GCA FORUMS NEWS: Weekly Breakdown On A National Scale

Monday, November 30, through Sunday, December

Provided as a courtesy by Gustan Cho Associates & Subsidiaries

Here are the key updates in mortgage, real estate, politics, and policy that matter most to GCA Forums members, including homebuyers, homeowners, and real estate investors.

LIVE MARKETS WRAP – STOCKS & INDEXES MARKETS UPDATE Equities:

Stocks fell at the start of November as the technology and cryptocurrency sectors sold off. The Dow dropped about 40 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 both fell around 20 percent.

On Friday, December 5, Wall Street closed moderately higher after inflation data suggested a possible Federal Reserve rate cut.

Week of 12 December

General market conditions and reports from the Federal Reserve show that most major analysts are optimistic, driven by:

Recent inflation reports are lower than the expectations of major market analysts and projected inflation.

The long-term Treasury bond yield is decreasing.

There is a greater chance of another Federal Reserve interest rate cut in December, which would be the third in four months.

Forbes

The market is optimistic, thanks to the position. The market remains optimistic due to positive forecasts for money markets and inflation:

The weekly initial jobless claims report came out with an initial value of 191,000, the lowest initial report in three years, indicating a still-healthy job market, even as the job market continues to cool down in three sectors.

The third-quarter consumer report shows a positive trend, though spending is growing at a slower pace.

This indicates that the economy suggests the economy is cooling, even though overall spending is still rising, vesting with GCA Forums:

The market anticipates that The market expects the Federal Reserve to finish its tightening cycle soon and begin easing rates on mortgages and stocks.

LIVE MORTGAGE & INTEREST RATE SNAPSHOT This week (U.S.) overall average: 30-Year Fixed Rate:

December 4 (Thursday): 6.19% compared to the prior week, 6.23% and is the second week in a row (decrease).

15-Year Fixed Rate:

5.44% compared to the prior week, 5.51%

Snapshot of daily retail rates:

Survey of Bank Rate (December 7, 2023)

30-Year Fixed Purchase APR is 6.3-6.4%

30-Year Fixed ReFi APR is 6.7%

Zillow Home Loans (December 7 for borrowing customers who qualify:

30-Year Fixed Rate of 5.99% (6.17% APR)

15-Year Fixed Rate of 5.375%

Take Gains with GCA Forums News Borrowers and Investors

7% was the peak mortgage interest rate earlier in 2025, and the currenEarlier in 2025, mortgage rates peaked at 7%. The current national average is just above 6%, and some lenders offer 6% rates to borrowers with lower credit scores.imarily for:

Those Investors with hard money loans at 14% or higher.

FHA and VA borrowers who were previously unable to access funds when rates increased.

Most Place Predictions for 2026 at approx 30-year rates averaging the lMost predictions for 2026 expect 30-year mortgage rates to average in the low 6 percent range, with little chance of returning to 3–4 percent. a dramatic week for precious metals, a week vital for investors wanting to hedge against inflation:

Gold:

Approximately $4,200/oz late in the day, Gold reached about $4,200 per ounce late in the week, with spot gold rising to $4,212 on Friday, up 1% for the day but down 0.4% for the week as investors took profits ahead of the Fed meeting the star at around the high $50 range per ounce, but was also invested in at record highs.

This physical demand collided with a strong physical demand met with a widely available supply system for silver.is week not only reaffirmed gold and silver but also positioned itself to trade as a hedge against inflation, as well as confirmed expectations ranged for in 2026 as the Fed system eased to a more “real yield” for silver and gold.

LIVE FEDERAL RESERVE & ECONOMIC POLICY

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets on December 10, and the market is pricing in another 0.25% decrease in interest rates, following two cuts earlier in the year.

Cleveland Fed’s Inflation Nowcasting predicts **December core inflation to be 0.24-0.27% month-on-month indicating inflation is trending down but still deviating from pre-2021 norms.

In conjunction with:

Very low initial jobless claims.

Moderating consumer spending.

The Fed is attempting to achieve a soft landing, aiming to act. The Fed is trying to achieve a soft landing by slowing growth and lowering inflation without causing a deep recession. December 10 and suggestions of more cuts to come would mean:

Continued downward pressure. Mortgage rates are likely to keep falling, especially with the 10-year Treasury yield at or below 4.0–4.1%.n 2026 for borrowers currently locked in at interest rates in the upper 6’s to 7’s.

LIVE HOUSING, REAL ESTATE & MORTGAGE NEWS

Several housing indicators presented good news for buyers this week:

In the overview for the housing market for December, the following were noted:

Mortgage rates are down.

There are more homes for sale.

The market is moving at a slower, more manageable pace compared to what was expected in 2024. Ends for the week from realtor.com noted:

There is plenty of inventory.

