Author: Mark Chu

July’s inflation report was good news on its face: prices rose just 0.1% for the month, annual inflation cooled to 3.4% from 3.5%, and core inflation came in at 2.5% — the closest reading to the Fed’s target all year. If you’re a Fresno homeowner waiting for rates to drop before you sell, that sounds … Continued

Housing just handed Fresno homeowners a strange scorecard: affordability actually got better last month, and buyers still backed away. If you are thinking about selling in Fresno or Clovis this fall, that gap is the whole story. The National Association of Realtors released its July existing home sales report this morning. Sales fell 1.7% to … Continued

Mortgage rates ended last week at 6.74% — the lowest level since July 20th. If you’re a Fresno homeowner who has been waiting for rates to come down before you list, that looks like your opening. But one number drops Wednesday morning that decides whether the dip holds or disappears. Rates fell Friday after the … Continued

If you own a house in Fresno and you have been waiting for mortgage rates to fall before you sell, Thursday’s productivity report is the first number in months that quietly argues in your favor. Second-quarter productivity jumped 1.4%, more than double the 0.6% economists expected. Because workers produced more per hour, unit labor costs … Continued

If gas felt a little cheaper at the pump in Fresno this week, that same barrel of oil just moved your mortgage payment. The 30-year fixed slid to 6.75% — its lowest level in just over two weeks — after sitting near a one-year high only days ago. And the Fed had nothing to do … Continued

If you have been waiting for mortgage rates to drop before listing your Fresno house, today’s June JOLTS report is the reason that wait keeps getting longer. Job openings fell to 7.36 million — the first decline since March — but the rest of the report pointed the other direction, and that is what keeps … Continued

Fresh data out this week shows U.S. factories are humming at a pace not seen in more than four years — and that kind of momentum tends to show up in Fresno’s housing market a few months down the road, whether it’s more jobs in the Valley’s ag-equipment and food-processing plants or renewed confidence among … Continued

If your paycheck went up this year, you might think you’re getting ahead. New wage data says otherwise, and Fresno homeowners are feeling the squeeze in ways that go beyond the grocery bill. According to the Atlanta Fed’s Wage Growth Tracker, workers who stayed in their current job saw pay grow 3.4% over the past … Continued

One day after the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, new economic data landed with a thud: growth just got cut in half. For Fresno homeowners watching mortgage rates and wondering when relief might come, this is the number that matters more than the Fed’s decision itself. The freshly released growth figures show the economy … Continued

At 2 PM Eastern today, the Federal Reserve makes its closest interest rate call in more than a year — and Fresno homeowners thinking about selling should be watching the clock. Hike odds have climbed to nearly 36%, and the mortgage market isn’t waiting for the official announcement to react. Mortgage applications already fell 6.4% … Continued

San Francisco just posted the biggest annual home price gain of any city in the country — up 8.9% — while metros like Austin and Cape Coral are still seeing year-over-year declines. If you live in Fresno and the housing headlines feel like they contradict each other every week, this is why: there isn’t one … Continued

All eyes are on the Federal Reserve this week — but if you own a home in Fresno, Wednesday’s announcement isn’t the day to circle on your calendar. Thursday is. The Fed is widely expected to hold rates steady for the fifth straight meeting, with markets pricing roughly 65% odds of no change. Here’s the … Continued