Rates dipped down for the second straight week despite the not-so-good news about inflation. Wholesale prices jumped 1.2 percent in July, much more than expected (and at the fastest pace since 1981). Normally, you would expect interest rates to rise on such news, but they didn't.
Despite the lower rates, mortgage applications fell to their lowest level in almost eight years. The Mortgage Bankers Association's index of loan applications was down 1.5 percent compared with the previous week, and was down 34.2 percent compared with the same week last year.
One thing to keep a close eye on is the Fannie/Freddie situation. Both suffered further losses to their stock prices especially after the Barron's article "The Endgame Nears for Fannie Freddie" was published August 18. Some say that a government takeover would lead to an increase in rates because of uncertainty regarding the transaction. Others say that a takeover would end the period of uncertainty, not start one, and the effect on rates would be minimal, if any. We'll have to wait and see...
Source: BankRate.com
***UPDATE: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is raising their loan limits from $417,000 to as much as $729,000 in some areas. The increases are effective immediately under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.
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