
Understanding Rates & Positioning
Thursday, July 16, 2009, 03:07 PM -
NewsletterPosted by Rod Manrique
Once again we see the mortgage rate curve head lower. How low will they go and how long will they remain low? Well, we don’t know but we can try and understand how rates behave.
First, mortgage rates feed off of Treasuries and (MBS) or Mortgage Backed Securities. The bitter-sweet pattern here is that as the stock market and commodities like Oil lose value and equity, investors seek safety in Treasuries like 10 year Bonds. As investor sentiment shifts away from the “Green-Shoots Theory (economic recovery) to a feeling of economic stagnation, investors practice Risk Adverse Trades or safer investing. Investors move money into safe assets like Treasuries and MBS and this "flight to safety" helps treasury yields move lower which allows MBS prices to move higher, therefore giving lenders the opportunity to reduce consumer borrowing costs.
That said, how do you play this market?
First and foremost rates continue to be at historic lows. For instance, a year ago the average rate on a 30 year FRM (Fixed Rate Mortgage) was around 6.5%. Today you can obtain a 30 year FRM for about 5.125%. If these rates don’t do it for you, you can also position yourself to lock an even lower rate when and if the market accommodates.
This positioning is simple. Imagine loading your 6-shooter, aiming and waiting for the right target, in this case a low rate. To load your mortgage pistol, you need to get qualified based on your income, credit and equity. From here you and your trusted mortgage professional can pull that trigger when the time is right. If the desired rate does not come around to the level where you are comfortable and content, you put your gun down and move on. But if you have a window of a day or even an hour and the rate peeks its little head out, you shoot and lock it in. If you don’t have the gun pulled and pointed in the right direction, that rate can easily slip right through your fingers.
Are you ready?
Contact me or any of our Aequor Funding Loan Specialists to position yourself.
All my best,
Rod Manrique
Senior Loan Officer
Aequor Funding Corp.