Rochester MN Real Estate Market Blog

We currently at record low interest rates which is great for the current real estate market but how long can we expect to see them at these levels. Larry Baer with Market Alert has written a great commentary regarding this subject.
Commentary By Larry Baer:
Thank-you Mr. Bernanke – your plan is working like a charm so [...]

[Read more →]

Last week, the stock market declined and mortgage rates fell, as investors worried about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and oil prices reached record highs. In a pivotal reversal, the opposite took place this week. With increased confidence in the financial sector and lower oil prices, the Dow gained over 400 points. As investors returned [...]

[Read more →]

As expected, the members of the Federal Open Market Committee voted to hold their key fed fund rate unchanged.  Today’s decision is the first time the Fed has held short-term interest rates steady since they embarked on a series of rate cuts that dates back to last September.
            In their much anticipated post-meeting policy statement, [...]

[Read more →]

The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates by one-quarter of a percentage point yesterday, in what many economists are predicting might be the last such cut by the Federal Reserve for a while. It is the seventh cut since late August, and it comes as the Fed is trying to balance between fears of impending recession and [...]

[Read more →]

We didn’t see the broad swings in interest rates this week as were experience in weeks past.  With little new economic news for the week rates settled in for a slightly lower average then last week.
Ecnomic news was mixed for the week. The Fed is forecasting that with the recent rate cuts and the [...]

[Read more →]

WASHINGTON, D.C.
• Federal Reserve maps show key areas of concern
• What color is your state?
• Scroll down to the bottom for the website link
The Federal Reserve System now has a set of dynamic maps and data online that illustrate sub prime and alt-A mortgage loan conditions across the United States. The maps display regional variation [...]

[Read more →]

After two weeks of nice declines, mortgage rates rose during the week, back to the levels seen at the end of February. March was an extremely volatile month, with large daily swings a common occurrence. Investors bought mortgage backed securities during periods of increased concern about the stability of the credit markets. Just as quickly, [...]

[Read more →]

Tuesday, the Fed’s surprise announcement of a new $200 billion lending facility led to a 400 plus point rally in the Dow, the biggest one day percentage gain since March 2003. The effect on mortgage rates was also favorable. The newly available funds will make it more appealing for financial institutions to borrow money from [...]

[Read more →]

[Read more →]

In a week packed with major economic news, the biggest story for mortgage markets was the widening spread between mortgage backed securities and Treasury bonds. Issued by the US government, Treasury bonds are generally considered to be the benchmark for a “safe” security, since the risk of default is extremely low. During the week, the [...]

[Read more →]