Bill Ladewig's AM Market Brief

July 22 , 2009, 6:30 AM PST

National Average Fixed Rate Mortgage 
Up 1 basis point at 5.29% on 07-20-09
*A Basis Point (bps) is 1/100 of 1.00%

Fannie Mae Mortgage Backed Securities
Down 11.7 basis points to 4.847%.

Lock Advice:  Float
MM Rate Monitor points down this morning, 10 Year bonds were up slightly and Fannie Mae MBS dropped 11.7 bps.

DJI Stocks Opened 8,869.84  -46.10  -0.52%

European and Asian Markets Down 0.45%

10 Year Treasury  currently 3.50%

Nymex Crude Oil $64.17 barrel, Down $1.44

Where are the best rates: Mortgage Brokers or Direct Lenders?  Rate Survey

The dreaded Stealth Rate Shopper Strikes again full story  

See inter-day Rate and market updates on Twitter

07-22-09 U.S. Monthly House Price Index Estimates 0.9% Price Increase from April to May
Full Story

07-17-09: Housing starts surge
Government report says initial construction of U.S. homes rose to an annual rate of 582,000 units last month.  Full Story

07-17-09 Stock Rally Pushes Mortgage Rates Higher  Full Story

06-16-09: Initial jobless claims fell 47,000 to 522,000 last week.
Initial claims for jobless benefits dropped by 47,000 to 522,000 in the week ended July 11, the Labor Department said Thursday. The four-week average of new claims, which aims to smooth volatility in the data, fell by 22,500

Are the best rates supplied by Direct Lenders? Rate Survey

Your Stealth Rate Shopper Strikes again full story 

Click for current Lending news and information

$8,000 Tax Credit Advance was approved (05-29-09) by FHA Click for FHA bulletin 

Fannie MBS Issuance Hits Highest Mark Since 2003
Benefiting from historically low interest rates and a refinancing boom, Fannie Mae issued $87.8 billion in mortgage-backed securities in March, nearly doubling the previous month's volume.

1st Quarter Residential Loan Originations Jump 36%
Thanks to interest rates that were at or near historical lows, residential mortgage lenders saw their loan production jump by 36% in the first quarter, according to preliminary survey figures compiled by National Mortgage News and the Quarterly Data Report.

How To Apply For $8,000 First Time Buyer Tax Credit
Up to a $8000 Tax Credit is available from IRS

10 Ways to Avoid A Closing Nightmare
An easy list that will make your life easier