Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 day ago

This was Zoe’s homework This was Zoe’s homework. Brilliant. I need to have her do video edits for us! The amazing school she attends makes it so when she graduates from high school she will be tri lingual. She hasn’t chosen her third language yet. Suggestions? #tasis2032 #doradobeacheast #doradobeachinsider #harrisrules #e

This was Zoe’s homework #oregon #washington #portlandoregon #realestate #oregonrealestate #lakeoswego #westlinn #oregoncity #salemoregon #clackmasoregon #multnomahcounty #realestatebroker

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 day ago

Mortgage Rates Hold Flat on Thursday Despite Lower Weekly Average For the average lender, top-tier 30yr fixed mortgage rates were perfectly unchanged compared to yesterday. This keeps them right in line with the lowest levels in more than 3 years. That said, if we're splitting hairs, better rates were available 4 days in the past month and a half (Jan 9, Jan 12, Feb 13, Feb 17). So why is it that there are news headlines today claiming that rates hit their lowest levels in more than 3 years? Simply put, those stories are based on weekly survey data from Freddie Mac. Freddie isn't technically wrong, but you have to understand their methodology. Freddie's survey is an average of the rates available from last Thursday through yesterday. Indeed, if you use the numbers from our daily rate index on those days, the average is the lowest in 3 years, even if today's rates are a hair higher than several recent days.

Mortgage Rates Hold Flat on Thursday Despite Lower Weekly Average #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 day ago

Mortgage Rates Barely Lower to End The Week Whether it's today vs yesterday, or today vs the end of last week, the average top tier 30yr fixed mortgage rate is just a hair lower. Today's improvement was arguably a byproduct of trade related headlines this morning. Specifically, some comments suggested this weekend's negotiations between the US and China in Switzerland would merely be a starting point. As has been the case for most any other recent trading day, there were plenty of other headlines that may have had an impact, but the overall movement is so small that nothing really stands out.   Looking ahead, the bond market (and thus, rates) will likely be tuning into next Tuesday's inflation data along with any substantive developments from the weekend's trade negotiations (which would be a tall order since they don't involve a meeting between Xi and Trump).

Mortgage Rates Barely Lower to End The Week #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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2 days ago

This Is Why Slow Entrepreneurs Lose #AIAdvantage #BusinessCompetition #EntrepreneurLife A lot of people are scared of AI because they do not understand it yet. But here’s the truth: if you do not start learning AI now, even a little each day, you risk getting left behind. AI is growing fast, and smart entrepreneurs are already using it to move quicker, create more, and scale their busi

This Is Why Slow Entrepreneurs Lose #AIAdvantage #BusinessCompetition #EntrepreneurLife #Oregon #Oregonrealestate #Realestate #realestatebroker #realtor #oregonrealtor #Portland #portlandoregon #portlandrealestate #lakeoswego #oregoncity #salem #astoria #oregoncoast

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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2 days ago

Lowest Rates in Nearly a Month It was a short day for the bond market that underlies mortgage rates, but a good one. A side effect of holiday weeks and early market closures is a bit of random volatility without any obvious justification. When volume and participation are low, bonds can move a bit more than they otherwise might. All that to say today's improvement was luck of the draw, but we won't object to the result. The average top tier 30yr fixed rate fell to the lowest level since November 25th. The caveat is that the range has been fairly narrow during that time. [thirtyyearmortgagerates]

Lowest Rates in Nearly a Month #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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2 days ago

Mortgage Rates Tick Microscopically Higher Mortgage rates at the average lender moved up by 0.01% today--the smallest increment measured by the MND daily rate index. This means that most borrowers won't see a meaningful different in today's rates vs yesterday's. That's welcome news considering yesterday's rates were tied for the second best day in more than 3 years. In the bigger picture, the absence of improvement over the past 2 days may suggest that recent bull run in rates is pausing for reflection, or at least until and unless certain economic reports justify renewed momentum. On that note, this week's nearest examples of such reports will almost all be released on Friday morning, but they're notably less potent than the data seen over the past 2 weeks.

