs last month sounds great, when you add in the big decline in…