Posts Tagged ‘wallingford real estate’
Is the Euro Really a Burro?
Well, it appears the Eurozone is under seige again as Italy and Spain are now in the crosshairs of the debt crisis. Remember when it was all about Greece and their impending default? It now appears that the contagion is snowballing through Europe. The Troll had a beat on this story a couple of months ago (see Greek Mythology). If a stop gap isn’t instituted soon to soak up a lot of the debt exposure (a Central Bank perhaps) the Euro might become……wait for it……a “Burro”. That’s Spanish for Donkey of course and one of the few words that convey negativity while rhyming with Euro. See what the Troll did there? When you think about it the Burro is the perfect animal to symbolize the French. They smell and are quite disagreeable…….He’s here all week folks!
The Troll
Occupy Wall Street
The Occupy Wall Street movement appears to be gaining momentum. Thousands have taken to the streets today with hundreds being arrested. The Troll noted that he was concerned that the European riots would make their way to the U.S. (see Washington State. The Big Layoff). While the Troll agrees that Wall Street should be held accountable for their actions leading to current economic conditions, others should be held accountable as well (U.S. Congress). The 2012 elections will go a long way in shaping the path forward. Hopefully, voters will arm themselves with enough information to choose wisely.
The Troll
Mortgage Market Update for 9-14
The Troll wanted to post earlier this week but his loan processor is on vacation and he had to close some loans. Remember he is still a mortgage broker and real estate broker first. It must be this way because he has little trolls to feed. Did you know that little trolls have voracious appetites? Food for thought anyway and now onto the mortgage news.
The releases today were helpful to bonds and mortgage interest rates. The Producer Price Index (PPI)which measures the average change over time in selling prices received by domestic producers for their output came out at zero today. These prices are typically the first commercial transaction for many products and some services. It means that prices are not increasing for manufacturers and inflation is not problematic. Retail sales were also completely flat. These numbers are not indicative of an economic recovery. The Troll doesn’t see a recovery for quite some time. The immediate issues of the day are in Europe, U.S. housing and unemployment. Until these problems are solved, we can expect pretty low interest rates, with some occasional scares along the way.
Sec Treasury Geithner on CNBC this morning saying Europe has the financial strength to avoid defaults in the countries that are on the edge with debt. He said the obvious, that Europe’s problems are causing a lack of confidence in the US. He encouraged Congress to pass the jobs bill offered up by the Administration. He also admitted US growth isn’t what the Administration had expected.
Pessimism about the economy has deepened and confidence in both U.S. political parties has fallen, with only 20% saying the country is on the right course. As little as 9% of Americans say they are confident the economy won’t slide into a recession, according to a Bloomberg National Poll.
As long as the 10 yr note doesn’t climb above 2.10% the positive outlook will continue, a break above it would set up a run up to 2.30% and take mortgage rates up with it. Next week the FOMC will hold a two day meeting, some traders are looking for more Fed help, while others including some FOMC members don’t believe more quantitative easing (QE) is necessary.
The Troll
Little Trolls go Back to School
Well, the Troll has been in a difficult predicament over the past few days. You see, his little Troll’s are still out of school and they are fierce consumers of the Trolls time when they are not at school. Don’t forget the Troll has 2 jobs (mortgage and real estate broker). One could also consider his soon to be award winning blog a part time gig and you get the idea. Think of the Jamaican Family skit on the old SNL.
We left off last week with the stage set for Bernanke. He took the stage and said nothing new would be implemented in the form of economic stimulus (QE). The door is obviously still open in that regard but as of right now nothing is in the works. Rates remain near all time lows and it is the Trolls humble opinion that they will remain low for the foreseeable future. If Bernanke can’t hold off on another round of QE then interest rates will likely move slightly higher as investors seek better returns in the stock market. If you haven’t taken advantage of the current climate (low rates), give the Troll a call. You might be surprised to find out that he can save you some cash.
The Troll
Tomorrow’s the Big Day
There’s a lot going on today and in all different directions. Yesterday’s Durables numbers were an unfriendly surprise for bonds yesterday. The 5 year treasury auction was met with ho-hum action causing us to break through support and maintain our recent slide. Then today we get the weekly unemployment numbers that continue to disappoint (417,000) and maybe we aren’t quite out of the woods yet.
The bottom line is tomorrows GDP numbers and anything Fed Chairman Bernanke says will direct the market. Hold on your hats people, it might get a little crazy.
At 1:00 this afternoon Treasury will complete its borrowing with $29B of 7 yr notes auctioned. While we didn’t think yesterday’s 5 yr auction went that badly, markets took it as not as well bid as what was expected. The strength of today’s 7 yr will be closely watched, farther out on the curve; if it isn’t a solid auction treasuries will likely back off and prices may decline taking mortgages with them.
Most of the day’s trading will be in preparation for Bernanke’s speech tomorrow from Jackson Hole. Markets are with mixed thoughts about what the Fed chairman will have to say about the economy and economic outlook, both in the US and globally. Lot of talk that he will announce another Fed easing program, mostly based on last year at this conference is when he announced QE 2. While some believe the Fed will act, there are many traders not buying into another easing. QE 2 was only considered a success from the what if perspective; what if the Fed didn’t buy $600B of treasuries? Would US interest rates increased? It didn’t help the economy, it didn’t increase employment and it didn’t increase consumer confidence.
Warren Buffett stepped up this morning to stop the decline in BofA’s stock, BofA stock has plummeted recently on increasing losses from mortgage operations. The bank made a huge mistake in hindsight when it bought Countrywide and all its bad loans. Buffett bought 50K shares of preferred stock for $5B. The bank stock jumped 25% in minutes after the news hit the wires. That Buffett is in the game will likely stabilize BofA’s stock and increase confidence in the leadership at the bank.
The Troll