December 25, 2009 — “Credit Crunch: Home Equity Lending Evaporates,” an Associated Press (AP) article quoting HSH by Adrian Sainz, also appearing in ABCnews.com, the Seattle Times, NewsDay.com, the Kansas City Star and the Desert News:

“The home as ATM is yesterday,” says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates Financial Publishers, which publishes consumer loan information.

December 23, 2009 — “Glimmers of Light on Home Prices,” an article quoting HSH from Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, January 2010, by Pat Mertz Esswein:

Interest rates can only go up from here. The 30-year fixed rate for a conforming loan ($417,000 or less) hovered around 5% for most of 2009—the lowest rate in 38 years. Jumbo rates fell to a four-year low (in early November, 5.3% for a conforming jumbo of up to $729,750 and 6% for a traditional jumbo). By mid 2010, conforming rates will rise to 5.5% or above and close the year at 5.75% to 6%, says mortgage analyst Keith Gumbinger, of HSH.com, a financial publishing company. Jumbo rates will be 6.25% or a bit higher by the end of 2010. Gumbinger’s forecast assumes that the economy will improve a bit and inflation will reappear.

December 22, 2009 — “The Fate Of A Subprime Loan: Can This Man Hold On To His Mortgage,” an article from The Huffington Post quoting HSH by Christine MacDonald:

Reflecting its subprime nature, the loan started at 8.750 percent for the first two years, compared to 6.6 percent for a typical 30-year fixed loan in mid-2006, according to HSH Associates, which tracks the mortgage market.

December 17, 2009 — “Mortgage rates continue to creep higher,” a LA Times articles mentioning HSH by E. Scott Reckard:

The Freddie Mac survey is just one of the tools consumers can use these days to monitor mortgage trends, with data also published by the trade group Mortgage Bankers Assn. (in a weekly applications survey) and private outfits such as Bankrate Inc. and HSH Associates.

December 17, 2009 — “Luxury Homeowners in U.S. Use ‘Short Sales’ as Defaults Rise,” a Bloomberg article quoting HSH by Kathleen M. Howley and Dan Levy, also appearing in the Detroit Free Press:

The Fed purchases haven’t affected the high end of the market because they exclude so-called jumbo loans. Mortgages above the $729,750 limit set by Congress for the nation’s highest-priced markets cost almost 1 percentage point more than conforming loans, according to Keith Gumbinger, vice president at HSH Associates, a mortgage-data company in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. That’s quadruple the historic spread.

“There is no refinance market for you if you are underwater and outside the Fannie and Freddie framework,” Gumbinger said. “High-end neighborhoods are all suffering from the same problems of diminished income at a time when there is little equity to work with.”

December 16, 2009 — “More Borrowers Drawn to 15-Year Mortgage,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Ruth Simon:

Rates on 15-year fixed-rate conforming mortgages averaged 4.46% last week, according to HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J., well below their recent high of 5.25% in mid-June. Rates on 30-year fixed-rate conforming loans averaged 4.99%, or about half a percentage point higher.

December 13, 2009 — “Federal Recession Aid — Get It While You Can,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Anna Prior:

Once the program ends, however, rates most likely will rise, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president at mortgage-education firm HSH Associates.

“By our reckoning, rates are about three quarters of a percentage point lower with the Fed’s program,” Mr. Gumbinger says. “Not that we expect interest rates to go screaming off into the night, but rates half or a full percentage point above where they are now isn’t unthinkable” once the program ends.

For homeowners thinking about refinancing, it’s probably best to act now. After the program ends, “there will be more uncertainties in the marketplace than there are now,” Mr. Gumbinger says. “Rates may be affected and the availability of credit might be affected.”

December 10, 2009 — “Drop in Foreclosure Filings May be Temporary,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting blog.HSH.com by Nick Timiraos:

But as HSH.com notes, other borrowers haven’t completed the paperwork that’s needed to document their income and to demonstrate hardship. More than half of all borrowers haven’t submitted any paperwork or have submitted incomplete files, according to the White House.

December 4, 2009 — “Is a Loan Modification Just Another Exotic Mortgage,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting blog.HSH.com by Nick Timiraos:

UPDATE: HSH.com weighs in, noting that while the mods are complicated, they may not necessarily qualify as exotic. That’s because borrowers can calculate upfront the monthly payments they’ll have to make in year five, and then in years six, seven, and eight as interest rates are gradually returned to the lesser of the original interest rate or the market rate when the loan modification was completed.

December 2, 2009 — “What the FHA’s New Criteria Means for Housing,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

The size of the potential increase remains unclear, but Donovan said additional details would be released in January. Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com said he expected down payments to increase only slightly, to 3.75 percent or perhaps 4 percent.

Gumbinger says that new guidelines will prevent some marginal buyers from buying homes. “There are some borrowers who might have been able to squeak in under the existing guidelines that just aren’t going to make the cut anymore,” he said. “That means that home sales are probably going to slow down a little bit as a result . . . . Of course, it also means that delinquencies and foreclosures will probably slow as well.”

December 2, 2009 — “Mortgage-modification effort lags; U.S. faults lenders,” an Asbury Park Press article quoting HSH:

“The homeowner is the one who needs to initiate the contact. It can’t be the other way around,” said Keith T. Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains company that tracks mortgage rates. “The borrowers are fearful, or whatever the case might be, or not motivated enough, or in some cases, the home (value) is severely under water,” meaning the mortgage balance due is greater than the home’s value. In such cases, “they don’t care,” Gumbinger said.

November 30, 2009 — “The Return of the Free Market Mortgage,” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH by Lisa Scherzer:

Rates on a conforming 30-year fixed loan dipped below the 5% mark last week, the fifth time they have done so this year, according to HSH Associates, a mortgage-tracking firm.

If and when the Fed program does end, mortgage rates will rise – but not by much. The Fed’s intervention is worth upwards of 75 basis points for a conforming loan, says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates. Without its purchases, that rate might rise to 5.75% or so.

November 28, 2009 — “Retirees wonder about home purchase: Pay cash or get loan?,” a Minneapolis Star Tribune article quoting HSH by Chris Farrell:

I’m sure you’ve already done this, but before doing anything I would run the numbers to make sure ownership in the active adult community is financially sensible vs. renting in the same area. There are several good calculators on the Web, including www.dinkytown.net and www.hsh.com.

November 24, 2009 — “Easy ways to shave years off your mortgage note,” a CBS Money Watch article quoting HSH, also appearing in the Alexandria Town Talk:

Monthly Prepayments: Here, you round up your monthly payment to an even number – for example, the next $50 or $200 – and tack that extra amount onto each check. If you have a $100,000, 8 percent, 30-year loan, prepaying just $10 per month will carve 19 months off your term and save you over $10,000 in interest, according to Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at mortgage industry publisher HSH Associates.

November 18, 2009 — “Cheaper Prices — More Than Tax Credit — Motivating Home Buyers,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

The results suggest that other factors, such as attractive interest rates and falling home prices, deserve more of the credit for the market’s recent uptick, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com. “The most powerful force at work is the desirability of buying a home and the market conditions—that’s your mortgage rates and your prices,” Gumbinger says.

After peaking in 2006, average home prices have plummeted back to 2003 levels, according to the most recent Case-Shiller home price report. Meanwhile, rates on 30-year fixed mortgages fell to 4.93 percent yesterday, according to HSH.com. That’s down sharply from 6.20 percent a year earlier, before a Federal Reserve asset purchase program began driving down rates.

November 18, 2009 — “Where to find money for a fixer-upper,” a Washington Examiner article quoting HSH by Catherine Siskos:

“The presumed market value of a property is a falling sand castle right now,” explained Keith Gumbinger, a mortgage analyst with financial publisher HSH Associates.

November 18, 2009 — “Economists predict mortgage rates will slowly rise by spring,” a Washington Examiner article quoting HSH by Catherine Siskos:

“The Fed is betting that private investors will be ready to step into the fray next spring,” said Keith Gumbinger, a mortgage analyst at financial publisher HSH Associates.

November 17, 2009 — “Ten Questions on the Volatile Housing Market,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by James R. Hagerty:

For so-called jumbo loans — those above $729,750 in areas with the highest housing costs or $417,000 in places with the lowest costs — interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages last week averaged 5.95%, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher.

November 12, 2009 — “10 Tips for Selling Your Home in the Sluggish Winter Months,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

“You can’t just look across an entire marketplace and say, “Here is my metro area, and here is what’s happening,’ ” says Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com, a publisher of mortgage and consumer loan information. “You have to try to attenuate yourself with what is happening in your very individualized local market.”

“You want to negotiate your commissions beforehand, especially if you are already pricing very aggressively,” Gumbinger says.

November 12, 2009 — “Fannie, Freddie Warn on More Losses,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Nick Timiraos:

Private mortgage insurance is required for any home loan with less than a 20% down payment, and the policies typically cover 12% to 35% of losses in the event of a default, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher. Mortgage insurers have been forced to pay up as loan defaults escalate.

November 11, 2009 — “How Struggling Homeowners Can Stay in Their Homes As Renters,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

The program is designed to soften the blow that foreclosures can have on families and neighborhoods by giving borrowers time to plot their next step, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com.

Gumbinger says the program reflects the extreme nature of the housing crisis. “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures,” he says. “I can’t imagine in their wildest dreams that Fannie and Freddie wanted to be landlords.”

November 4, 2009 — “What the Fed’s Latest Move Means for Mortgages,” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH by Aleksandra Todorova:

Still, interest rates will likely remain low through at least the end of the year, says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at mortgage-rate tracking firm HSH Associates. (As of Oct. 30, the average 30-year conforming loan was at 5.16%, according to HSH. Jumbo loans averaged 5.99%.) “With the Fed’s program expiring, with hopeful upward momentum in economic growth and a bit of job growth, it’s reasonable to plan for higher interest rates in later in the year,” Gumbinger says. He expects rates on 30-year fixed conforming mortgages to go up to 6%.

Meanwhile, homeowners with adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, appear to have little reason to worry for now: Unlike 30-year fixed mortgages, ARMs are pegged to short-term rates, which the Fed has indicated will remain at near zero for the time being. “If you have an ARM, the indicators which govern your adjustment are likely to remain low for the next year,” Gumbinger says. The average 5/1 ARM was at 4.39% for the week ending Oct. 30; jumbo 5/1 ARMs averaged 5.12%.

November 4, 2009 — “Fed Not Raising Rates Anytime Soon: 5 Things to Know,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

Keith Gumbinger, of HSH.com, said there was nothing in the Fed’s announcement that would alter his near term outlook for mortgage rates. Gumbinger expects 30-year fixed mortgage rates to remain in an attractive range of between 5 percent and 5.25 percent through the end of March 2010. “As we move past that March expiry for the Fed’s [mortgage backed security purchase] program, that’s when things could get a little dicey,” he says.

November 2, 2009 — “Are Home Sales Headed for a Late Fall Slide?,” a U.S. News & World Report article by Luke Mullins:

Rates on 30-year fixed mortgages, meanwhile, dropped to an average of 5.18 percent in the last week of September, down from 6.22 percent a year earlier, according to HSH.com.

November 2, 2009 — “Home equity loan market remains very tight,” an LA Times article quoting HSH by E. Scott Reckard, also appearing in the Hartford Courant:

“The days of lenders falling all over themselves to help you empty the equity out of your home aren’t coming back any time soon,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president at loan data tracker HSH Associates.

Even for homeowners with plenty of home equity still available, “access to it is harder to come by,” Gumbinger said. “You need to be a much higher-quality borrower now. And if you can get it, the terms are going to be a lot less attractive.”

October 29, 2009 — “The Coming Home-Tax Credit: Worth the Wait?,” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH by Lisa Scherzer:

“If I was in the marketplace this month, I would probably wait. If there’s an opportunity to get a $6,500 credit, sure, why wouldn’t I wait – just to see what’s passed,” says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, a mortgage tracking firm.

For one, home prices are firming a bit, says Gumbinger.

But in today’s market, that risk is somewhat limited risk because mortgage rates have been relatively low and stable in large part because the Federal Reserve has worked hard to keep them there, says Gumbinger.

October 26, 2009 — “ING’s Fate: From Bank Deposits to N.Y. Marathon,” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH by Aleksandra Todorova:

Keep your mortgage statements, says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, which tracks the mortgage market. If and when the bank is sold, this will help you reconcile your latest mortgage balance and terms with those on the first statement you get from the loan’s new servicer, he says. Generally, the process is seamless for customers. The old and new mortgage servicers are required by law to send a sign-off and sign-on letter, respectively, informing the customer of the change, the new customer service number and new address where payment checks should be mailed.

October 24, 2009 — “Refinancing lifeline fails to reach most ‘underwater’ homeowners,” a Washing Post article quoting HSH by Renae Merle:

Housing experts say these borrowers are calculating that their homes are no longer a sound investment. For example, a borrower who is 25 percent underwater would spend nearly 10 years making regular payments before regaining any equity in the home, according to mortgage research firm HSH Associates.

October 23, 2009 — “Get into a house for just 3.5% down,” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH by AnnaMaria Andriotis, also appearing in MSNMoney.com:

Now mortgage servicers can use this program to reduce monthly mortgage payments to 31% of the borrower’s monthly gross income, said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, which tracks mortgage data. To qualify, borrowers must be unable to keep up with their mortgage payments but cannot be more than 30 days delinquent.

Although this program can help prevent foreclosures, it doesn’t guarantee that borrowers ultimately will be able to hold on to their homes, Gumbinger said.

October 21, 2009 — “Is it time to dump your ARM?,” a Money Magazine article quoting HSH by Beth Braverman, also appearing in CNNMoney.com:

These large mortgages can feel like a rip-off right now, since rates for 30-year fixed jumbos are about a percentage point higher than those for smaller loans — an unusually wide spread, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president at HSH Associates.

October 19, 2009 — “Obama Expands Housing Rescue (Again): 5 Things to Know,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

“For the moment, [the program] is replacing the private market function, which does not exist,” says Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com. “With capital markets still so impaired, with investors still staying away, all these structures that were built over time still kind of collapsed.”

October 18, 2009 — “Foreclosure crisis far from over for South Florida,” a Miami Herald article quoting HSH by Cammy Clark, also appearing in the Palm Beach Post:

“There are some ARM products still lurking in the shadows, readying to rear their heads,” said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at mortgage industry publisher HSH Associates in New Jersey. “It will matter where the interest rates are and where the economy is at when those reset.”

For some, the first reset may not come until 2010 or 2011, Gumbinger said. “That’s why there could be some lingering effects down the road.”

“I’ve read guesstimates that some properties might not be back to the price borrowers paid for them for 10 to 12 years,” Gumbinger said. “It could be ugly for a while yet.”

October 12, 2009 — “Jumbo Loan Rates Dip Below 6%, Lowest in Four Years,” a Business Week article quoting HSH by Chris Palmeri:

Mortgage interest rates are trending steadily downward. The research firm HSH reports that jumbo loans—those for higher-priced homes—dipped below 6% for the first time since September of 2005. This week the average for a 30-year jumbo loan is 5.96%.