Mortgage Rates Tick Microscopically Higher #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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3 days ago

Bond Buying Announcement Leads Surge in Mortgage Apps As we reported last week, the announcement that Fannie and Freddie would buy $200bln in mortgage-backed securities led to a precipitous drop in rates last week. For most of Friday, the top tier 30yr fixed rate was at 5.99% for the average lender according to MND's daily mortgage rate index--the lowest in roughly 3 years.  And that single day of ridiculously low rates was enough to visibly juice application activity. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 28.5% jump in applications for the week ending January 9th. One small caveat: the prior week’s data included an adjustment for the New Year’s Day holiday, exaggerating the contrast, but the underlying rebound was nonetheless substantial. The Refinance Index surged 40% from the previous week and was 128% higher than the same week one year ago, marking the strongest weekly pace since October.  Purchase activity also strengthened meaningfully. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index rose 16% week-over-week, while unadjusted purchase applications jumped 51% and remained 13% above last year’s level, signaling continued buyer engagement as rates moved lower. “Mortgage rates dropped lower last week following the announcement of increased MBS purchases by the GSEs. Lower rates, including the 30-year fixed rate declining to 6.18 percent, sparked an increase in refinance applications,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “Compared to a holiday-adjusted week, refinance applications surged 40 percent to the strongest weekly pace since October 2025. The average loan size for refinance applications was also higher, as borrowers with larger loan sizes are typically more sensitive to changes in rates.”

Mortgage Rates Unchanged Despite Bond Market Improvement #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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3 days ago

Create Your Own AI Avatar in Minutes | HeyGen Tutorial for Agents https://kristamashore.com/3Day-YT Join my newest Unstoppable Agent, Digital Revolution 3-Day Masterclass Want to create your own AI avatar in just minutes? In this HeyGen tutorial, I walk you through the exact step by step process to build a realistic digital twin that looks like you, sounds like y

Create Your Own AI Avatar in Minutes | HeyGen Tutorial for Agents #Oregon #Oregonrealestate #Realestate #realestatebroker #realtor #oregonrealtor #Portland #portlandoregon #portlandrealestate #lakeoswego #oregoncity #salem #astoria #oregoncoast

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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3 days ago

Mortgage Rates Move Higher After Trade Deal Mortgage rates moved back up to the higher levels seen earlier this week after the official announcement of a trade deal between the U.S. and the U.K. Most lenders actually began the day fairly close to yesterday's latest levels, but were ultimately forced to raise rates in response to weakness in the bond market.   The rationale for this market reaction can be debated. Some market watchers conclude that a trade deal is simply "good for stocks and bad for bonds" because it's economically bullish. While that sentiment CAN account for some of the movement, it's not the whole story. Bonds (which dictate rates) have specific concerns regarding inflation, foreign demand, and issuance needs. These are high level topics that are beyond the scope of a daily mortgage rate recap, but suffice it to say "rates have a lot on their minds" when it comes to how trade policy shakes out.  Unfortunately, it's sort of a no win situation in the short term.  The only exception would have been a full exemption from tariffs. In the bigger picture, today's mortgage rate increase is unremarkable--sort of average--and it leaves the rate index well below the early April highs, despite being well above the range seen during the month of March.

Mortgage Rates Move Higher After Trade Deal #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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4 days ago

Winter Weather Puts Purchase Applications on Ice Mortgage application activity moved lower again last week, extending the pullback from January’s earlier burst of demand as weather disruptions and softening purchase activity weighed on overall volume. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported that applications declined 8.9% for the week ending January 30. The Market Composite Index fell 8.9% on a seasonally adjusted basis, while rising 4% on an unadjusted basis, highlighting the continued volatility in weekly application data following a period of unusually strong activity earlier in the month. This week, purchase activity took center stage and drove much of the weakness. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index dropped 14% from the prior week, while unadjusted purchase applications increased 2% but were only 4% higher than the same week one year ago—lowest levels since November 2025 and the weakest annual increase since April 2025. Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist, pointed to Winter Storm Fern as a key factor, noting that widespread snowfall likely hampered homebuying activity across large parts of the country. Refinance volume also declined, though by a smaller margin. The Refinance Index fell 5% from the previous week but remained 117% higher than a year earlier. Despite mortgage rates edging modestly lower, Kan noted that the change was not significant enough to materially boost refinance demand.

