Easy come, easy go. There was a strong rally Monday afternoon in the mortgage bond market. It was sudden and furious, mostly coming on in the last 60 minutes of trading.
When markets closed, mortgage rates for conforming home loans were grazing their lowest levels in nearly two years.
It lasted overnight and into the early hours of the morning.
Then, several news pieces later, the financial markets turned.
By 8:30 A.M. ET Tuesday, the rally from Monday had been erased completely; mortgage rates were up by as much as 0.375% in some cases before the clocks struck noon on Wall Street.
The rally had been reversed.
Instances like this illustrate how financial market volatility can impact homeowners. A 0.250% change in rate, for example, equates to roughly $16.50 for every $100,000 financed on an amortizing loan. It's $20.83 for an interest only loan.
Those kinds of savings add up over time.
Americans are not in the market for new homes or new home loans every day, but when we are, it can be profitable to pay attention to markets and be ready to act on a moment's notice.
The markets won't "put rates on hold" for you while you make up your mind so that moment -- whenever it may come -- could represent tremendous savings long-term on a home loan. Be ready to act.
(Image courtesy: CompUSA)