Still, the blended rate on all 30-year loans, jumbo and conforming, has dropped to 5.35%, says HSH. In June it was 5.92%

October 12, 2009 — “ARMed and dangerous?,” a Charleston Post Courier article quoting HSH by Katy Stech:

‘Reality has set in and looking down the road, it’s easy to see that some of these borrowers are never going to make it,’ said mortgage analyst Keith Gumbinger of New Jersey-based HSH Associates, a consumer loan data provider.

Gumbinger said it’s impossible to predict the exact magnitude of the ARM problem because some borrowers, socked perhaps with an unexpected job loss or divorce, will default on their loans before they reach their readjustment periods. Also, it remains to be seen how lenders will respond. Some may approve lower payments for financially strapped borrowers on a temporary basis through loan modifications.

At the moment, homeowners whose ARMs are resetting now are benefiting from some of the lowest rates in history. That means their monthly payments could decline after readjusting, Gumbinger said.

‘Frankly, most are going to be pleasantly surprised because … interest rates, on the whole, are going to go down,’ he said.

October 5, 2009 — “Home Builders Curtail Freebies,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Dawn Wotapka:

For example, luxury builder Toll Brothers Inc. earlier this year offered buyers a fixed rate of 3.99% on 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. Lennar Corp., one of the nation’s largest builders, went further with 3.625%. It is currently touting 3.99% on its Web site, a slightly higher rate, but one below the current average of 5.13% for a 30-year fixed loan below $417,000, according to mortgage-market analyst HSH Associates.

October 3, 2009 — “A Look Ahead To the Great Resetting,” a Washington Post article quoting HSH by Dina ElBoghdady, also appearing in the Dever Post, the Houston Chronicle, the Mail Tribune and the Austin American-Statesman:

For them, loan balances are rising at a time when home values are falling, said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at the mortgage research firm HSH Associates. “They’ve got bigger problems than just the interest rates.”

But these types of mortgages, and adjustable loans in general, are “not evil,” Gumbinger said. Originally, they were niche products targeted at creditworthy borrowers, and they performed well for decades. “But there are certain audiences for which these loans are not and never will be a prescription for success,” he said.

September 25, 2009 — “Is Time Running Out for Ultra-Low Mortgage Rates?,” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH by Lisa Scherzer:

The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage loan was 5.15% as of Thursday, according to HSH Associates, which tracks the mortgage market. Rates are not as low as they were at one point this spring, when they sneaked below the 5% level, but they’re also not as high as they were one point in June. All in all, it could be hard for buyers to find a better time for rates than where they are now, says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH.

HSH’s Gumbinger says interest rates will eventually creep higher – but when that will happen depends, in part, on how quickly the economy will recover, and whether that recovery comes with inflation. It also depends on how fast and to what degree the government removes itself from the real estate market. “It’s reasonable to expect that, with economic improvement and government-backed supports in the marketplace, interest rates will begin to firm somewhat,” Gumbinger says.

September 22, 2009 — “Jumbo Mortgage Rates Hit 4-Year Lows: 5 Things to Know,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

Rates on 30-year fixed jumbo mortgages—in most markets, those that exceed $417,000—averaged 6.14 percent for the week that ended September 18. That’s down sharply from 7.36 percent a year earlier and the lowest weekly average since September of 2005, according to HSH.com.

As fears of a full-blown economic meltdown eased, banks began to identify jumbo mortgages as potentially profitable investments, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com.

September 22, 2009 — “Decision on Ending Housing Prop Can Wait,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Mark Gongloff:

Absent the Fed, then, the national average conventional fixed mortgage rate might be closer to 5.9% than 5.2%, its level last week, according to mortgage-data tracker HSH Associates. That would make a big difference for housing.

September 15, 2009 — “No Easy Exit for Government as Housing Market’s Savior,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Deborah Solomon and Jon Hilsenrath:

At the Fed, the question of whether to start dismantling the scaffolding is a dominant one. Since the beginning of the year, the Fed has purchased $836 billion of mortgage-backed securities issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae, the federal body that securitizes FHA loans. The purchases have helped push down interest rates on mortgages guaranteed by the firms from more than 6.5% last October to 5.15% today, according to HSH Associates, which tracks the mortgage market.

September 14, 2009 — “Ways you can deal with low savings rates,” a Detroit Free Press article, also appearing in the Philadelphia Inquirer, quoting HSH by Susan Tompor:

While many expect that mortgage rates will stay low, consumers also need to realize that any shock or crisis, such as political unrest in some part of the world, can drive up long-term rates, said Paul Havemann, vice president for New Jersey-based HSH Associates.

HSH noted that mortgage rates have slipped back to the levels seen last spring and if rates hold steady in the next few weeks, refinancing activity should increase.

The trend has been mostly flat-to-down in recent weeks, HSH reported and added that should be the case for next week. “We’re hoping for some stability in mortgage rates in general,” Havemann said.

September 10, 2009 — “Obama extends mortgage refinance program for struggling homeowners,” a PR-Live.com article quoting HSH:

It worked for a while. Rates hit a low of 4.84% on April 28, but are now at 5.45%, according to HSH Associates.
Since mortgage rates have been in the 6% range in recent years, refinancing to the mid-5% range may not be worth it, said Keith Gum binger, vice president at HSH Associates. A homeowner with a $200,000 mortgage at 6% would see a savings of about $64 a month if he refinanced at 5.5%, and that’s before closing costs.

September 8, 2009 — “As an Exotic Mortgage Resets, Payments Skyrocket,” A New York Times article quoting HSH by David Streitfeld:

Keith Gumbinger, an analyst with HSH Associates, said: “This is going to be the source of tomorrow’s troubles. The borrowers might have thought these were safe loans, but it turns out they bet the house.”

September 7, 2009 — “Mortgage Market Bound by Major U.S. Role,” a Washington Post article quoting HSH by Zachary A. Goldfarb and Dina ElBoghdady:

“People say, ‘Well that’s good because of lots of people who got loans in the past shouldn’t have gotten those loans at all,’ ” said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at research firm HSH Associates. “But there were tiny niche markets for whom those products were originally intended, and those people who legitimately need them now won’t get them.”

September 3, 2009 — “The Mortgage-Prepaying Strategy for Loose Cash,” an article by Jeff Brown in the New York Times’ blog You’re the Boss:

HSH Associates, a publishing firm focused on mortgages, tracks A.R.M. indexes in the Today’s Rates box on its site. The firm also has an array of mortgage calculators , including a sophisticated tool for playing “what if” scenarios on prepayments.

September 3, 2009 — “Buying Property for Your College Student: 7 Considerations,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

But Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates says anyone considering such a move should proceed with caution, as the housing rules of the university, the whims of the local market, and the relatively short investment horizon could work to undercut its returns. Here are seven things to consider before buying property to house your college student…

September 2, 2009 — The Wall Street Journal reports on the confusion roiling the government’s HARP program:

Treasury officials say that the program was slowed by a plunge in mortgage rates that sparked a flood in refinance applications just as the administration rolled out the program.

True that; HSH statistics, quoted here, reveal that “Mortgage rates fell below 5% for much of April and May, before rising this summer; last week rates ended at 5.32%”.

August 24, 2009 — “Green for Green,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Anna Prior:

Depending on the size of your mortgage, that could represent a big savings. Closing costs vary widely but can sometimes run up to about 3% of a loan, or $3,000 on a $100,000 mortgage, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president at mortgage education firm HSH Associates.

August 21, 2009 — “Return of the First-Time Homebuyers,” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH by Brad Reagan:

Parents can give up to $52,000 to a couple tax-free (if each parent gives $13,000 to the child and his or her spouse). Most lenders require a “gift letter” explaining that the money does not have to be paid back, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president with HSH Associates, and some require the borrowers to come up with cash of their own.

August 18, 2009 — “Is an FHA-Insured Mortgage Right for You?” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH by AnnaMaria Andriotis:

Now, interest rates on FHA and non-FHA mortgages aren’t too different. A 30-year fixed-rate FHA-insured mortgage had an average rate of 5.44% for the week ending Aug. 7, compared to an average rate of 5.42% for a 30-year fixed rate non-FHA mortgage, according to Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, a mortgage-data tracking firm.

August 7, 2009 — “House Democrat got ‘VIP’ Countrywide loans,” a MSN Money article quoting HSH by Elizabeth Strott:

The initial interest rates on the Towns’ two five-year, adjustable-rate Countrywide loans were 4.5% and 4.625%, according to the mortgage documents — rates that were below the national average. At the time, the national averages on those loans were between 4.7% and about 5.3%, according to HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains, N.J., publisher of mortgage-rate data, the report said.

August 7, 2009 — “Key Lawmaker Received Countrywide Loans,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by John R. Emshwiller:

The initial interest rates on two five-year, adjustable-rate Countrywide loans Mr. Towns and his wife took in September 2003 were 4.5% and 4.625%, according to the mortgage documents. Around the time of those loans, the average rates nationally on such loans ranged from about 4.7% to about 5.3%, according to HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains, N.J., publisher of mortgage-rate data.

August 6, 2009 — “Pipeline clogged for refinancing homeowners,” an article from The Record, also appearing in the Philadelphia Inquirer, quoting HSH by Richard Newman:

Part of the problem is that many lenders that were rocked by the financial meltdown were caught short-staffed after eliminating thousands of jobs, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains publisher and mortgage rate tracker. Two-month backlogs of applications built up quickly when rates fell below 5 percent in January, prompting a surge in refinancings. The volume has slowed considerably in recent weeks as rates have inched higher, but the turnaround times remain sluggish.

“Lenders are still understaffed when a crush of business comes in,” Gumbinger said. “Banks are loath to add personnel with uncertain demand.”

August 5, 2009 — “Does It Make Sense to Lock In a Mortgage Rate?,” a SmartMoney article quoting HSH by AnnaMaria Andriotis:

Before the downturn, some mortgage rates could be tracked and predicted relatively easily because a few leading indicators were more closely bound to rates, says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, a mortgage-data tracking firm. For example, fixed-rate mortgages moved in closer lockstep with 10-year Treasury yields than they do now. Now, those rates are heavily influenced by other factors, including the unemployment rate, consumer spending and fear of inflation, he says.

According to the most recent data from HSH Associates, average mortgage rates are down from one month ago. The average rate for a 30-year conforming mortgage was 5.42% for the week ending July 31, compared to 5.55% for the week ending June 26. The average rate on a 15-year mortgage for the last week of July was 4.85%, down from 5.01% in the last week of June. And the average rate on a 5/1 ARM (the most common ARM, whose interest is fixed for the first five years and then becomes variable) was 4.89%, down from 5.14% in the week of June.

August 5, 2009 — “Attorney sues lenders, says they created ‘toxic’ products,” a Boston Globe article quoting HSH by Jenifer B. McKim:

“You are supposed to act responsibly as an adult when you are signing those contracts,’’ said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a New Jersey company that publishes consumer loan information. “Why would you go and sign a contract when you can’t make the payments?’’

August 4, 2009 — “Owner advocates noted massive red tape,” a Asbury Park Press article quoting HSH by Michael L. Diamond:

Meantime, servicers have struggled to hire enough qualified workers to keep up with the volume of requests. And there is no guarantee they could recoup more money by modifying a loan than they could by selling a home at a foreclosure auction, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains company that tracks mortgage rates.

August 3, 2009 — “High-End Homes Frozen Out of Budding Housing Rebound,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Nick Timiraos and James R. Hagerty:

Mortgages for amounts that exceed those limits are called “jumbo” mortgages, and face higher interest rates. Last week, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage below the limits was 5.42% compared with 6.33% for jumbos, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher.

July 24, 2009 — “9 Ways To Salvage An Ailing Credit Score,” a U.S. News and World Report article, also appearing on AOL.com, quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

But if, for example, you find that you’ve inadvertently missed a payment on a credit card that you’ve paid on time for years, it’s worth calling the company to see if you can work something out, says Keith Gumbinger of financial publisher HSH Associates. “If it’s a hiccup in a long pattern of good payments, you might be able to have them clear that up,” he says.

July 21, 2009 — “How Much House Can You Afford?,” a Smart Money article quoting HSH by Sarah Morgan:

Once again, lenders are requiring a down payment, documentation of income and assets, and good credit scores, says Keith Gumbinger, the vice president of HSH.com, a mortgage market analysis firm based in Pompton Plains, N.J.

“The world is very largely a fixed-rate world,” Gumbinger says, but in an uncertain economy, with some economists predicting that unemployment could go as high as 25%, the certainty of a fixed monthly payment is a good idea anyway.

July 21, 2009 — “Why Russia Has The Highest Mortgage Rates,” a Huliq.com article quoting HSH by Armen Hareyan:

Mortgage rates in the United States in spring of this year reached to all time lows. However, according to HSH Associates, interest rates on 30-year mortgages rose in June to 5.79% compared to 5% in previous month.

July 20, 2009 — “Unemployed? Refinancing Won’t Be Easy,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Nikki Waller:

“A couple of years ago, it would have been technically very possible,” says Keith Gumbinger, vice president at mortgage information firm HSH Associates. As lenders have tightened standards, they’re now scrutinizing all aspects of potential borrowers’ financial lives.

“Income documentation is one of the primary ways lenders identify your ability to repay them,” says Mr. Gumbinger.

However, if you think “I’m going to have a position within six months, you might not want to bother getting in touch with your lender,” says Mr. Gumbinger. “Any savings might be well offset by going through the loan modification process and it might only save you a couple of bucks a month in the long run.”

July 16, 2009 — “Foreclosure filings fall in South Florida,” a Miami Herald article quoting HSH by Clifford Marks:

Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at mortgage industry publisher HSH Associates, called the data encouraging but said it could also reflect less positive changes such as an increase in short-sales, in which mortgage-holders sell their homes for less than the mortgage amount owed to side-step the foreclosure process.

”We’re by no means out of the woods,” Gumbinger wrote in an e-mail. “[It's] not yet time to declare an end to the increases. . . . We would need to see a couple months of decline before that would occur.”

July 15, 2009 — “Falling Mortgage Rates Spur Rebound in Refinance Activity,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Nick Timiraos:

Rates haven’t been that low since the end of May, when mortgage rates rose to as high as 5.81%, according to HSH.com.  Mortgage rates closely track 10-year Treasury rates, which increased throughout June amid a flare of optimism from investors that the economy might be improving.

But as economic reports have taken a “weaker tenor” over the past few weeks, mortgage rates have fallen back, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com. “Typically recoveries don’t go straight up. You go in fits and starts,” he says.

July 6, 2009 — “Asking parents for home down-payment help,” a Universal Press Syndicate article, also published in the Oklahoman, quoting HSH by Ellen James Martin:

Often, it’s very tricky to handle the exchange of money within families. Yet more young people seeking a first home must now navigate this terrain if they are to buy a property, said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, which tracks mortgage rates for U.S. consumers.

