Thursday, September 20, 2012

What Does QE3 Mean for Home Loan Rates?

September 20th, 2012 5:12 PM

What Does QE3 Mean for Home Loan Rates?

Here’s some important information to know and to share:
What is Quantitative Easing? Quantitative Easing is the concept of the Fed becoming a buyer of Treasuries and bonds to try and stimulate the economy. Oftentimes, the Fed does Quantitative Easing when they are hoping to (1) create inflation and avoid a deflationary economy, (2) lower the unemployment rate, and (3) boost Stock prices.
Why did the Fed announce QE3? With our economy still struggling (especially our housing and labor markets) and inflation appearing tame, QE3 was widely expected. Over the next several months, at the very least the Fed will be buying Mortgage Bonds at an annual rate of nearly $800 Billion. The Fed also noted that QE3 will continue until there is a self-sustainable recovery in our economy, as long as inflation doesn’t rise too high or quickly.
What does QE3 mean for home loan rates? The Fed is buying such large amounts of Mortgage Bonds each month to keep home loan rates (which are tied to Mortgage Bonds) near record lows, which they hope will help strengthen our housing market and economy overall. However, as the economy starts to improve and if inflation heats up, Bonds could face some selling pressure…which could impact home loan rates negatively as a result.
What is the bottom line? Now remains a great time to consider a home purchase or refinance, as home loan rates remain near historic lows. If you or anyone you know wants to learn more about taking advantage of today’s low rates, call or email me anytime. I’m always happy to help.

Monday, September 17, 2012



Gary BussardVP Mortgage Banker
Pulaski Bank Home Lending
Phone: (314) 993-6690
Cell (314) 283-0098
Kelly Deven- Client Services Advisor
gbussard@pulaskibank.com
www.4stlloans.com
Build a Great Team
You Are the Quarterback!

There comes a point in time in every business professional's career when he or she is tired of being a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. At that point, they look to take their business to another level, either to create more income, more balance in their life, or both. When you find yourself in this situation, you must know it's time to become an employer.

The first rule of teamwork is that a team can never be completely dependent upon any one individual. The most common mistake made is the leader of the team failing to delegate activities, therefore stunting the growth of the team.

The next important point to remember is that as a leader, part of your job is to build a team of decision makers. This can only be done by observing, directing and training your associates at a very high level. As a leader you are responsible for the job security of your people. The clearer the vision of the leader, the more people will follow. When building your team, as the chief, you must lead by example. One of the great problems leaders have is failing to practice what they preach!

Each team must have a Visionary and a Manager. A single person should not hold these positions. In many cases, one person tries to fill both roles. This is the classic case of a workaholic. These are the people who put in 60 or 70 hours a week and have no balance in their lives. You must let go of this attitude if you wish to achieve success in building a strong team and surround yourself with supporters. Surround yourself with people whom you can trust, and whom you know will get the job done. You must engage yourself with people who will follow your lead. Your classic implementation person can attain the results that you, the visionary, are seeking to achieve in your business plan.

You are the quarterback of your team, and as such, you must have people around you who will protect you and block for you. Make sure that your working environment is enjoyable and satisfying, because this is the place where your people spend most of their waking hours. They spend more hours in the workplace than anywhere else in their lives. If this is not a satisfying, gratifying and enjoyable place, how can you expect your employees to flourish?

With this in mind, make sure you avoid the temptation of micromanaging. While delegating is a critical part of your role as the Manager or Visionary, keeping too close an eye on your employees makes them feel untrusted and hesitant. Let employees know you expect them to make some mistakes, but that you trust them to excel at their work without you hounding them or watching their every move. You'll be grateful for employees who aren't afraid to use their own initiative, and who have confidence in themselves.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Mortgage Market Guide Weekly

