Pending Home Sales Surge for a Second Straight Month
Didier Malagies • July 30, 2020
Pending Home Sales Surge for a Second Straight Month
Jordan Borchard posted in
Housing in Housing News
Pending Home Sales Surge for a Second Straight Month
[Use the button below to view additional content]
Written by: Kathleen Howleen
U.S. pending home sales increased 17% in June, the second consecutive month of double-digit gains, as low mortgage rates spurred demand for homes.
A seasonally adjusted index measuring signed contracts was 6.3% above the year-ago level after state lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic pushed transactions into summer months, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors.
“It is quite surprising and remarkable that, in the midst of a global pandemic, contract activity for home purchases is higher compared to one year ago,” said Yun. “Consumers are taking advantage of record-low mortgage rates resulting from the Federal Reserve’s maximum liquidity monetary policy.”
The Fed began buying Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities in March to grease the wheels of the credit markets. That sent interest rates tumbling toward an all-time low reached in mid-July, when the average U.S. fixed rate for a 30-year home loan fell to 2.98%, according to Freddie Mac. It was the first time it broke the 3% threshold in a data series that goes back to 1971.
Sales of existing homes probably will fall by 3% in 2020 to 5.18 million, and sales of new homes likely will rise by 3% to 704,000, Yun said in a forecast he issued in tandem with the home sales report.
The median price of an existing home this year probably will increase 4.3% to $283,600, the forecast said. The median price for a new home likely will gain 1.1% to $324,900, according to the forecast.
Pending home sales in the Northeast region of the U.S. rose 54% in June, the biggest gain in the report. In the Midwest, sales increased 12.2%, in the South the index was up 11.9% and in the West the gain was 11.7%, the report said.
“The Northeast’s strong bounce back comes after a lengthier lockdown, while the South has consistently outperformed the rest of the country,” Yun said. “These remarkable rebounds speak to exceptionally high buyer demand.”
Check out our other helpful videos to learn more about credit and residential mortgages.

✅ Why mortgage rates can rise even when the Fed cuts rates Mortgage rates don’t move directly with the Fed Funds Rate. Instead, they are primarily driven by the 10-year Treasury yield and investor expectations about inflation, recession risk, and future Fed policy. Here are the main reasons this disconnect happens: 1. Markets expected the rate cut already If investors already priced in the Fed’s cut weeks or months beforehand, then the cut itself is old news. When the announcement hits, mortgage rates may not fall—and often rise if the Fed hints at fewer future cuts. 2. Fed cuts can signal economic trouble Sometimes the Fed cuts because the economy is weakening. That can cause: Investors to worry about higher future inflation, or A “risk-off” move where money leaves bonds Both of these drive the 10-year yield UP, which pushes mortgage rates UP even though the Fed cut. 3. Bond investors wanted a bigger cut If markets expect a 0.50% cut but the Fed only delivers 0.25%, that’s seen as “too tight.” Result: 10-year yield jumps Mortgage rates move higher 4. Fed messaging (“forward guidance”) matters more than the cut Example: The Fed cuts today, but says: “We may need to slow or pause future cuts.” That single sentence can raise mortgage rates, even though short-term rates just went lower. 5. Inflation surprises after the cut If new inflation data comes in hot after a Fed cut, the bond market panics → yields go up → mortgage rates go up. Quick summary Fed Cuts Rates Mortgage Rates Move ✔ Expected or priced in Can rise or stay flat ✔ Fed hints at fewer future cuts Often rise ✔ Inflation remains sticky Rise ✔ Economy looks unstable Rise ❗ Only when 10-year yield falls Mortgage rates fall tune in and learn https://www.ddamortgage.com/blog didier malagies nmls#212566 dda mortgage nmls#324329

New conforming loan limits increase to $832,750, which is great considering we have had price decreases on homes this year. So if you put down 3% the purchase price would be $858,051, and 5% down would be $876,578. Why would that matter? Well, you go above, and you are in Jumbo territory, where you have to put 20% down vs the 3% or 5% down. So, really great news that there is an increase, and when rates do come down, there will be all the homeowners who have the low interest rates, probably make a move to either downsize or upsize on their home, which will create activity and an increase in home prices. So overall, exciting to see the loan amounts increase to help offset the higher home prices tune in and learn https://www.ddamortgage.com/blog didier malagies nmls#212566 dda mortgage nmls#324329



