Last Week in Review: A Great 2020 Housing Story
Here’s some good news… the continued strength of the labor market, along with historically low mortgage rates, will keep positive housing momentum alive in 2020.
The Unemployment Rate is currently at a 50-year low of 3.6% with expectations for the index to push even lower to 3.25% by year’s end, matching lows last seen in 1953.
Freddie Mac recently reported that 30-year fixed rate mortgages are at three-year lows while mortgage activity continues to increase.
Low rates, a solid economy, and a strong labor market have also cut mortgage delinquency rates. The Mortgage Bankers Association recently reported that the mortgage delinquency rate in Q4 2019 fell to its lowest level since the current survey series began in 1979.
In addition, the Census Bureau announced that the U.S. homeownership rate rose to 65.1% at the end of Q4 2019, the highest since the end of 2013.
The Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index is near all-time highs reflecting that it is a good time to both buy and sell a home.
Finally, the New York Fed reports that $750B in new mortgages were originated in Q4 2019, more than any quarter since Q4 2005.
Bottom line: jobs buy houses, not low rates. But as we move into 2020, we have both a robust labor market and historically low rates — a true Goldilocks situation — fueling housing.