Mortgage Rates Match Lowest Levels in Over 2 Weeks #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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4 days ago

Rates Plummet to 3 Year Lows, But There Are Caveats On a week where the mortgage market was most likely to experience volatility due to Friday's jobs report, Thursday afternoon's surprise announcement of $200bln in GSE MBS (mortgage-backed securities) buying stole the show. This was already juicing the underlying MBS market yesterday afternoon, but traders took the surge to the next level this morning. This matters because MBS dictate mortgage rates.  When MBS are rising/improving/surging/etc., it implies lower rates. MBS had improved so much this morning that the average lender released their best rate sheet since Feb 2, 2023--the lowest level since September 2022.   The caveat is that MBS experienced significant volatility throughout the day and that volatility is likely to continue. As of this afternoon, at least one lender has already bumped rates back up a bit.  If more lenders follow suit, the end of day average rate could move up, but it would still likely be the lowest in at least a year.  Bottom line: the market didn't have much of a reaction at all to the jobs report. The MBS market continues sorting out a huge reaction to the GSE purchase news. Rates are definitely quite a bit lower. It remains to be seen how much lower they'll be when the initial volatility settles down--something that will probably require more clarity on the specifics of the MBS buying plan.

Rates Plummet to 3 Year Lows, But There Are Caveats #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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5 days ago

Mortgage Rates Modestly Higher on Thursday. Friday's Risks Are Bigger Mortgage rates were just a hair higher for the average lender on Thursday. The underlying bond market lost some ground following a stronger weekly Jobless Claims report and in sympathy with global bond market weakness overnight.  Because rates are based on bonds, when bonds are weaker, rates move higher. There are many different economic reports that deal with the jobs market, but none more important than the Employment Situation released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics--the one typically referred to simply as "the jobs report."  This month's jobs report will be released at 8:30am ET on Friday morning. Mortgage lenders don't set their rates for the day until the 9am hour at the earliest, and that's plenty of time for the data to send the bond market on a wild ride. If the jobs report is stronger than expected, rates will likely be higher, and vice versa. One final note: any economic report with high volatility potential can also have a limited impact. It all depends on how the data comes in. All we can know ahead of time is that the range of potential movement in rates is higher after reports like this.  

Mortgage Rates Modestly Higher on Thursday. Friday's Risks Are Bigger #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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5 days ago

Mortgage Rates Stay Flat to Start New Week It was an uneventful day for mortgage rates with the average lender holding right in line with last Friday's levels. In this case, that's a good thing. On the day before and/or after a 3-day weekend, rates tend to be more volatile than normal. That was certainly the case last Friday as the MND rate index dropped at its fastest pace since early January.  By holding steady, rates remain right in line with the lowest levels in more than 3 years.

Mortgage Rates Stay Flat to Start New Week #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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6 days ago

Mortgage Rates Spike to 2026 Highs Mortgage rates are driven by the bond market. Although bonds only experienced moderate, steady weakness throughout the day, mortgage rates lurched higher by an amount typically seen when the market is reacting to big, breaking news.  But there wasn't any of that sort of news on tap today--just downbeat updates that reinforced a longer timeline for geopolitical disruptions. The bigger issue for mortgage rates is that they often experience heightened volatility when they pass through the 6.25% level. Due to the underlying structure of the mortgage market, 6.25% is sort of a dead zone. If you really want to see the nuts and bolts behind that phenomenon, here's the primer. The practical result is that movement tends to be bigger when rates are rising or falling through 6.25% (or any level that ends with 0.25 or 0.75). As such, when rates began moving up from 6.125%, the slightly elevated bond market volatility made for a faster trip up to the 6.375% zone (today's MND index was revised up to 6.35% in the afternoon after ending Monday at 6.14%). This is the highest level since December 8th, 2025, though it should be noted that prior to September 2025, rates had been much higher, on average, for roughly an entire year. 

