More Breaking News - U.S. Fed Cuts Discount Rate in Rare Weekend Session!

Another news story has just broke this Sunday evening.   In a rare weekend meeting by the Federal Reserve the Federal Reserve has agree to cut the Fed Discount Rate and other 25 Basis Points to 3.25 % to direct loans to commercial banks to open up borrowing at the rate to primary dealers in government securities.   This was another attempt to move the AsianMarkets before they open Monday morning.  The Asian market futures were set to open sharply lower Monday on news of the Bear Stearns debacle Friday.  The moves were meant to ease the financial strains globally on the credit freeze and instill confidence in the financial markets.

 
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28 Comments on More Breaking News - U.S. Fed Cuts Discount Rate in Rare Weekend Session!

Wow Jim...I didn't hear that one....cutting the value of our dollar to help the Asian markets.  I know that this could be a good thing, but we seem so reactionary now.  We'll see where this takes us.

03/16/2008 08:18 PM by Larry Bettag - Cherry Creek Mortgage


What looks like good news probably not... each time this happens mortgage rates go up. I wish we could all slow down and let the market do its own thing.. in a normal market we know it takes 90 days for the market to change directions .. its time to slowdown and let the market heal on its own.

03/16/2008 08:18 PM by Eric Reid Lawrenceville,GA (Renaissance Realty Group)


Jim, I think we are worst off then they are letting on. I don't remember the last time the fed's cut rates on a weekend.

03/16/2008 08:22 PM by Frank Rubi Louisiana Real Estate-Homes for Sale (Specialized Real Estate Services, Inc.)


Even though the fed rates will go down, I doubt it will help the mortgage market.

03/16/2008 08:23 PM by Jeremy Blanton- Myrtle Beach Real Estate ,Coldwell Banker Chicora (Coldwell Banker Chicora Real Estate)


I think the last cut was an unplanned meeting as well. 

-Mark

03/16/2008 08:28 PM by Mark A. Moore, ABR - Virginia Beach Real Estate (RE/MAX Alliance - REMAX)


 Larry Bettag Illinois FHA Specialist  This news has broked within the last 30 minutes!  The Asian market were poised to go much lower, this helps us...

03/16/2008 08:29 PM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


Eric Reid Lawrenceville,GA  I agree.  I feel that we need to let the first medicines need to take hold.  The Fed probaly is seeing a lot of things we will probably never see.  Something is broke big time is my own opinion.

03/16/2008 08:32 PM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


Hi Jim,

I just heard about it.  It will be interesting to see what comes of it.  I will have CNN on at the office tomorrow to follow it.  Have a great week.  Michael A. Caruso

03/16/2008 08:32 PM by Michael Caruso Real Estate Group


Frank Rubi Louisiana Real Estate-Homes for Sale   Wellthe last time they intervened at a level of Bear Stearns it was in the early 1960's.  Yes I agree with you...something big is happening behind the scenes.

03/16/2008 08:33 PM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


Jeremy Blanton  These rate are not meant for mortgages, these are meant to prevent bank failures.  These are to put liquidity into the system.

03/16/2008 08:35 PM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


Mark A. Moore, ABR  The last rate cut was only the 5th time in the Federal Reserve History where it was an unannounce intervention.  This is the 6th.  It gets kind of spooky when the last few times have been within recent weeks.

03/16/2008 08:39 PM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


 Mark A. Moore, ABR  No answers here.  I always hope the people up front know what they are doing.

03/16/2008 08:53 PM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


Jim, it seems like the Fed is getting very reactionary to every bit of world bad news these days.

03/16/2008 09:32 PM by Gary Woltal - REALTOR® Dallas Ft. Worth (Keller Williams Realty)


Jim,

Thanks for useful info!  The world's a mess right now, and it remains to see if the Fed gets what they wanted out of this.

Mike in Tucson

03/16/2008 09:53 PM by Mike Jones (Tucson Mortgage Company, LLC)


Gary Woltal - REALTOR® Dallas Ft. Worth  No I think they are doing what they have to.  I listened to an interview this weekend from an economic professor from Harvard who is also an economist adviser to the Federal Reserve.  We are more or less in uncharted waters with derivatives, CMO's etc... and a global credit freeze cause by bad paper from the USA fueled by sub-prime mortgages and Alt-A's.

03/16/2008 10:01 PM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


Mike Jones  Better tank up your cars tomorrow. Oil is going to skyrocket!  The dollar appears to be in a free fall, and it appears cheaper, oil, gold and commodities will rise higher!  Down the road we will pay dearly for this because of the inflation it will create!

03/16/2008 10:03 PM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


'Not expecting this to trickle down to me/us in any way.  As you said, gas prices will probably go up.  I love this business, but sometimes I have to ask myself, do I need it and want it enough to wait out another market like this?  Probably, it's tempting...

03/16/2008 11:53 PM by Margaret Woda, Maryland REALTOR (RE/MAX VISION)


Jim,

I hear about this on the morning news. I doubt it will effect our market either way...just another media story with a temporary way to inject something into the RE market and hope it looks positive...but I also just read the day before how lenders are making it impossible for buyers to buy even would excellent credit. How about they fix that and let people refinance or buy that have good credit? Why can't they do something with that instead of this.

03/17/2008 06:43 AM by Neal Bloom-Realtor ® Assoc.-CRS-Weston FL (RE/MAX Premier Associates)


I am surprised to read they did this on the weekend. I am going to turn on the TV to hear more about it.Thanks for the information.Happy St Patrick's Day.

03/17/2008 06:52 AM by GITA BANTWAL, REALTOR BUCKS COUNTY, PA HOMES (ReMax Centre Realtors)


Margaret Woda, Maryland REALTOR  Margaret this is a tough market that is going to get tougher if we understand the fundamentals.  Credit is going to freeze up for a while.  I just pray some of these persons on top know what they are doing.

03/17/2008 09:17 AM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


 Neal Bloom-Realtor ® Assoc.-CRS-Weston I don't have the answers.  I guess they look at it as a "First things first" they want to keep the banks from failing.

03/17/2008 09:19 AM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


GITA BANTWAL, REALTOR BUCKS COUNTY, PA HOMES  It was a surprise that they wanted to get it fixed prior to the Asian markets opening.  In spite of what they did, the Asian markets pretty much plummmeted this morning. The Hang Seng Index dropped over 5%! Could you imagine what would have happened if they Feds did nothing?

Happy St Patricks Day to you also!

03/17/2008 09:24 AM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


I was absolutely shocked to see the FEDS drop the rate to 3.25 BPs!  I'm glad they did for the benefit of the foreign markets--we were actually pretty stable this morning and the day ended MUCH better than I expected today.  I'm anxiously awaiting the market tomorrow--I'm afraid it's not going to be as steady as today; I think investors were simply in shock today and didn't know WHAT to do!


03/17/2008 10:55 PM by Debe Maxwell (Helen Adams Realty)


Debe Maxwell   The entire thing is not over yet.  It will be interesting how much the Fed drops rates tomorrow.

03/17/2008 11:15 PM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


I hear more cuts are in the offing - does not bode well for out spring selling season if panic ensues at the buyer level...

03/18/2008 10:53 AM by Jeff Geoghan MBA, - Lancaster PA Real Estate Expert (Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc.)


Jeff Geoghan MBA, - Lancaster PA Real Estate Expert  The crazy thing is who knows where any of this is going?  This is the strangest market I've ever participated in.  In the last 2 days we've have had 3 properties listed with us go under contract and 1 had multiple offer.  However, no offer was really great.  Seller contributions, sellers take cash to closing, and break even pricing...but they are selling.  Prior to the last few days our market in general was absolutely dead!

03/18/2008 12:34 PM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


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Real Estate Agent: Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)
Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO
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