MBS RECAP: Bonds Generally Hold Ground as Bigger Data Approaches

Posted To: MBS Commentary

Today's economic data consisted only of Chicago PMI (sometimes a decent market mover) and Pending Home Sales (rarely a noticeable market mover). It also suffered from the fact that it was a Monday during the middle of summer--meaning that participation levels among traders were lower than normal. Volumes ultimately made it up to nearly average levels, but that's low for a month-end trading session (nearly a quarter of the day's volume happened in the 5 minutes between 2:58 and 3:03pm, surrounding the 3pm CME close--the closest thing the bond market has to an official 'closing bell.' The volume didn't bring any volatility along for the ride. Rates rose modestly in the morning, largely following European markets (thanks to stronger Eurozone inflation data). EU bonds reversed...(read more)

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MBS RECAP: Bonds Generally Hold Ground as Bigger Data Approaches

Posted To: MBS Commentary

Today's economic data consisted only of Chicago PMI (sometimes a decent market mover) and Pending Home Sales (rarely a noticeable market mover). It also suffered from the fact that it was a Monday during the middle of summer--meaning that participation levels among traders were lower than normal. Volumes ultimately made it up to nearly average levels, but that's low for a month-end trading session (nearly a quarter of the day's volume happened in the 5 minutes between 2:58 and 3:03pm, surrounding the 3pm CME close--the closest thing the bond market has to an official 'closing bell.' The volume didn't bring any volatility along for the ride. Rates rose modestly in the morning, largely following European markets (thanks to stronger Eurozone inflation data). EU bonds reversed...(read more)

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You Can Now Shop The Novogratz On Amazon

With seven kids, several collections, a plethora of books and TV shows, and often, at least one renovation going on at any given time, the Novogratz are a design duo that's hardly one to rest on their laurels—or even rest. And they have something new to announce today: a partnership with Amazon for an e-commerce storefront.

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Mortgage Rates Modestly Lower Despite Flat Markets

Posted To: Mortgage Rate Watch

Mortgage rates moved modestly lower today, despite an absence of improvement in underlying bond markets. Rates typically rise in this scenario, but this pattern has been more and more common recently. It's nothing too scandalous--or even terribly interesting. Lenders are simply less eager to follow every little juke and head-fake in bond markets when things have been so flat in the bigger picture. The summertime phenomenon only adds to the apathy. The net effect is that lenders often find themselves with the need to adjust prices based on bond market movement in the previous business day. In the current case, that means lenders are getting caught up with Friday afternoon's bond market improvement, thus allowing for lower rates on a day where bonds are technically weaker. The coming days bring...(read more)

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Mortgage Rates Modestly Lower Despite Flat Markets

Posted To: Mortgage Rate Watch

Mortgage rates moved modestly lower today, despite an absence of improvement in underlying bond markets. Rates typically rise in this scenario, but this pattern has been more and more common recently. It's nothing too scandalous--or even terribly interesting. Lenders are simply less eager to follow every little juke and head-fake in bond markets when things have been so flat in the bigger picture. The summertime phenomenon only adds to the apathy. The net effect is that lenders often find themselves with the need to adjust prices based on bond market movement in the previous business day. In the current case, that means lenders are getting caught up with Friday afternoon's bond market improvement, thus allowing for lower rates on a day where bonds are technically weaker. The coming days bring...(read more)

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A Couple Puts a Home Together With the Help of Some Craigslist Kismet — House Call

Name: Alannah and Alex
Location: Vancouver, British Colombia
The basics: Two years, rented — 700 square feet

Alannah and Alex moved to Vancouver and set about making their apartment a home. With a limited budget, they scoured Craigslist and thrift stores, finding individual pieces they loved and blending them together into one cozy home.

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The Questions You Need to Answer Before Buying a Home Together

Buying a home together can be complicated. Whether you're in a relationship, family members, or good friends who are making an investment together, sometimes adding multiple opinions and emotions into a financial situation can get a little dicey. That's why it's really important plan out your homeownership logistics before you even get started.

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2nd + Main by Create Properties in Mount Pleasant

On the corner of 2nd and Main Street is the new 226 residence building composed of 23 studios, 145 1-bedrooms, and 58 2-bedrooms. Vancouver based, Create Properties brings a unique vibe to their properties where you can live, work and play. This development will feature: a green roof for residents with garden plots and storage for gardening supplies, electric vehicle charging stations, four artist studios, bicycle stalls, 13000 square feet of retail space, and culture space.

This fabulous development is situated within walking distance to the Olympic Village, close to breweries and dining spots.