List prices are starting to soften.

Buyers now have more power to negotiate sale prices, obtain price reductions, and request concessions due to current inflation.

Several research groups anticipate that, in 2026, the “Great Housing Reset” will result in:

The market is expected to become increasingly affordable over time.

Mortgages will be in the low 6% range.

Home sales are expected to become more stable and improve slightly, with no market crash predicted.

GCA Forums Members:

This is the thIng this environment, strong lenders with flexible programs like FHA, VA, Non-QM, DSCR, and bank-statement loans will help buyers and investors benefit from lower prices, even as rates return to normal levels. You see more seller-paid closing costs and rate buydowns in many markets, which will be beneficial for FHA, VA, and conventional buyers trying to purchase a home with limited cash.

LIVE POLITICAL & LEGAL NEWS – LETITIA JAMES & JAMES COMEY: New York Attorney General Letitia James

James had the mortgage-fraud case against her dismissed last week. The grand jury declined to re-indict her, effectively shutting down the Justice Department’s latest attempts to add other allegations.

Legally, this is not a jury ‘acquittal’ after trial, but in practice:

The case has been dismissed, and the prosecutors were unable to convince a new grand jury to proceed with the case.

As of now, James has a clean record in this case and will keep it unless a new case is brought.

Director James Comey

An early criminal case that claimed James Comey had filed a statement with Congress regarding media leaks and had committed perjury was dismissed on November 24, as the special prosecutor had been unlawfully appointed.

A few days ago, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order against the use of any evidence obtained through the alleged illegal seizure of data from Daniel Richman, Comey’s former attorney and confidant, as it appears that the government may have accessed the data illegally.

Once again, to be clear, this is not a formal jury acquittal, but rather a dismissal of the charges, coupled with increased restrictions on the government’s use of certain evidence, will undoubtedly make it exceedingly difficult for the government to open a new case on this matter.

LATEST SANCTUARY CITY AND IMMIGRATION UPDATES: Sanctuary city policy and immigration were in the news all week:

The Department of Homeland Security report on December 1 said “Sanctuary New York” removed almost 7,000 noncitizen criminal offenders and violent offenders from New York, and the city didn’t cooperate with ICE removals.

An Axios report on Modification of the Immigrant Sanctuary Policy (MSIP) discussed “Sanctuary Cities 2.0,” which refers to the mayors of the cities pushing back against the escalated immigration enforcement actions and threatening to cut funds. This marks the beginning of yet another round of contentious federal–local conflict detention, and there is certainly no cooperation with ICE.

For members of GCA Forums in affected metropolitan areas (New York, Chicago, and other major sanctuary jurisdictions), these actions may potentially impact local public safety discussions.

City and state **budgetary concerns.

Medium-term property tax services and rates are important for both investors and homeowners, given the long-term risks to neighborhoods.

STORIES RELATIVE TO GCA VIEWERS.

Mega Media Merger: Netflix & Warner Bros

In a historic $82–83 billion deal, Netflix announced plans to acquire Warner Bros. franchises, including HBO and HBO Max. The deal is pending regulatory approval.

From Hollywood Unions and Creators, there is pushback due to:

Potential job losses.

Minimal active buyers of the content.

The merger would create a very powerful streaming company.

This is significant for GCA Forum’s self-employed borrowers and investors based in the media and tech industries.

California, New York, Georgia.

This industry consolidation is likely to lead to cycles of layoffs and more unpredictable income.

Consumer & Inflation Pulse

This week, Jamie Dimon stated that the US consumer is fine, but inflation is not going down.

This includes:

Strong Company Profit.

Ongoing consumer spending.

Ongoing cost-of-living pressure (Axios).

With holiday spending, the average consumer is expected to spend $890, indicating that people are cautious yet still active as the year comes to a close.

WHAT THIS WEEK MEANS FOR GCA FORUMS MEMBERS: Homebuyers and homeowners:

Mortgage rates have dropped over the past two weeks. The 30-year fixed rate from Freddie Mac is 6.19%, and some strong retail offers are now below 6% (Freddie Mac).

Housing inventory is rising, prices are softening, and buyers now have more leverage to negotiate prices, credits, and buydowns.

DSCR, Rates for DSCR, NON-QM, and Fix and Flip investors are stabilizing, and spreads are narrowing. This means it’s possible to refinance from hard-money rates in the teens to single-digit DSCR loans. The market may be entering a rate-cutting cycle, which could positively impact both risky financial assets and real estate values, and should hold some value into 2026.

To political and policy watchers:

The end of Letitia James’ federal cases and delays in Comey’s cases are new flashpoints in debates over the justice system and may influence the 2026 election.

Sanctuary city disputes and immigration enforcement remain major issues for large cities and their budgets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZuqcwvXBHo