And while that line from the movie Field of Dreams may have referred to a baseball field, there are some small signs that it could perhaps refer to the housing market once again before too long.
The housing market continues to show signs of stabilization, and although home prices are not about to spike higher, the decline certainly seems to have subsided. Existing Home Sales came in better than expectations, reaching their highest level in two years, as you can see in the chart below.
-----------------------
Chart: Existing Home Sales in July
And while the inventory of unsold homes remains lofty, it was reported at its best level in a year. In addition, while Housing Starts and Building Permits both came in slightly below expectations, they did rise in July - another sign of stabilization in the housing market. New Home Sales data will come out this Wednesday, so indeed we will soon find out if home buyers are coming out to buy those new built homes. With home loan rates still at exceptionally low levels - it presents a great opportunity to buy. Do let me know if you or one of your friends, family, neighbors or coworkers would benefit from learning more about buying a home in today's market.
On the wholesale inflation front, the Labor Department reported that the Producer Price Index (PPI) fell more than expected. However, the Core PPI - which strips out volatile food and energy prices - was inline with expectations. In the past year the Overall PPI has dropped by a record -6.8%...this going back to 1947, when data was first collected on PPI. This decrease in wholesale prices is certainly reflective of the recession, but also points to the power of the cost reductions through technology and productivity gains.
Remember, inflation is the arch enemy of Bonds and home loan rates. While it's good news that inflation is not currently an issue, with an unprecedented amount of government spending, no one really knows what the full impact will be down the road. This will be something to watch for in the weeks and months ahead.
The job market also continues to be something to watch. Initial Jobless Claims were reported at 576,000, which was a bit higher than expected, particularly after a string of better-than-expected reports recently. Claims readings will need to be in the low 400K's before the Unemployment Rate can stabilize and start to improve.so we have a ways to go.
Although not all the news of the week was necessarily positive, Stocks found ways to take a ride higher, finishing last week on the plus side and at the highest levels so far this year. The Dow surged ahead by 155 points closing at 9,505, the S&P gained 18 points to 1,026 while the Nasdaq rose 31 points ending at 2,020. But Bonds and home loan rates were in turn under pressure, and found it hard to maintain any positive momentum. And with more Treasury auctions scheduled for next week - which have not been overly friendly for Bonds and home loan rates - the pressure could increase.
Posts