The post 2nd + Main by Create Properties in Mount Pleasant appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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The Minimalists' 90/90 Rule Will Help Declutter Your Kitchen for Good — Kitchn

From Kitchn → Use the Minimalists' 90/90 Rule to Help Declutter Your Kitchen

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2nd + Main by Create Properties in Mount Pleasant

On the corner of 2nd and Main Street is the new 226 residence building composed of 23 studios, 145 1-bedrooms, and 58 2-bedrooms. Vancouver based, Create Properties brings a unique vibe to their properties where you can live, work and play. This development will feature: a green roof for residents with garden plots and storage for gardening supplies, electric vehicle charging stations, four artist studios, bicycle stalls, 13000 square feet of retail space, and culture space.

This fabulous development is situated within walking distance to the Olympic Village, close to breweries and dining spots.

The post 2nd + Main by Create Properties in Mount Pleasant appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Machine Washable Rugs? They Exist, and Here's What You Need to Know

(Image credit: Ruggable)

Story time: When we first started talking about this at Apartment Therapy, my immediate reaction was, "Machine washable rugs exist?!?" so if you're reading this thinking, "wait, really?" you're not alone. (If you did know this already, you can probably still learn a thing or two, and those of us who didn't know appreciate your patience with us.) Some quick researching revealed that, not only are there rugs designed specifically to be machine washable, but that many regular unsuspecting rugs can actually also go in the washing machine.

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Great News: Pottery Barn Is Expanding Their Small Spaces Collection

Tyler leather sofa, $2799+

(Image credit: Pottery Barn)

Good news: Pottery Barn just added to new items to their small space collection, which debuted earlier this year. Check out some of the pieces below:

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A Vintage Lover's Designed-on-a-Dime Oakland Apartment — House Tour

Name: Natasha Harden
Location: Bella Vista — Oakland, California
Size: 725 square feet
Years lived in: Rented 4 Years

Natasha — a Virgo — credits her Zodiac sign for her heightened sense of detail. "I can spend hours thrifting, and trust me, I always find something cute," she proudly says. "I usually just walk around in a thrift store and I let patterns and textures speak to me." Up until last year, Natasha ran a small vintage clothing boutique store in Oakland, which she curated all on her own, scouring thrift stores up and down California. But unlike her shop — which consisted of finds from all over — her home is made up almost entirely of things she's found on her block and in the streets of her neighborhood, either while walking her dog or going for long evening strolls. That mirrored coffee table in the living room? A street find. The framed unicorn print in her bedroom? Also a street find. And the handful of plants she's miraculously brought back to life? More than likely, she picked them up from the curb.

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June Pending Sales Increase the First in Four Months

Posted To: MND NewsWire

Pending home sales recovered from a three-month swoon in June, increasing 1.5 percent in June. The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) said its Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) rose to 110.2. NAR also revised the May PHSI up slightly, from 108.5 to 108.6. The index in June was 0.5 percent higher than a year earlier. NAR said it was the first time the Index ran higher on an annual basis since last March. The Index is a forward-looking indicator based on contracts for existing home purchases. Those contracts are generally expected to result in completed transactions in about two months. Analysts were expecting an increase in contract signings, although at a more modest level. The index came in at the top of predictions from those polled by Econoday which ranged from 0.3 to 1.5 percent...(read more)

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June Pending Sales Increase the First in Four Months

Posted To: MND NewsWire

Pending home sales recovered from a three-month swoon in June, increasing 1.5 percent in June. The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) said its Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) rose to 110.2. NAR also revised the May PHSI up slightly, from 108.5 to 108.6. The index in June was 0.5 percent higher than a year earlier. NAR said it was the first time the Index ran higher on an annual basis since last March. The Index is a forward-looking indicator based on contracts for existing home purchases. Those contracts are generally expected to result in completed transactions in about two months. Analysts were expecting an increase in contract signings, although at a more modest level. The index came in at the top of predictions from those polled by Econoday which ranged from 0.3 to 1.5 percent...(read more)

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DIY Handpainted Faux Wallpaper: Easy & Beautiful, Even on Textured Walls

(Image credit: Katherine Freeman Hocke)

Meet Katherine Freeman Hocke, a Texas-based artist who specializes in mixed media, layering textures and colors to get her signature look. While she primarily practices her art on canvas and paper (check out her shop here), with her recent purchase of a 1930s home she has begun translating her painterly visions and passion for interiors into DIY-able projects in and around her home.