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Gary Bussard
VP Mortgage Banker
Pulaski Bank Home Lending
Phone: (314) 993-6690
Cell (314) 283-0098
License: Client Services Advisor
gbussard@pulaskibank.com
www.4stlloans.com
In This Issue
Last Week in Review:It was a volatile week in the markets. Fi nd out what happened to home loan rates.
Forecast for the Week:This week's calendar is jam-packed, with news on inflation, manufacturing, retail sales, and more.
View:Have any clients or colleagues doing back-to-school shopping? Or in the market for electronics yourself? Read (and pass on) the great tips below.
Last Week in Review
"Where do we go from here?" - Alicia Keys. And after a volatile week in the markets, you may be wondering where Bonds and home loan rates go from here. Read on for details.
There were only two economic reports released last week, and the news from them was mixed. Productivity rose 1.6% in the 2nd quarter of 2012. Higher productivity signals that companies are squeezing more out of their current employees and may not add workers, which could slow job growth. There was a bit of good news on the labor front, though, as Initial Jobless Claims came in below expectations, declining to 361,000.
Also of note, the Fed's Eric Rosengren stated that the current U.S. economic outlook calls for another round of Bond buying (known as Quantitative Easing, or QE3). Remember that once an official announcement about QE3 is made, Bonds and home loan rates could suffer as Stocks would likely rally.
So where do Bonds and home loan rates go from here? While Bonds and home loan rates worsened last week due to some optimism out of Europe and a better than expected Jobs Report for July, there are many reasons why Bonds and home loan rates should have better weeks ahead. There is evidence of a weakening economy here in the U.S. For example, the expectations component of the University of Michig an Consumer Sentiment Report came in at 65.6 in July, the lowest reading of 2012.
In addition, the ongoing problems in Europe and the upcoming election this fall will bring uncertainty...and Bonds (and therefore home loan rates, which are tied to Mortgage Bonds) typically benefit from uncertainty, as investors see Bonds as a safe haven for their money. Technical trading levels will also be an important factor to watch closely in determining what happens next with Stocks, Bonds, and home loan rates.
The bottom line is that now is a great time to consider a home purchase or refinance, as home loan rates remain near historic lows. Let me know if I can answer any questions at all for you or your clients.
The markets will have a lot to chew on this week, especially given the packed economi c calendar.
  • On Tuesday, we will be able to gauge how the consumer is holding up when Retail Sales are released.
  • On the inflation front, the Producer Price Index (or wholesale inflation) will also be delivered on Tuesday, while the Consumer Price Index will be released on Wednesday.
  • Over in the manufacturing sector, the Empire State Index will be reported on Wednesday with the Philly Fed Index set to be released on Thursday.
  • Housing Starts and Building Permits will be closely watched when the data is reported on Thursday.
  • Also on Thursday, we'll get another read on weekly Initial Jobless Claims.
  • Last but not least, Consumer Sentiment will be reported on Friday.
In addition, Stock movements will be watched closely. If Stocks continue to rise, it could keep pushing the Bond markets lower--and, in turn, push home loan rates higher.
Remember: Weak economic news normally causes money to flow out of Stocks and into Bonds, helping Bonds and home loan rates improve, while strong economic news normally has the opposite result. The chart below shows Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS), which are the type of Bond that home loan rates are based on.
When you see these Bond prices moving higher, it means home loan rates are improving and when they are moving lower, home loan rates are getting worse.
To go one step further a red candle means that MBS worsened during the day, while a green candle means MBS improved during the day. Depending on how dramatic the changes were on any given day, this can cause rate changes throughout the day, as well as on the rate sheets we start with each morning.
As you can see in the chart below, Bonds and home loan rates continued to move from their record levels, but still remain near historic bests. I'll continu e to monitor their movement closely.
Chart: Fannie Mae 3.5% Mortgage Bond (Friday Aug 10, 2012)
Japanese Candlestick Chart
The Mortgage Market Guide View...
How to Save on Back-to-School Electronics
Follow these six tips to cut costs on computers, phones and other devices for students.
By Cameron Huddleston, Kiplinger.com

Among the most-expensive items on many families' back-to-school shopping lists are electronics, such as computers, tablets, MP3 players and smart phones. According to a National Retail Federation survey, families are expected to spend about $218, on average, on these items during the back-to-school shopping season this year.

That might cover the cost of smaller items, such as phones, but families will have to shell out more if they want to buy laptop computers or certain tablets.

However, there are ways to keep the cost of electronics under control. Jon Rettinger, president of gadget review site TechnoBuffalo, offers these tips:

Shop online. Shopping online makes it easy to compare prices from several retailers. And there are plenty of sites that do the bargain hunting for you by scouring the Web for the best deals. Our favorite deal site, dealnews.com, has a page devoted to the best computer deals. Other sites that feature deals on computers and other tech items include MacMall.com (Apple products), Offers.com, Shopping.com and Shopzilla.com.

Monitor daily deals. You can find deeply discounted computers and other items on daily deal sites that specialize in tech products, such as RedTag.com and Woot.com. These sites feature just one product a day, but both offer e-mail alerts so that you don't have to monitor the sites each day.

Set up price alerts. If you want to buy a particular tech produ ct (not just the lowest-price computer, for example), sign up for price alerts so that you can receive an e-mail when the price on that product changes. There are a number of price alert sites that track electronics, such as Gazaro, PriceSpider and PricePinx.

Buy refurbished. You can save a lot by purchasing refurbished tech items, which are used but restored to like-new condition and usually have a one-year warranty. Among the sites where your can find refurbished computers, tablets and other products are Apple.com, BestBuy.com, CompUSA.com, Dell.com, Newegg.com and Walmart.com.

Take advantage of trade-in programs. One way to pay less for a new tech item is to trade in a used item. A number of retailers, including Best Buy, Circuit City and Radio Shack, have trade-in programs that offer cash, a gift card or credit for the value of a used item that can be applied toward the purchase of a new item.