“An increasing number of mortgage lenders are now requiring that borrowers come up with a traditional-sized down payment,” he said. “And because many kids simply don’t have that kind of money in the bank, they must turn to their parents.”

July 5, 2009 — “No ties here when dressing for success,” a Southtown Star article quoting HSH by Phil Arvia:

In July 2006, Curry reportedly got a 30-year, fixed-rate loan for his $3,719,316 mortgage at 9.25 percent.

The only problem with that is, according to HSH Associates, the national average for 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages was 6.88 percent at the time – which, according to various Internet mortgage calculators, would have saved him $4,229.31 per month off his reported $28,675 monthly payment.

July 5, 2009 — “What borrowers can do to navigate the mortgage process,” a Chicago Tribune article quoting HSH by Mary Ellen Podmolik:

“The reasons we had those ultra-low rates was because everything was God-awful,” said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information. “Not everything is God-awful [now]. If an interest rate is available that makes it work, take it.”

July 2, 2009 — “Obama’s Housing Rescue Expands: 6 Things to Know,” a U.S. News and World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

But as bond traders became rattled by sharp increases in government spending, they sent yields on 10-year treasury notes—which fixed mortgage rates typically tack—skyward in recent months. As a result, mortgage rates surged, hitting 5.81 percent on June 11, according to HSH.com.

July 2, 2009 — “Mortgage-Rescue Plan to Cover More Borrowers,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Ruth Simon and Nick Timiraos:

Rates on 30-year fixed-rate loans currently average 5.49%, up from a recent low of 4.84% in April, according to HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J.

July 1, 2009 — “Obama widens mortgage refi program,” a CNNMoney.com article quoting HSH by Tami Luhby:

Rates hit a low of 4.84% on April 28, but are now at 5.45%, according to HSH Associates.

Since mortgage rates have been in the 6% range in recent years, refinancing to the mid-5% range may not be worth it, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president at HSH Associates. A homeowner with a $200,000 mortgage at 6% would see a savings of about $64 a month if he refinanced today, and that’s before closing costs.

“Are interest rates low enough to warrant getting into the process?” he said.

July 1, 2009 –”Three Reasons Pending Sales Isn’t a Reliable Indicator,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Nick Timiraos:

April and May figures should face pressure because mortgage rates spiked sharply at the end of May, rising from around 5% to as high as 5.79%, according to HSH.com.

June 3o, 2009 — “Home Sales Perk Up, but Expensive Houses Languish,” a TIME article quoting HSH by Barbara Kiviat:

That spread jumped all the way up to 180 basis points last fall, according to data-tracker HSH Associates — but has since settled down to about 100. Still, that’s a big added expense.

June 29, 2009 — “Best way to find a home loan,” a Money Magazine article, also appearing in CNNMoney.com, quoting HSH by Sarah Max:

“The more exotic your needs, the harder it is to find a loan right now,” says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of mortgage information site HSH. “Finding that little niche is what a broker does best.”

June 28, 2009 — “Spike in mortgage rates might be ‘aberration,’” a Market Watch article, also appearing in the Spokesman-Review and the Seattle Times, quoting HSH:

Why the recent run-up in rates? Over the past month or two, “the economic skies have brightened somewhat,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a publisher of consumer loan information. The threat of “trillion-dollar budget deficits for the foreseeable future, the potential for significant inflation, and few clues as to how the government might extricate itself from intrusions into markets” created a landscape that was not appealing to investors, he added.

June, 24, 2009 — “What the Fed’s Decision Means for Mortgage Rates,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

But late last month, rates began to spike, surging from 5.03 percent on May 26 to 5.81 percent on June 11, according to HSH.com.

Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com says the Fed’s statement signals to the market: “Forget about rate hikes; they are not coming [anytime soon].”

June 21, 2009 — “Real estate: Interest rates on the rise,” a Florida Today article quoting HSH by Anne Straub:

“That’s a substantial rise over a short time,” said Keith Gumbinger, who tracks interest rates for HSH Associates, a New Jersey-based publisher of consumer loan information.

June 18, 2009 — “Mortgage window shopping,” a Market Watch article quoting HSH by Amy Hoak:

Fear not: While the conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit a daily average of 5.81% last Thursday, it averaged 5.53% on Tuesday, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a publisher of consumer loan information. And it’s possible that rates could continue to fall.

Why the recent run-up in rates? Over the past month or two, “the economic skies have brightened somewhat,” Gumbinger said in an email, and the threat of “trillion-dollar budget deficits for the foreseeable future, the potential for significant inflation, and few clues as to how the government might extricate itself from intrusions into markets” created a landscape that was not appealing to investors.

June 17, 2009 — “PersonalFinance: Info-building for home buyers,” a Reuters article quoting HSH by Linda Stern:

To get a good rate on a mortgage, compare quotes from a local mortgage broker or bank, your own credit union, and a couple of online mortgage brokers. You can also compare mortgage rates at the sites of research firms like HSH Associates (www.hsh.com) and BankRate (www.bankrate.com).

June 17, 2009 — “New Rules of Regulation: Their Impact on You,” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH:

Eventually the new agency could produce more clarity on regulations, but while lenders wait to see what the new rules will be, they may hesitate to lend, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a company that collects information on mortgages and consumer loans. “When you have an ill-defined market, you have injected an element of risk you didn’t have before,” Gumbinger explains.

If regulations do work to discourage adjustable-rate mortgages, “some percentage of borrowers will miss an opportunity, or delay an opportunity for home ownership,” he says.

June 17, 2009 — “2010 Home Price and Mortgage Rate Outlook: 5 Things to Know,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

As a result, mortgage rates jumped from 5.03 percent on May 26 to 5.79 percent on June 10, according to HSH.com. (In recent days, however, rates have retreated, falling to 5.55 percent yesterday, according to HSH.com.) Some worry that these pressures could prod mortgage rates even higher in the near future.

June 17, 2009 — “Industrial production data weigh on stocks,” a Los Angeles Times article quoting HSH:

Thirty-year conventional mortgage rates nationwide were averaging about 5.55% on Tuesday plus 0.33 of a point in upfront fees, said Keith Gumbinger, a principal at rate tracker HSH Associates.

The loan rate average was down from a peak of 5.81% last week, he said.

June 16, 2009 — “T-bond yields fall for a fourth day; mortgage rates follow,” a Los Angeles Times article quoting HSH by Tom Petruno:

Thirty-year conventional mortgage rates nationwide were averaging about 5.55% today plus 0.33 of a point in upfront fees, said Keith Gumbinger, a principal at rate tracker HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J. The loan rate average is down from a peak of 5.81% last week, he said.

June 16, 2009 — “Roseburg now included in mortgage program,” an Oregon News-Review article quoting HSH by John Sowell:

On a $100,000 loan, private mortgage insurance would add $76 to the monthly payment, according to a calculator on the Web site of HSH Associates, a financial publishing company. For a $150,000 loan, the monthly fee would be $113, while for a $200,000 loan it would be $163.

June 14, 2009 — “Credit card rates unlikely to drop,” a Stars and Stripes article quoting HSH by Liz Pulliam Weston:

But you’ll want to do the math for your particular situation before proceeding. The mortgage calculators at HSH Associates Financial Publishers, at www.hsh.com, can help.

June 12, 2009 — “5 Risky Real Estate Deals,” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH by AnnaMaria Andriotis:

(One point equals 1% of the loan. Currently, the average mortgage rate on a 30-year fixed is 5.81% and typical mortgages charge from 0 to 0.5 points, says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, a mortgage data firm.)

