John Balladares's (jballadares) Blog

  This week brings us the release of five important economic reports in addition to two Treasury auctions that may influence rates. Only two of the five reports are considered to be of fairly high importance to the bond market and mortgage pricing. The remaining reports are considered to be of m...

Like many baby-boomers today, you may be faced with an upcoming retirement and a lack of a retirement savings account due to the rough economic times of the past few years. A recent CBS MoneyWatch article tackles this problem by suggesting resourceful ways to make retirement work for you. One bo...

  This week brings us the release of four pieces of relevant economic news in addition to the minutes from the most recent FOMC meeting. None of the economic reports are considered to be highly important to the markets or mortgage rates, but they do carry enough significance to influence mortgag...

  There are five pieces of relevant economic data scheduled for release this week that may affect mortgage rates, in addition to two important Treasury auctions. The four most important four reports will be posted over two days, meaning the markets will have to rely on factors other than economi...

While on the hunt for a perfect home, it can be immensely helpful to create a wish list of sorts. This can help you and your real estate agent obtain a clear picture of what type of home would best suit you. Some things to consider: 1. Move-in ready or fixer-upper? Making a home "your own" can m...

  The San Jose Mercury reported that data shows that buying condos, versus renting, makes financial sense in San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland in this current market. A study done by Trulia of the nation's fifty largest cities focusing on rent-versus-buy price analysis revealed that these Bay...

There are only four relevant economic reports scheduled for release this week, but two of them are considered to be highly important to the financial and mortgage markets. Unlike many Mondays, the week kicks off with important data being posted today. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) wi...