Avoid extras. Just say no to tech support and retailers' extended warranties, Rettinger says. Your credit card might offer an extended warranty (see How Credit Cards' Extended Warranty Coverage Stacks Up). Or Rettinger suggests buying extended warranty coverage through SquareTrade.com, which offers warranties 40% to 60% cheaper than retailers' warranties. Another extra that he says to avoid is Microsoft Office Home & Student edition ($120) because you can use Google Docs for free.

Reprinted with permission. All Contents 2012 The Kiplinger Washington Editors. Kiplinger.com.
Economic Calendar for the Week of August 13 - August 17
Date
ET
Economic Report
For
Estimate
Actual
Prior
Impact
Tue. August 14
08:30
Retail Sales
Jul
NA
-0.5%
HIGH
Tue. August 14
08:30
Retail Sales ex-auto
Jul
NA
-0.4%
HIGH
Tue. August 14
08:30
Producer Price Index (PPI)
Jul
NA
0.1%
Moderate
Tue. August 14
08:30
Core Producer Price Index (PPI)
Jul
NA
0.2%
Moderate
Wed. August 15
08:30
Empire State Index
Aug
NA
7.4
Moderate
Wed. August 15
08:30
Core Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Jul
NA
0.2%
HIGH
Wed. August 15
08:30
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Jul
NA
0.0%
HIGH
Thu. August 16
08:30
Jobless Claims (Initial)
8/11
NA
NA
Moderate
Thu. August 16
08:30
Housing Starts
Jul
NA
</ td>
760K
Moderate
Thu. August 16
08:30
Building Permits
Jul
NA
755K
Moderate
Thu. August 16
10:00
Philadelphia Fed Index
Aug
NA
-12.9
HIGH
Fri. August 17
10:00
Consumer Sentiment Index (UoM)
Aug
NA
72.3
Moderate
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The material contained in this newsletter has been prepared by an independent third-party provider. The content is provided for use by real estate, financial services and other professionals only and is not intended for consumer distribution. The material provided is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment and/or mortgage advice. Although the material is deemed to be accurate and reliable, there is no guarantee it is without errors.

As your mortgage professional, I am sending you the MMG WEEKLY because I am committed to keeping you updated on the economic events that impact interest rates and how they may affect you.

Mortgage Market Guide, LLC is the copyright owner or licensee of the content and/or information in this email, unless otherwise indicated.   Mortgage Market Guide, LLC does not grant to you a license to any content, features or materials in this email.   You may not distribute, download, or save a copy of any of the content or screens except as otherwise provided in our Terms and Conditions of Membership, for any purpose.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Pulaski Bank Home Lending You Magazine


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YOU Magazine
Gary Bussard   Gary Bussard
VP Mortgage Banker
Pulaski Bank Home Lending
Phone: (314) 993-6690
Cell (314) 283-0098
Kelly Deven- Client Services Advisor
gbussard@pulaskibank.com
www.4stlloans.com
Pulaski Bank Home Lending
August 2012



July 2012
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May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012

    
To Pre-Pay or Not To Pre-Pay
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With so much economic uncertainty going on both here and abroad, it's understandable that people are worried about the future. Some may even want to minimize their debt as much as possible. If you've been thinking about pre-paying your mortgage or taking on an accelerated amortized loan (i.e. 15 year fixed), read on for some important information.
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Burger Meister
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When you think of American cuisine, the dish that most likely comes to mind first is the hamburger. It's not only the most iconic foodstuff our country has to offer, when done right it is also one of the most delicious and satisfying meals you can eat with your hands.
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An App That Helps You Avoid Scams
This free smart-phone application provides information on more than 550 scams worldwide.
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You get a letter stating that your bank has moved your home loan to another servicing company. The letter looks official and there's a number you can call for more information. You contemplate calling, but you're worried that it might be a scam. There's an easy way to find out if it actually is.
  An App That Helps You Avoid ScamsThis free smart-phone application provides information on more than 550 scams worldwide.By Cameron Huddleston, Kiplinger.com
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Fact: Take the spare change out of your pocket every night and put it in a child's piggy bank. At the end of a year, you will have at least a hundred dollars to spend as you wish. Now, take this same principle and discover the huge payoff in the ''spare change'' time you've been wasting all these years.
  Discovering Hidden Profits - In Your ''Spare Change'' Time
Happy Campers
The Vacation You Can Take Again and Again

Camping can be a relaxing vacation for an entire family, high school seniors after graduation, or just a group of friends who want to get away. It provides the opportunity to get away from the hectic pace of everyday life, to rise and sleep with the sun rather than a clock, and to enjoy the company of friends and family. And it's cost-effective!
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Go Swimming!
Your Guide To a Water Workout

There are two types of people, those who exercise on a regular basis and those who don't do it nearly enough. Regardless of the category you fit into, swimming is an exercise that can benefit everyone...and summer is a great time of year to get started. So, grab your swimsuits and head for the water. We're going swimming!