Mortgage Watch | August 6, 2018

By Buying, Selling August 6, 2018

Home Prices Hold Steady Citing May Report

The National Association of Realtors reported gains in home prices holding steady in May, while a lack of inventory helped prevent an uptick in growth.

According to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, average home prices in major metropolitan areas rose 6.4% in May, identical to the year-over-year increase reported in April. An index of 10 cities gained 6.1% over the year, down from 6.4% the prior month. The 20-city index gained 6.5%, down from 6.7% the previous month.

Since August 2016 the annual increase in the Case-Shiller national index has topped 5% each month. Pricing is one of the few strong spots in the housing market due to a low volume of homes being offered, arming sellers with continued pricing power despite slowing sales.

According to the S & P’s David Blitzer, rising prices are contributing to a slowdown in virtually every other housing-market indicator—from existing home sales to housing starts to pending home sales, which have lagged behind for six straight months.

“The combination of rising home prices and rising mortgage rates are beginning to affect the housing market,” Mr. Blitzer said in the article.

The West is still the price leader. with Seattle reporting a 13.6% annual gain in prices in May compared with a year earlier. Las Vegas followed closely behind with 12.6% and San Francisco saw a 10.9% increase.

Experts are saying that rising mortgage rates are no small factor in the slowed pace of home sales in recent months, potentially having put a slight downward pressure on prices. “Existing home sales have now declined on an annual basis in five of the first six months this year, as rising prices and mortgage rates and a lack of inventory have made it more difficult for would-be buyers to find and afford homes,” according to the report.

Rates Currently Trending: Neutral

Mortgage rates are trending sideways this morning. Last week the MBS market improved by 11 bps. This was not enough to move rates last week. There was very little mortgage rate volatility last week.

About the Author
Tim Morissette, REALTOR®

Tim Morissette, also known in the community as Mr. Foothill Ranch, offers over 46 years of real estate experience which has given him an established reputation and unmatched market knowledge. He is joined by his wife, Michele and sons Matt and Jeff, as they continue to offer personal service with an emphasis on achieving his clients’ real estate goals.  This unique combination of traits has led to his proven track record of referral and repeat business. This can be witnessed by the trust of homeowners in Foothill Ranch where he has sold twice as many homes and represented three times more buyers than the next-leading real estate agent for the last 26 years.

As residents of Foothill Ranch since 1994, Tim and Michele are actively involved in the community by fundraising for Foothill Ranch Library, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Cancer Society, Homes for Habitat, Relay for Life, South County Outreach, and the local church and schools. Tim enjoys sponsoring community-wide garage sales, paper shredding and e-waste recycling event, an Easter egg hunt, & a Meet Santa Event.

Tim and Michele are dedicated to their family of four sons, daughter-in-laws, and grandchildren. As a family, they enjoy many outdoor activities which include camping, spearfishing, mountain climbing and exploring the miles of hiking and equestrian trails in Foothill Ranch and the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. Tim and his sons are also avid snowboarders and enjoy mountain biking and lobster diving. Family is a top priority in the Morissette household. They look forward to helping more families achieve their dreams of homeownership.