| Last | Change | |||
| S&P futures | 2833 | 7.5 | ||
| Eurostoxx index | 385.12 | 0.21 | ||
| Oil (WTI) | 67.99 | 0.79 | ||
| 10 Year Government Bond Yield | 2.88% | |||
| 30 Year fixed rate mortgage | 4.58% | |||
Stocks are higher this morning after the Turkish Lira rallied 6%. Bonds and MBS are flat.
Import prices were flat in July but were up just under 5% on a YOY basis. This was pretty much all driven by oil prices which are inherently volatile and self-correcting.
Small business optimism is near record highs according to the NFIB. Availability of workers remains a big concern, and we are seeing record levels of compensation increases. Note that many of these comp increases are planned, so there will be a 9 month lag before it shows up in the government data. Credit availability is a non-problem. The biggest headache for small business is availability / quality of labor, not the cost of labor. I don't know that we have cost-push labor inflation quite yet, but if that is the case, then it won't be good for mortgage rates as it will primarily affect the long end of the curve.
HUD is electing to discontinue the Obama Administration's controversial interpretation of the AFFH rule from the 60s, which means it no longer will be suing towns to force them to change their zoning codes to allow multi-family housing. HUD will focus on eliminating regulatory impediments to building more housing, and will tie grants to measures which increase building. In other words, The Obama Admin used a stick approach, while the Trump Admin will use a carrot approach.
Home prices rose 0.7% MOM and 6.8% YOY in June according to CoreLogic. They are forecast to rise 5% over the next year. Sales in the red-hot markets are down double digits as affordability issues and lack of inventory crimp activity.
The Despot reported better than expected earnings as homeowners choose to fix up their existing place instead of trying to move in a tight real estate market. Better weather helped the company rebound from their sales miss in the first quarter.
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