June 12, 2009 — “Fed to Keep Lid on Bond Buys,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Jon Hilsenrath:

The rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages climbed to 5.81% on Thursday, from 5% two weeks ago, according to HSH Associates.

June 12, 2009 — “Answers for first-time home buyers,” an OC Register article quoting HSH by Mathew Padilla:

Regarding rates and fees, there are a number of sites that have current rates. One of the best is www.hsh.com.

June 11, 2009 — “Mortgage Rates Head for 6 percent: 5 Reasons They Might Retreat,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

Rates have surged from 5.03 percent on May 26 to 5.79 percent on June 10, according to HSH.com…

But Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com argues that if the Obama administration would outline a potential exit strategy for these commitments—perhaps indicating that not all of the funds would be deployed should the economy revive sooner than expected—the upward pressure on treasury yields could moderate. “If there was any expression of when these supports would be pulled, under what terms and conditions they would be pulled, and how we would rein in these really jaw-dropping deficits going forward, I think you would find that the markets would react positively to that,” he says.

June 11, 2009 — “Mortgage Insurers to the Rescue?,” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH by Aleksandra Todorova:

Private mortgage insurance (not to be confused with homeowners insurance) is required of anyone who buys a home with less than a 20% down payment. These policies protect the lender in the event of a default, covering anywhere between 12% and 35% of their losses on the property, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president at mortgage information firm HSH Associates.

June 11, 2009 — “Investors Rebuke Feds: Get Ready For Higher Interest Rates,” a CBS News’ ‘EconWatch’ article quoting HSH by Declan McCullagh:

Fixed-rate mortgages are becoming more expensive. A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is now 6.1 percent, according to financial data firm HSH Associates, up about a full percentage point from a few weeks ago.

June 11, 2009 — “Rate Rise Clouds Recovery,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Nick Timiraos and Ruth Simon, also appearing in Finfacts Ireland, Seeking Alpha, as well as in The Australian:

On Wednesday, rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages climbed to 5.79%, up from 5% two weeks ago, according to HSH Associates.

June 10, 2009 — “Mortgage Rates Move in One Direction: Up,” and “Should Congress Boost the $8,000 Home-Buyer Tax Credit?,” two Wall Street Journal blog posts quoting HSH by Nick Timiraos:

Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages climbed to 5.74% on Tuesday, a level last reached during the first week of December and a big jump from 5.03% two weeks ago, according to HSH.com, a financial publisher.

June 9, 2009 — “Industry Pushes to Extend Home-Buyer Tax Credit,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Nick Timiraos:

Mortgage rates climbed to 5.74% on Tuesday a six-month high and up from 5.03% two weeks ago, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher.

June 9, 2009 — “Cuomo subpoenas loan modifier firms, plans lawsuit,” a Reuters article, also appearing in the New York Times, quoting HSH by Jonathan Stempel and Chavon Sutton:

Keith Gumbinger, vice president of mortgage information publisher HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, New Jersey, said the loan modification industry has sprouted since late 2006, as rising delinquencies have overwhelmed servicers.

“What has occurred in the last couple of years has been a tidal wave,” he said. “Mr. Cuomo could have a point in trying to corral in a sector of the mortgage industry that could be ripe for abuse or fraud.”

June 7, 2009 — “Short sales stymied by complications, delays,” a San Diego Union Tribune article quoting HSH by Emmet Pierce:

“It pretty much drives everyone nuts,” said Keith Gumbinger vice president of HSH Associates, a New Jersey company that monitors loan prices. “The Realtors say it is a foot-dragging thing, and nothing can move until you get a decision.”

June 7, 2009 — “Refinancing midway through 30-year mortgage may not pay off,” an LA Times article quoting HSH by Liz Pulliam Weston:

But you’ll want to do the math for your particular situation before proceeding. The mortgage calculators at HSH Associates Financial Publishers, at www.hsh.com, can help.

June 4, 2009 — “Refinancing Boom Fizzles as Interest Rates Rise From Historic Lows,” a Washington Post article quoting HSH by Renae Merle and Dina ElBoghdady:

June 3, 2009 — “Refinancing Boom Aids Lenders,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Nick Timiraos:

Rising mortgage rates threaten to damp refinance activity. Average mortgage rates rose to 5.25% last week from 5% the week before, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher. Rates have hovered at 50-year lows since the Federal Reserve began buying mortgage-backed securities to drive rates lower.

June 2, 2009 — “Have the days of the sub-5% mortgage passed?,” a LA Times article quoting HSH by Scott Reckard:

Rates for conforming 30-year fixed loans — the plain vanilla mortgages that make up most of the market — jumped from an average 5.03% last Tuesday to 5.44% on Thursday before slipping to 5.30% Friday, according to HSH Associates of Pompton Plains, N.J.

Monday  they edged up again, to 5.38%, HSH Vice President Keith T. Gumbinger said today.

June 2, 2009 — “Mortgage rates inch above 5%,” a Charlotte Observer article quoting HSH by Christina Rexrode:

Keith Gumbinger, vice president of financial surveyor HSH Associates, said the rate increase is no reason to panic. “Rates are still very favorable,” Gumbinger said. “They’re just slightly less favorable. We climbed from 50-year lows to what are probably 30-year lows. (For perspective, rates were consistently above 6 percent from late 2005 through parts of 2008.)

June 2, 2009 — “Outlook varies for construction,” a ConstructionDigital.com article quoting HSH by Ken Simonson:

“The average rate for 30-year fixed-rate [home-mortgage] loans jumped to 5.44 percent on Thursday, the highest level since early February, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher.

June 1, 2009 — “Mortgage Rates Jump: 6 Things You Need to Know,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

Thirty-year fixed mortgage rates had been holding in the 5 percent range since mid March, averaging 5.03 percent on Tuesday, May 26. But rates jumped in the following days, hitting an average of 5.44 percent on Thursday, May 28. By midday Monday, rates had fallen back a bit, to 5.36 percent, according to HSH.com.

May 30, 2009 — “‘Jumbo’ Loans, Down-to-Earth Rates,” a Washington Post article, also appearing in the Canton Repository, quoting HSH by Dina ElBoghdady:

On a 30-year, fixed-rate loan up to $417,000, the average rate this week was 5.44 percent, according to the research firm HSH Associates. The next best rates apply to loans from $417,000 to $729,750, which averaged 5.72 percent this week. Loans larger than that get hit with the highest rates, which averaged 6.37 percent for the week.

May 29, 2009 — “The $8,000 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Program Expands: 5 Things to Know,” a U.S. News and World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

By chipping in toward such costs, the program “could just grease the wheels for a couple more people to get into FHA,” says Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com.

May 29, 2009 — “Mortgage rates staying above 5%,” a CNNMoney.com article quoting HSH by Les Christie:

“We had an ugly Treasury market the other day, which caused a flare up in mortgage interest rates,” said Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage data.

HSH Associate’s Gumbinger argues that rates should plateau for a while, and that while they have risen, they are still very attractive – even if it doesn’t feel that way to homebuyers trying to lock rates right now.

May 29, 2009 — “Buying a home,” an article from National Public Radio quoting HSH by Chris Farrell:

There are a number of home affordability calculators on the web, such as Dinkytown.net and hsh.com.

May 29, 2009 — “A ‘Catastrophic Time’ for Higher Mortgage Rates,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Nick Timiraos:

Rates ended at 5.44% on Thursday, up from 5.03% on Tuesday, according to HSH Associates.

