Mortgage Rate Intelligence & Market Updates

It’s a rarity these days, but mortgage rates actually moved lower today by more than a token amount. The average top-tier 30yr fixed rate fell to 7.54% from 7.60% yesterday. There are multiple potential factors in play when it comes to explaining the underlying bond market rally, but none of them stand out as an obvious singular motivation. For those curious, the list (which has several esoteric factors that we won’t be fully explaining here) includes, but is not limited to:
traders covering bets on higher rates ahead of tomorrow’s jobs report
concerns over European bond market contagion focused on France and Italy 
reassuring comments from Fed speakers helping Fed rate expectations move lower
technical buying opportunity when Treasury yields hit 5.34% (10yr)
A day like today invites consideration about bigger picture ceilings, but it will need to bring friends in order for that conversation to continue. We are bound to see periodic sighs of relief any time rates move higher as relentlessly as they have in the past month. Tomorrow’s jobs report is as likely as anything to set the tone for the rest of that conversation. If job growth is much stronger than expected, the conversation is over until further notice. If it’s much weaker than expected, we’ll talk.

Planning to move somewhere new? If so, the climate is likely a big factor. To help, check out our list of the ten rainiest cities in the U.S.

The post The 10 Rainiest Cities in the U.S., Ranked appeared first on Redfin | Real Estate Tips for Home Buying, Selling & More.

Garg says the consent solicitation topped 50% and could remove five directors, with a third-party inspector reviewing results

Speakers at CMLS said data will be monetized either way, the issue is governance and protecting brokers’ rights

In his Senate confirmation hearing, Jones highlighted manufactured housing, limits on large investors and new credit underwriting models

The USDA and HUD agreed earlier this week to streamline environmental reviews for federally funded rural housing projects

Exclusive CMLS coverage: Former Bright MLS strategy chief David Charron urged CMLS attendees to cut friction and invest for where the industry will be 18-month

For agents, Abrams said a slower market requires a different approach to prospecting

Welcome to the 4th quarter. Remember when, in 2024, the informal slogan for many in our biz was, “Stay alive ‘til ’25!”? (’27 isn’t expected to be heaven.) This is the month of Halloween. Suddenly residential lending is filled with tricks or treats, along with conferences of varying value. People are on the move: the jobs section of this Commentary has been filled with transitions and promotions. On a larger scale, the pace of company changes is picking up. Just when people are wondering if the shift into non-Agency products is becoming “long in the tooth,” New York Life Investment Management is taking majority control of Invictus Capital Partners, the company behind Verus. The asset manager has $838 billion under management, and Verus is already having its biggest securitization year yet with about $8.9 billion across 14 deals in 2026. Meanwhile, in Agency news, keeping track of 38-year-old FHFA Director Bill Pulte’s tweets, impacting thousands of lenders and millions of borrowers, has become a full-time job. “Fannie and Freddie are hereby moving to one pricing grid with VantageScore joining the existing FICO Classic pricing grid.” But wait! The FHFA and Fannie and Freddie announced (here and here) that approved lenders may apply for a temporary exception to the November 2nd, Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) 3.6 appraisal delivery deadline, “a move that follows concerns MBA and its members raised with the GSEs about readiness across the broader appraisal ecosystem.” (Today’s podcast can be found here. This week’s ‘casts are presented by Gateless, intelligent automation that gives you the competitive edge. Gateless solutions reduce costs, deliver a superior borrower experience, and mitigate risk by automating tasks and decisions historically made by people. Today’s has an interview with Gateless’ Mike Brown on how AI is overcoming legacy technology and operational friction to improve risk management, accelerate time-to-close, demonstrate ROI, and ultimately enable a scalable “no-touch” underwriting experience.)