MMG Weekly

Provided to you Exclusively
by
Lillian Wong

For the week of Nov 12, 2018 | Vol. 16, Issue 46

Lillian Wong
Sr. Loan Officer
NMLS ID 630337
Lillian Wong & Associates
Commerce Home Mortgage
Office: 480-650-5412
E-Mail: lillian@lillianwong.com
Website: www.lillianwong.net

Lillian Wong & Associates<br>Commerce Home Mortgage

In This Issue

Last Week in Review: Home loan rates deal with headline risk.

Forecast for the Week: Things slow down a bit as we salute our Veterans.

View: Follow these tips to help improve your focus in the office.

Last Week in Review

"I'm on my way, I'm on my way home sweet home" - Home Sweet Home, Motley Crue

Last Tuesday, many politicians went "home" after the midterm election results and the day ended with a split of power between the House and Senate.

The markets and the Fed will now be watching to see if the split Congress can deliver more fiscal policy or get caught in political gridlock. The latter would likely slow the pace of future Fed rate hikes.

Speaking of the Fed, they met on Thursday and, as expected, didn't raise rates. However, they offered some good news to both Stocks and Bonds by saying the labor market remains strong and inflation remains in check.

If inflation doesn't rise as the Fed forecasts through 2021, it is difficult to see long-term rates moving too high as inflation is the main driver of long-term rates.

Despite the bond-friendly Fed talk, home loan rates could not improve this week as investment dollars found their way back into Stocks which have rebounded nicely from the recent selloff

Bottom line - home loan rates remain near historically low levels and should continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

If you or someone you know has questions about home loans, give me a call. I'd be happy to help.

Forecast for the Week

After last week's risk-filled events in the midterm elections and Fed meeting, the markets will go back to being "data-dependent" this week - meaning they will watch and respond to economic reports.

The economic calendar for this upcoming week is light, but some key reports includes the Consumer Price Index inflation gauge, Retail Sales and small business optimism.
Stocks, after a rough October, have risen sharply over the past couple of weeks. If this trend continues, home loan rates will likely struggle to improve much from here.
The Bond markets will be closed on Monday, November 12 in observance of Veterans Day.

The Consumer Price Index will be released on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Weekly Initial Jobless Claims, Retail Sales, Empire Manufacturing and the Philadelphia Fed Index will be delivered.

Chart: Fannie Mae 4.0% Mortgage Bond (Friday Nov 09, 2018)

The Mortgage Market Guide View...

Tip: 3 Tips for Improving Focus in the Office

An inability to focus can quickly derail your real estate business and make the difference between a streak of happy clients and a mob of disgrunted home buyers. Keep reading to learn how you can optimize your time and take your mortgage brokerage business to the next level.

When you wake up, do you already feel scattered? If you tend to waste precious time trying to choose which target to focus on, you may benefit by changing your personal routine.

There's some evidence that intermittent fasting improves your focus by diverting your body's energy away from digestion. This type of fasting is simple. Just confine your eating to an eight-hour window during the day. You can do this is by eating dinner later, skipping breakfast, and breaking your fast in the afternoon. This strategy can make you hyperfocused and ready to tackle the day by the time you get to the office.

Meditating in the morning can also improve your focus at work. Meditation may be useful if you find that your commute leaves you feeling jittery and unfocused. Try using a meditation app such as Headspace. Put in headphones and spend a few minutes refocusing before starting the day.

Mortgage brokers spend a lot of time using technology, but unplugging can help you take a step back from distractions and get your mind back on track. When you're with clients, try unplugging as often as possible so that you're not working on another task while your client is looking at a house. Dispel the myth that multitasking improves your productivity and, instead, focus on one task at a time.

Whether you're playing brain games during your breaks or changing your sleep schedule to get a solid night of rest, there are many small things that you can do to improve your focus.

Source: Fast Company, Goalcast, Forbes

Economic Calendar for the Week of November 12 - November 16

Date	ET	Economic Report	For	Estimate	Actual	Prior	Impact
Wed. November 14	08:30	Consumer Price Index (CPI)	Oct	0.3%	0.3%	0.1%	HIGH
Wed. November 14	08:30	Core Consumer Price Index (CPI)	Oct	0.2%	0.2%	0.1%	HIGH
Thu. November 15	08:30	Retail Sales	Oct	0.5%	0.8%	-0.1%	HIGH
Thu. November 15	08:30	Retail Sales ex-auto	Oct	0.5%	0.7%	-0.1%	HIGH
Thu. November 15	08:30	Jobless Claims (Initial)	11/10	214K	216K	214K	Moderate
Thu. November 15	08:30	Empire State Index	Nov	20.0	23.3	21.1	Moderate
Thu. November 15	08:30	Philadelphia Fed Index	Nov	20.5	12.9	22.2	HIGH

The material contained in this newsletter is provided by a third party to real estate, financial services and other professionals only for their use and the use of their clients. 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, we do not make any representations as to its accuracy or completeness and as a result, 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.

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Lillian Wong
Lillian Wong & Associates
Commerce Home Mortgage
2198 E Camelback Rd Ste 380
Phoenix, AZ 85016

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