Mortgage Rates Spike to 2026 Highs #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

@vanportpdx.bsky.social

6 days ago

Mortgage Rates Fall After Downbeat Employment Data Mortgage rates are driven by bonds and that bonds care about employment data. There are quite a few different economic reports that focus on various employment metrics. Next Wednesday's jobs report is the biggest ticket by far, but other reports can move the needle at times--especially when they fall far from forecasts or previous readings. This was the case with three separate reports today.  One of them almost never gets covered in the news, but it showed planned layoffs at large firms were the third highest since 2020. The second was the weekly jobless claims report, which finally ticked up to slightly higher levels after coming in lower than average over the past few weeks. Garnering the biggest reaction was the Job Openings data for December, which showed the lowest levels since September 2020--much lower than forecast for today. The bond market was surprisingly willing to respond.  There was even a noticeable shift in Fed rate cut expectations (not that this should be confused for anything that impacts mortgage rates!).  The average lender moved back to the lowest levels of the week after spending the last 2 days at 2-week highs.  Caveat: the 2 week range is very narrow (6.15-6.20). [thirtyyearmortgagerates]

Mortgage Rates Fall After Downbeat Employment Data #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

Not So Fast: January Existing-Home Sales Give Back December’s Gains Existing-home sales pulled back sharply in January, quickly dashing any hopes that December’s year-end rebound brought, as harsh winter weather and still-tight supply conditions weighed on activity. Sales fell 8.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.91 million, the lowest levels since November 2024. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), transactions were also 4.4% lower than the same time last year, with every region posting both month-over-month and year-over-year declines. “The decrease in sales is disappointing,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. Perhaps an understatement, especially after the strong showing last month. He added that affordability is nevertheless improving, with wage gains outpacing price growth and mortgage rates running lower than a year ago, though supply remains limited. Inventory dipped slightly from December but stayed above year-ago levels. Total housing inventory registered at 1.22 million units, down 0.8% from the prior month and up 3.4% from January 2025. The months’ supply of unsold homes increased to 3.7 months, up from 3.5 months in December. Price pressures persisted. The median existing-home price for all housing types rose to $396,800, up 0.9% from a year earlier and marking the 31st consecutive month of annual gains. Yun noted that homeowners continue to build substantial equity, estimating that the typical owner has accumulated more than $130,000 in housing wealth since early 2020.

Mortgage Rates Oh So Close to 3 Year Lows #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

Mortgage Rates Microscopically Higher Mortgage rates continue operating in an excruciatingly narrow range near their lowest levels of the past few years. Yesterday was the 6th best day of 2025. Today is tied for 7th place after rates moved 0.01% higher on average. While the underlying bond market is fully open today, it's a slow time of year in terms of volume and volatility. Bigger movement becomes more likely by the end of next week thanks to the return of important economic reports and stronger trader participation after holiday absences. 

Mortgage Rates Microscopically Higher #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

PORTLAND, OREGON: Then and Now PATREON: www.patreon.com/exploreoregon Welcome back for another adventure around Portland connoting old pictures with how those locations look today. In today’s episode of Portland: Then and Now I ventured over to the Goose Hollow neighborhood in southwest Portland where I will take in multiple sit

PORTLAND, OREGON: Then and Now #history #oregonhistory #portlandhistory #pdxhistory #portlandoregon #realestate #oregonrealestate #cityofportland #multnomah @multnomahcounty

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

Mortgage Rates Slide to New Multiweek Lows Just one day after an incredibly strong jobs report--something that would normally create problematic upward momentum for rates--the average lender is back to the lowest levels since January 16th. At the risk of overusing a played-out metaphor, this was not on many experts' bingo cards. Even with the benefit of hindsight, it's not entirely possible to justify what we've seen over the past 2 days without jumping to conclusions and making educated guesses. Said guesses would rely on somewhat esoteric concepts regarding the way investor demand ebbs and flows between different Treasury securities (i.e. 2yr vs 10yr, etc).  More volatility could be on the way tomorrow. The BLS will release the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for January. This is the first major inflation report that comes out on any given month. Because inflation is a key consideration for rates, if CPI is meaningfully above or below the median forecast, rates often react accordingly.

Mortgage Rates Slide to New Multiweek Lows #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

Common Types Short 2 The #1 notarization that trips up new notaries? The jurat 👀 ✔️ The signer must sign in front of you ✔️ You must administer an oath or affirmation Skip the oath? ❌ It’s not a proper jurat. And that’s just one of the common notarizations you need to get right. 🎥 Want to feel confident handling t

Common Types Short 2 #law #realestate #oregon #washington #notry #signingagent #mobilenotary #oregonrealestate #washingtonrealestate #homeowner #homebuyer #realestatebroker #pdx

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

Highest Rates in More Than a Month Mortgage rates moved higher on Wednesday despite only a modest increase in oil prices. The latter is currently a part of any conversation about interest rates as higher energy costs have fueled inflation expectations. Higher inflation begets higher rates, all else equal. But rates take other cues, or course. One key consideration is that of "supply." In other words, how many new dollars of debt are being issued--not just by the U.S. government, but across the entire bond market.  At present, government issuance is high and only expected to get higher. Even though congressional approval is ultimately required, armed conflict can increase expectations for future military spending. There's also uncertainty over tariff refunds which would further increase the supply of U.S. Treasuries to offset the lost revenue. Last but not least, this week brings scheduled Treasury auctions. The market knew about these ahead of time, but on some auction weeks, the results reveal an imbalance between buyers and sellers that increases momentum toward higher or lower interest rates. This week, that momentum has been generally higher. The net effect on mortgage rates is a conventional top-tier 30yr fixed that is back to February 4th levels on average. 

Highest Rates in More Than a Month #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

The Harsh Truth About Failure in Business #entrepreneur #reality #motivation The only way you're going to lose is if you quit. Everyone quits, but I believe in the power of 'never give up'. This 'motivational speech' is for every entrepreneur who needs a reminder to 'persist' through challenges. Remember, the only way you can lose is if you stop and if you quit. #Entrepren

The Harsh Truth About Failure in Business #entrepreneur #reality #motivation #Oregon #Oregonrealestate #Realestate #realestatebroker #realtor #oregonrealtor #Portland #portlandoregon #portlandrealestate #lakeoswego #oregoncity #salem #astoria #oregoncoast

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

Calmer Week For Mortgage Apps Mortgage application activity was essentially flat last week, almost impressively so. After much recent volatility, the index is finding a brief moment of stability, and borrowers seem content continue to weigh affordability challenges and wait for clearer movement in rates. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported that applications decreased 0.3% (seasonally adjusted) for the week ending February 6, while rising 2% on an unadjusted basis. Purchase demand softened modestly. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index slipped 2% from the prior week, while unadjusted purchase applications increased 4% and were 4% higher than the same week one year ago. Refinance activity posted a small gain. The Refinance Index rose 1% from the previous week and remained 101% higher than a year earlier. Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist, described the week as a mixed bag across loan types. While the 30-year fixed rate held steady at 6.21%, conventional applications declined for both purchases and refinances as some borrowers wait for a more meaningful drop in rates or migrate toward other loan types and products. And they appear to be doing just that, as FHA and ARM products saw an increase in apps last week. Kan noted that FHA purchase and refinance applications increased, supported in part by FHA rates that remained roughly 20 basis points below the conforming 30-year fixed rate. He added that borrowers are increasingly turning to FHA loans as affordability pressures persist. At the same time, the ARM share climbed to a seven-week high, with ARM rates running nearly a full percentage point below comparable fixed rates.

Modest Increase in Rates is a Win. Here's Why #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

Why This 11-Year Realtor Finally Got a Coach | Interview with Ty Hughes What happens when a seasoned real estate agent realizes something still isn’t clicking? In this conversation, I’m sitting down with one of my Accelerator Besties who had been in the business for over a decade… but knew there was another level she hadn’t tapped into yet. This is an honest conversat

Why This 11-Year Realtor Finally Got a Coach | Interview with Ty Hughes #Oregon #washington #oregonrealestate #pdxrealestate #realestatebroker #oregonrealtor #portlandrealtor #lakeoswego #salemoregon #oregoncoast

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

Builder Confidence Near Post-Pandemic Lows, But Timing is Everything The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo released the monthly Housing Market Index (HMI) this week, showing builder confidence falling to the lowest levels since 2023.  This is about as low as the index has been since the housing crisis more than a decade ago. While persistently high interest rates remain a top concern for the housing market, a growing number of builders cited difficulty pricing new homes in light of the rapidly changing outlook for material costs due to tariffs.  With that in mind, it's important to note that 90% of this month's responses came in  before the US/China trade announcement.  Not only did that announcement drastically reduce tariffs for 90 days, it also offered a proof of concept that will likely see the outlook improve in the next survey due to lower material costs and a more upbeat consumer. Additional details are available at https://www.nahb.org/news-and-economics/housing-economics/indices/housing-market-index.

Builder Confidence Near Post-Pandemic Lows, But Timing is Everything #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

Mortgage Rates Take Another Step Toward April Lows April 3rd and 4th saw the average top tier 30yr fixed mortgage rates well into the "mid 6's."  Many lenders were able to quote 6.5% at the time.  Just a few days ago, we noted there was still a ways to go before breaking below those early April levels, but the past few days have taken us within striking distance.  The average lender is now only 0.07% higher than they were on April 4th and that's a gap that can be traversed in as little as one day under the right circumstances. If it is destined to be traversed in the near feature, it would likely be due to exceptional weakness in the forthcoming economic data--especially Thursday's big jobs report.  Conversely, if this week's economic data surprises to the upside, it would likely coincide with rates bouncing here and headline back into the recent range. And lastly, if this week's data doesn't cast a decisive vote in either direction, next week's inflation reports could easily break the tie. The most interesting aspect of today's movement was the movement itself.  It didn't happen due to any interesting data or news headlines.  Both stocks and bonds (which dictate rates) improved as traders moved portfolios into position for the end of the month/quarter.  This can cause market movement independent of economic data/news. 

Mortgage Rates Take Another Step Toward April Lows #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

Mixing up acknowledgments and jurats? You’re not alone, it’s one of the most common notary mistakes 👀 ✔️ Acknowledgment = confirming a signature ✔️ Jurat = signer swears the contents are true (and signs in front of you) Knowing the difference is essential to doing the job right. 🎥 Want the full breakdown (plus exactly what to do st

Mixing up acknowledgments and jurats? #law #realestate #oregon #washington #notry #signingagent #mobilenotary #oregonrealestate #washingtonrealestate #homeowner #homebuyer #realestatebroker #pdx

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

Market Update: What February Figures Reveal In January, we saw a strong surge in listings, but February brings a more important question. Are those homes actually turning into sales? When we look at the numbers across Portland, OR, the Mid-Willamette Valley, and Southwest Washington, we’re seeing that buyers are still active and engaging in

Market Update: What February Figures Reveal #Oregonrealestate #washington #mortgage #commercial #realestate

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

Mortgage Rates Slightly Lower Ahead of Fed Day Mortgage rates continue operating in a narrow range with almost every day of the past two months falling between 6.8 and 7.0% for a top tier 30yr fixed scenario. Today's average rate fell 0.03 after moving up 0.06 since June 12th. This morning's most relevant potential influence--the Retail Sales report--turned out to have a limited impact this morning.  To be fair, when rates are as stable as they have been, there's no need to overanalyze their underlying motivations.  For those determined to do it anyway, today's best example may have been general market anxiety surrounding war in the Middle East. We have yet to see any huge market reaction in response to any of the geopolitical headlines, but there was a reaction that played out over the course of several hours that helped the bond market gain some ground. When bonds improve, mortgage lenders are able to offer lower rates.  Tomorrow's Fed announcement adds to the potential volatility in a more serious way.  This has nothing to do with "cut vs no cut" (there is zero chance of a rate cut tomorrow) and everything to do with the other information the Fed presents on announcement days. Of this info, it is the dot plot (a chart in the Fed's economic projection materials that show each Fed members' rate outlook over the next few years) that carries the most weight.  Caveat: POTENTIAL volatility is just that.  Sometimes Fed announcement days end up leaving rates fairly unchanged.  There's no way to now which way things will move ahead of time, only that the risk is higher than normal.

Mortgage Rates Slightly Lower Ahead of Fed Day #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage

Vanport Escrow & Title Company Inc

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1 week ago

Mortgage Rates Barely Budge, But Volatility Risk is Increasing Mortgage rates have been effectively unchanged for 5 straight days now. During that time, the MND 30yr fixed rate index hasn't moved by more than 0.01%. The average borrower would see almost exactly the same terms on any of these days. The absence of volatility isn't much of a surprise given the time of year and the lack of important economic data. But that changes tomorrow with the release of two labor market reports and ISM's service sector report. Individually, none of these are as heavy hitting as Friday's forthcoming jobs report, but if they all sing a similar tune, it could definitely get rates moving (for better or worse).  Specifically, if the data is stronger, it would likely push rates higher and vice versa.

Mortgage Rates Barely Budge, But Volatility Risk is Increasing #Oregonrealestate #Portlandrealestate #mortgage