Could higher rates be here to stay? “It’s a little too early to tell,” says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates. While he says it’s more likely that rates will edge back down in the coming weeks, “it’s certainly not out of the question that this isn’t a short-term flareup.”

May 29, 2009 — “Mortgage Rates Surge, Sap Hopes,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Nick Timiraos and Ruth Simon:

The average rate for 30-year fixed-rate loans jumped to 5.44% on Thursday, the highest level since early February, according to a survey by HSH Associates, a financial publisher. That was up from 5.29% Wednesday and 5.03% Tuesday.

May, 28, 2009 — “7 Simple Steps to a Dirt-Cheap Mortgage,” a U.S. News and World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

While 30-year fixed mortgage rates averaged a very attractive 5 percent for the week ending May 22, they spiked to 5.29 percent May 27, according to HSH.com. Keith Gumbinger, a vice president with the mortgage information publisher, expects rates to remain a little over 5 percent for the rest of the year. “The Fed has plenty of balance sheet space to go out and buy enough mortgages to keep rates at these levels,” Gumbinger says.

May 28, 2009 — “Rise in Rates Jolts Markets,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Liz Rappaport:

The average 30-year mortgage rate jumped Wednesday to 5.29% from 5.03% the previous day, according to HSH Associates, a mortgage-data publishing firm. That’s the most dramatic swing since March 19, after the Fed announced its plans to buy more mortgage-backed securities and U.S. Treasury bonds.

May 27, 2009 — “April existing home sales inch upward, prices fall,” an AP article, also appearing on CNBC, Yahoo Finance, San Antonio Express, quoting HSH by Alan Zibel:

Rates for 30-year jumbo loans are averaging around 6.3 percent, compared with around 5 percent for non-jumbo loans, according to data publisher HSH Associates.

Since banks generally hold jumbo loans on their books, it’s not surprising that they are keeping lending standards tight, noted Keith Gumbinger, a senior vice president with HSH Associates, who said, “It’s not a risk-free investment.”

May 26, 2009 — “Why is it so hard to get a jumbo loan?,” a San Francisco Chronicle article quoting HSH by Kathleen Pender:

It’s also possible the borrowers’ credit scores are lower than they would care to admit, or maybe they are simply saying they can’t get a mortgage to put pressure on sellers to lower their price, says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president with HSH Associates.

May 14, 2009 — “Price of a new car hits 30-year low — but not in California,” a LA Times article quoting HSH by Craig Howie:

Nationwide, the interest rate averages about 7% on a new-car fixed-rate loan of $20,000 for a buyer with good credit, according to HSH Associates Financial Publishing.

May 14, 2009 — “How to Relocate for Work When Your Home’s Underwater,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

“If you have never been a landlord before and now you are going to be an absentee landlord, you may be asking for a whole new level of complication in your life that you are ill-prepared to manage,” says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates.

May 8, 2009 — “Mortgage Shopping Strategies,” a Credit.com article quoting HSH by Randy Johnson:

The answer is to get some general information about the market from the Internet. There are thousands of websites that will do this, such as bankrate.com, HSH.com, and many lenders. In fifteen minutes you can get this information.

May 4, 2009 — “Today’s top 5 homebuying blunders,” a U.S. News & World Report (also appearing on MSN.com) article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

“Individual markets are not the national market,” says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates. “(The real estate market) is tremendously individualized.”

May 3, 2009 — “Refinance, If You Can,” a Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine (July 2009) article quoting HSH by Pat Mertz Esswein:

Expect the 30-year fixed rate to hover near 5% for the balance of this year or, if the economy improves a tad, to creep up to 5.25%, says Keith Gumbinger, of financial publisher HSH Associates. HSH’s survey of lenders pegged the national average 30-year fixed rate at 5.01% in late April. The average 15-year fixed rate was 4.6% and the average 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage (which has a rate that’s fixed for five years, then changes every year after) was 4.98%.

May 3, 2009 — “Don’t dismiss ARMs out of hand, but find the facts first,” a San Diego Union Tribune article by Lew Sichelman:

Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a mortgage-information company based in Pompton Plains, N.J., isn’t as gung-ho as Cruise. But he does agree that hybrids shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand. “There might be an opportunity there,” he says. “Certainly in the jumbo market, you have to take a look.”

That “look” might involve some work. “You’ll have to go out and scour the market to find a very good deal,” says Gumbinger, whose firm surveys lenders every week. “Great rates are few and far between, but there are some wildcatters out there.”

May 3, 2009 — “Lessons unlearned,” a San Diego Union Tribune article quoting HSH by Emmet Pierce:

Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a New Jersey company that monitors loan prices nationally, is convinced that, sooner or later, history will repeat itself.

Gumbinger says people typically abandon reason when faced with the potential for huge profits. New regulations on lending imposed by Congress or the Obama administration will make little difference over the long run, he asserted.

Despite the lessons of the Great Depression, “we believed we were smarter this time,” he said. “We don’t learn from our past. We find new ways to build the beast.”

April 30, 2009 — Jumbo Loans Make a Comeback,” a BuilderOnline.com article quoting HSH by Teresa Burney:

Keith Gumbinger, of HSH Associates, a mortgage research firm and publisher, said banks are more willing to lend money for jumbo loans because they have more cash to lend, and there aren’t many other profitable places to put it. Banks have more cash on hand because of TARP money and because the low interest rates have led many home owners to refinance their homes, paying off their old loans in the process.

“When cash comes back in the refinancing process, they put some to their bottom lines and put some in other profitable lending endeavors,” said Gumbinger. But it’s difficult to find profitable lending endeavors these days. “It’s certainly not commercial loans, not credit cards, not auto loans, so where do you go?” Gumbinger postulated.

April 29, 2009 — “Money under the mattress?“, a CNNMoney.com article quoting HSH by Gerri Willis:

You can also check out HSH.com for mortgage and consumer loan information divided by region.

April 29, 2009 — “Jumbo Mortgage Loans Make a Comeback,” a Big Builder Online article quoting HSH:

Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a mortgage research firm and publisher, said banks are more willing to lend money for jumbo loans because they have more cash to lend, and there aren’t many other profitable places to put it. Banks have more cash on hand because of TARP money and because the low interest rates have led many homeowners to refinance their homes, paying off their old loans in the process.

“When cash comes back in the refinancing process, they put some to their bottom lines and put some in other profitable lending endeavors,” said Gumbinger. But it’s difficult to find profitable lending endeavors these days.

“It’s certainly not commercial loans, not credit cards, not auto loans, so where do you go?” Gumbinger postulated.

April 28, 2009 — “Refinancing Your Mortgage: ARM to Fixed,” a BankingMyWay.com article quoting HSH by Jeff Brown:

HSH Associates has lots of historical ARM index data on its web site, or type your index name and the terms “graph” or “table” into your search engine.

April 27, 2009 — “Competing on Clarity in Mortgages,” a BankInvestmentConsultant.com article quoting HSH by Kate Berry:

“It’s not an untested concept,” said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at the mortgage research firm HSH Associates. “The concern has always been that downstream service producers would get squeezed, and the power of pricing was all going to be put in the hands of the lender.”

April 22, 2009 — “America’s Top-Selling Luxury Neighborhoods,” a Forbes article quoting HSH by Matt Woolsey:

Loans above $729,750 are considered jumbo and are available at a 6.5% 30-year fixed interest rate, according to HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains, N.J., research group.

