GCA FORUMS NEWS UPDATE for Friday, January 17th 2025 on the Daily Mortgage, Housing, and Real Estate News for our viewers and members of our online community: Great Content Authority Forums: Daily National Comprehensive Overview of Mortgage and Real Estate News with special emphasis on interest rates, forecast of mortgage rates, housing forecasts, consumer confidence, consumer price index, employment numbers and forecast, national economy, bankruptcy, foreclosure, and investment news. Viewers and members of GCA FORUMS are welcomed to view GCA FORUMS NEWS National Daily News Summary for Friday, January 17th, 2025.

GCA Forums News Update: Friday, January 17, 2025

Great Content Authority Forums Mortgage and Real Estate News informs that the most recent updates and analyses regarding mortgages, housing, and real estate are now available for viewing. Here is the complete analysis of new developments and expectations in the mortgage and real estate industry for 2022 – 2025 in the United States.

Interest Rates

Current Mortgage Rates:

• Today, the 30-year and 15-year fixed rates are 6.35% and 5.75%, respectively.
• Adjustable-rate mortgages showed slight changes around 5.10%.
• All rates seem stable today, with some ups and downs from yesterday.

Forecast:

• According to experts, rates might see lower numbers in mid-2025 after the Federal Reserve starts tapping the brakes due to inflation starting to cool off.

Housing Market Forecast

Home Prices:

• Year-over-year, a two-point-five percent growth in national home prices indicates that home prices in metro US areas like Austin, TX, and Tampa, FL, have significantly increased.
• The mid-priced housing segment is highly competitive since inventory continues to remain low.

Buyer Trends:

• Seasoned investors are taking advantage of affordable markets with high rates, while first-time homebuyers are being cautious.

Forecast:

• For 2025, price growth is expected to follow demand, showing moderate growth and stabilizing around areas where demand seems to be cooling off.

The Consumer Confidence Index

Consumer Sentiment:

• Increasing economic optimism is evidenced by growing US consumer confidence, with the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index rising from 67.5 to 69.8.
• This rises from January’s 67.5 index score, indicating an encouraging expectation rise.

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

Inflation Information:

• The CPI has dropped, proving that inflation is slightly under control.
• It decreased to 3.1% from November’s 3.6%.
• The energy sector has partially subsidized the decline while housing costs keep increasing.

Employment Numbers and Forecast

Current Employment Data:

• Robust recruiting in the construction and health industries has decreased unemployment to 3.8%.
• As with everything else, there is a worrying caveat: this figure is offset by headlines around massive layoffs in the technology sector.
• AI and software development are taking some of the greatest hits.

Forecast:

• The prediction for Q1 2025 remains fairly positive for the US job market but has over a year’s worth of caveats.
• There’s expected to be a slow drip effect starting around Q3.

National Economy

Economic Overview:

• In the final quarter of 2024, real GDP grew by 2.4%, driven by continued consumer expenditures and increases in manufacturing activity.

Outlook:

• With the risk of recessions diminished but not completely banished, economists are still reluctant to be optimistic about the ‘soft landing’ predictions.

Bankruptcy and Foreclosure News

Bankruptcies:

• 2024 has seen a slowdown in personal bankruptcies, with filings down 5%.
• This decline, however, is not reflected in commercial and retail filings, which are on the rise due to increasing payment defaults.

Foreclosures:

• Currently, 1.8% of mortgages are in default, so foreclosure rates are unchanging.
• Lenders are increasingly interested in programs that help with foreclosure prevention.

Investment News

Real Estate Investment:

• Institutional investors focus on suburban developments, while individual investors zero in on single-family rentals in the Sun Belt states.

Stock Market:

• The S&P 500 Index closed up 0.6%, with gains led by the real estate and finance sectors.

Special Focus:

When Interest Rates Go Up, What Happens To The Mortgage Market

• The mortgage markets have breathed a sigh of relief, with the Fed maintaining a measured approach to increasing rates.
• Experts recommend potential buyers fix the rates now because they can fluctuate later due to issues in the global economy.

Viewer Engagement

• There is no shortage of discussion topics on GCA Forums.
• Whatever your queries, someone is always willing to answer your questions regarding today’s updates.
• So don’t hesitate to join our wonderful community on GCA Forums and get advice on tackling mortgage trends or even tips on investing in real estate!

Trustworthy and objective GCA Forums News updates you daily with national mortgage and real estate trends. Their online forum makes engaging with other real estate lovers very easy while helping you with professional advice.

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