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8 Rooms That Masterfully Mix Patterns (& What You Can Learn From Them)

Are you a maximalist? Are you tired of all-white interiors? Are you the sort of person who would never mix two patterns together when you could mix three or four? If so, then this post is for you.

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Before & After: A Pepto-Pink Guest Room Looks So Good Now

Christine's pepto-pink guest room had a lot of potential but needed a ton of work. Wanting to create a space for out-of-towners that is as interesting as it is welcoming, she set off restoring as many original historic features of the room as she could, while making updates to the space to ensure comfort.

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A 365-Square-Foot Swedish Apartment (With a Killer Kitchen)

(Image credit: Anders Bergstedt for Entrance)

What do you do with a tiny apartment with a really tall ceiling? Go vertical, of course. The Swedes are experts on design, and experts on small spaces, and this tiny apartment in Gothenburg, which makes brilliant use of its 365 square feet, is just further proof.

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Vanguard Stops Taking Apps; Fed Owns How Much Agency MBS?

Posted To: Pipeline Press

How much would you pay to drive a cab? In New York City, in 2014, the price of a Taxi Medallion hit $1.3 million. With Uber and Lyft, Medallions are now running in the $200,000s to the $500,000s. These valuable licenses that allow yellow cabs to operate have historically been a solid investment for owners. I mention this because there are credit unions that allowed medallion owners to take out lines of credit using the medallion as collateral. Due to the collapse in value, enough medallion owners are now underwater that three New York lenders have been placed into conservatorship. Events and Training FAMC has published its August 2017 Wholesale "Monthly Customer Training Calendar". This month's calendar offers a variety of training opportunities such as "Loan Processing", "Mortgage Fraud: Potential...(read more)

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Vanguard Stops Taking Apps; Fed Owns How Much Agency MBS?

Posted To: Pipeline Press

How much would you pay to drive a cab? In New York City, in 2014, the price of a Taxi Medallion hit $1.3 million. With Uber and Lyft, Medallions are now running in the $200,000s to the $500,000s. These valuable licenses that allow yellow cabs to operate have historically been a solid investment for owners. I mention this because there are credit unions that allowed medallion owners to take out lines of credit using the medallion as collateral. Due to the collapse in value, enough medallion owners are now underwater that three New York lenders have been placed into conservatorship. Events and Training FAMC has published its August 2017 Wholesale "Monthly Customer Training Calendar". This month's calendar offers a variety of training opportunities such as "Loan Processing", "Mortgage Fraud: Potential...(read more)

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MBS Week Ahead: Bonds Begin Week Storing Energy For a Breakout

Posted To: MBS Commentary

Last Friday's AM commentary had a detailed write-up on the significance of " month-end bond buying ." Here's a link to that, and here's a link to our primer on the topic. With today being the last day of July, it's possible we'll still see some random momentum due to the month-end process, but would expect a relatively higher proportion of traders to have gotten those housekeeping trades out of the way last week given the generally lower liquidity of summertime Mondays. The week ahead is no slouch though! There is a slew of top tier economic data, and some of it is exceptionally important . Specifically, tomorrow morning brings the Fed's favorite inflation gauge: year-over-year Core PCE. They'd like that to be at 2% in a perfect world. It's currently...(read more)

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MBS Week Ahead: Bonds Begin Week Storing Energy For a Breakout

Posted To: MBS Commentary

Last Friday's AM commentary had a detailed write-up on the significance of " month-end bond buying ." Here's a link to that, and here's a link to our primer on the topic. With today being the last day of July, it's possible we'll still see some random momentum due to the month-end process, but would expect a relatively higher proportion of traders to have gotten those housekeeping trades out of the way last week given the generally lower liquidity of summertime Mondays. The week ahead is no slouch though! There is a slew of top tier economic data, and some of it is exceptionally important . Specifically, tomorrow morning brings the Fed's favorite inflation gauge: year-over-year Core PCE. They'd like that to be at 2% in a perfect world. It's currently...(read more)

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Discovery Buys HGTV Parent Company Scripps in $14.6 Billion Deal

HGTV will soon have a new home: Discovery Interactive announced Monday morning that they would acquire Scripps Networks Interactive in a cash and stock deal valued at $14.6 billion.

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Another Price Index Goes a Little Wobbly

Posted To: MND NewsWire

The last of the May's four home price indices (HPI) that MND tracks, the version supplied by Black Knight Financial Services, was released on Monday. Like the others, it shows accelerating price increases on a year-over-year basis, but indicated a small degree of softening in more recent data. National home prices gained 6.1 percent in May when compared to the same month in 2016. It was the fourth successive month that the annual rate of gain has grown - in April the increase was 6.0 percent. May's appreciation brought the national index to another new peak, $278,000, and marked a 4.6 percent gain in home prices thus far in 2017. However, on a month over month basis, the rate of appreciation slowed . It was up 1.2 percent from March to April, but only 1.1 percent from April to May. While the...(read more)

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Another Price Index Goes a Little Wobbly

Posted To: MND NewsWire

The last of the May's four home price indices (HPI) that MND tracks, the version supplied by Black Knight Financial Services, was released on Monday. Like the others, it shows accelerating price increases on a year-over-year basis, but indicated a small degree of softening in more recent data. National home prices gained 6.1 percent in May when compared to the same month in 2016. It was the fourth successive month that the annual rate of gain has grown - in April the increase was 6.0 percent. May's appreciation brought the national index to another new peak, $278,000, and marked a 4.6 percent gain in home prices thus far in 2017. However, on a month over month basis, the rate of appreciation slowed . It was up 1.2 percent from March to April, but only 1.1 percent from April to May. While the...(read more)

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Before & After: A Spacious Living Room Gets an Entirely New Look

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At Apartment Therapy, we talk a lot about dealing with small spaces, but larger spaces can also present their own unique design challenge. When one Brooklyn family moved into their dream home, the oversized living room proved to be a bit of a conundrum — so they turned to a designer for guidance.

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How To Create a Timeless Classic Chic Bathroom

Whether you rent or own, just want a quick makeover or are in need of a full remodel, you're closer to a classic, sophisticated bathroom than you might think. Don't believe me? Consider the beautiful bathroom in Diana Marsh's Michigan home. At first glance it looks like a super high-end dream bathroom, which it certainly is. But look a little closer and take stock of the actual design details in this small space. You'll discover the simple formula for how Diana was able to transform this bathroom's taupe-colored before into a classic, timeless after.

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​Plant Lady 101: How To Help Your Plants Stay Happy When You're Away From Home

You're going on a two-week trip. You've made your lists, you're running last-minute errands, and you've made arrangements for pets and mail. It's easy to forget about your green household companions, your plants. But if if you do, you'll come home to find them unhappy or worse. Here are some ways to care for the verdant members of your household when you're out of town.

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A Colorful "Mini Pop Culture Museum" Apartment in the East Village — House Call

Name: Jeanie and Tater Tot the Bulldog
Location: East Village — New York, New York
The basics: 23 years, rented — 850 square feet

There's a perception out there that New Yorkers live and die by the color block. Jeanie has taken that idea and turned it completely on its head, filling her apartment with colors on colors on colors!

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Before & After: A Small, Cramped Apartment Kitchen Opens Up — Sweeten

(Image credit: Sweeten)

Upon closing on their first home, Maria and Eric found themselves in a situation that will probably seem quite familiar to anyone who's ever looked at real estate in New York: they were the proud owners of a really great apartment with a not-so-great kitchen. The 850-square-foot two-bedroom in Queens was nice and roomy, but the kitchen was small, cramped, and dark, with discolored floor tiles and old, warped cabinets that required a little effort to shut completely. A renovation was definitely in order.

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7 Fire Pits That Are So Hot, They're Cool

(Image credit: Lonny)

A fire pit tops the list of "things we'd definitely want in a backyard, if we had the space." They're fun in the summer, but help extend the outdoor season into the cooler months. We'd say that they'd also make a great focal point...but so many on the market put function over fashion. There are generally two types you'll find in your local big box store: Small cauldron-style designs in a copper or black finish, and massive fire "tables" that require everything else around it to be of a bigger scale.

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This Gorgeous Greenhouse in Sweden is For Sale — House of the Day

Here's a (slightly lesser known) phrase about people in glass houses: They get a Mediterranean climate. This unique house within a greenhouse on the west coast of Sweden promises just that.

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Custom Craftsmanship Makes its Mark in this Minneapolis Home — House Tour

Name: Leah and Thom Adair
Location: Powderhorn Park — Minneapolis, Minnesota
Size: 1,200 square feet
Years lived in: Own

Leah and Thom inhabit the first floor of a duplex they own in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood of Minneapolis. Duplexes like theirs dot the streets in almost every neighborhood of Minneapolis, but from the moment you step into the entryway of Leah and Thom's home, it quickly becomes apparent that this one is a little bit different. Thom, of Thomas Landin Furniture Co., has added a personal and completely custom touch to nearly every room of their home — from lighting and furniture, to the island and the cabinets in the kitchen.

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