April 17, 2009 — “Jean Chatzky — Answers to cash, retirement crisis,” a Daily Journal article quoting HSH by Arielle McGowen:

Think about it this way: If you elect the 15-year mortgage, you’ll get a lower interest rate, but you’ll also be locking yourself in to that time frame and that increased monthly payment, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president at HSH Associates, a publisher of consumer-loan information.

April 16, 2009 — “Good News: Option ARM Resets Delayed,” a BusinessWeek article quoting HSH by Prashant Gopal:

Keith Gumbinger, vice-president of HSH.com, a publisher of loan information in Pompton Plains, N.J., said the lower interest rates have helped to diminish the option ARM problem. But it remains unclear how many option ARMs are left to reset and how many borrowers will be able to get out of the loans before it’s too late.

“I don’t think this is going to be the tsunami that was forecasted a few years ago,” Gumbinger said. “But it’s probably bigger than a ripple in a pond.”

April 11, 2009 — “Home skid slows,” a Baltimore Sun article quoting HSH by Lorraine Mirabella:

Rates on 30-year, fixed mortgage loans in the Baltimore area averaged 5.53 percent this week, HSH Associates said.

April 9, 2009 — “How to Avoid a Jumbo Mortgage (And Its Jumbo Rate),” an article quoting HSH from CNBC’s ‘On the Money’ by Ric Edelman:

It isn’t easy to find a jumbo mortgage these days, and when you do it isn’t cheap. The typical jumbo for the week ending March 27 averaged 6.5 percent, according to HSH Associates, a consumer loan publisher.

April 9, 2009 — “More signing dotted line for lower rates,” a NorthJersey.com article, also appearing in Builder Magazine, quoting HSH by Richard Newman:

“Rates have been very low and stable for a couple weeks now, and there seems to be plenty of demand at the moment,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a financial information publisher.

April 8, 2009 –”4 Costly Refinancing Fees to Watch Out For,” a Smart Money article quoting HSH by Aleksandra Todorova:

“Frankly, lenders are struggling to make mortgages on a profitable basis in order to ensure survival,” says Keith Gumbinger, vice president at mortgage information firm HSH Associates. “And you can, as a lender, help to increase your profitability by an increase in fees.”

April 6, 2009 — “Should you refinance your mortgage,” a Dallas Morning News article quoting HSH by Pamela Yip:

FHA-insured loans require a 3.5 percent down payment. Most lenders are requiring a minimum of 5 percent down on conventional loans, said Keith Gumbinger, analyst at HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J., which publishes mortgage information.

April 6, 2009 — “Comparison shopping for a mortgage,” an LA Times article quoting HSH by Lauren Beale:

It’s pretty easy to shop rates at websites HSH.com or BankRate.com, which list current mortgage rates offered by dozens of lenders.

April 5, 2009 — “How to lock in the lowest mortgage rate in today’s tough market,” an LA Times article quoting HSH by Kathy M. Kristof:

“These are very traditional lending standards, but they’re going to come as a shock to anybody who has only been in the market for the past 10 years,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains, N.J., publisher of loan information.

April 4, 2009 — “The Return of Jumbo Mortgage,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Amy Hoak:

The rates on 30-year fixed-rate jumbo mortgages averaged 6.5% for the week ended March 27 — the lowest since May 2007, according to HSH Associates, a publisher of consumer loan information. On Oct. 31, a recent high point, the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate jumbo mortgage was 7.9%, according to HSH data.

April 2, 2009 — “California Realtors offers perks to home buyers,” a San Francisco Chronicle article quoting HSH by Carolyn Said:

Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, which tracks mortgage data, said that cut-rate financing “should be a pretty strong incentive.”

April 1, 2009 — “Credit Markets Still Navigate in a Choppy Sea of Liquidity,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Liz Rappaport:

The average 30-year mortgage rate remains low at 5%, which has induced a wave of refinancings, according to HSH Associates, a mortgage-data publisher. Despite the government’s planned purchases, the 30-year Treasury-bond yield rose by nearly a percent, to yield 3.6%, from 2.8% at the start of the year as prices fell amid concerns about the effects of increased issuance to fund various bailouts. The 10-year Treasury yielded 2.7% at quarter-end, up from 2.2% at the start.

March 24, 2009 — “Jumbo Loans Could Make a Comeback,” a Business Week article quoting HSH by Prashant Gopal:

The average interest rate for a jumbo loan, which unlike conforming loans aren’t federally guaranteed, has dropped from a high of 7.9% at end of October to 6.63% last week. That is the lowest average rate since the end of 2007, according to financial publisher HSH.com in Pompton Plains, N.J.

March 24, 2009 — “Fed’s move spurs mortgage action,” a Washington Times article quoting HSH by Lauren Whetzel:

Within a day, the national average rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage had fallen to 4.94, according to financial publisher HSH Associates.

March 24, 2009 — “Can You Get a Mortgage?“, a Kiplinger article quoting HSH by Pat Mertz Esswein:

If you don’t like the rate offered or you get turned down, keep shopping, says Keith Gumbinger, of HSH Associates, which publishes financial information and rates. “Price and access to money are widely variable. Just because a lender on one side of town says no doesn’t mean it’s no.”

March 23, 2009 –”Geithner’s Plan: Any Relief for Main Street?” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH by Aleksandra Todorova:

“You’re talking about unfreezing sizable blocks of assets that haven’t found buyers because no one knows what they’re worth,” says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a mortgage information firm.

“Once the ball gets rolling, it should help to liquefy lenders’ portfolios, giving them more cash to lend.””This is not like flipping on a light switch,” Gumbinger says. “You’re not looking at a lending climate in late 2009 that’s going to be substantially different from the one we have now.”

March 23, 2009 — “Mortgage Rates Dip in Response to Fed’s Decision to Buy Treasury Bonds and Mortgage Securities,” a RISMedia article quoting HSH by Suzanne Ziegler:

Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information, said good interest rates were available to all kinds of borrowers in all kinds of credit circumstances when the market was running flat out five years ago. That’s not the case today.

“You must be a much better borrower than you had to be before,” he said. “For some borrowers, you might have to get used to hearing ‘no.’”

March 23, 2009 — “30-Year Mortgage Rates at Record Low,” an nbc11.com article quoting HSH by Jessica Zartler:

According to financial publisher HSH Associates, rates on 30-year mortgages are the lowest ever on record at 4.75 percent, making it a good time to buy a home or refinance

March 22, 2009 — “Federal Reserve to buy up some Treasury bonds,” a San Francisco Chronicle article quoting HSH by Kathleen Pender:

Mortgage rates – which generally follow the 10-year Treasury yield, though not as closely as they used to – also fell. The average rate on a 30-year conforming mortgage fell to 4.94 percent on Thursday from 5.15 percent on Wednesday, according to HSH Associates.

“We expect about half (of the Treasury yield) decrease will make it through to mortgage rates, and that’s where we are now,” says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president with HSH.

March 21, 2009 — “Locked Out of Refinancing,” a Washington Post article quoting HSH by Dina Elboghdady:

The average rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 5.15 percent when the Fed announced its plans midweek, slipped to 4.94 on Thursday then rose to 5 percent yesterday and chances are it will stay around there through year’s end, according to HSH Associates, a mortgage research firm.

March 20, 2009 — “Swamped lenders hold steady,” a Boston Globe article quoting HSH by Jenifer B. McKim:

Some brokers were quoting rates of 4.75 percent yesterday, with average rates leveling at 4.94 percent, said mortgage tracker HSH Associates.

Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, said the Fed’s additional purchase plan signals that low rates will be around for a while.

“They reaffirmed their commitment to the marketplace that low and stable mortgage rates would continue to exist for the foreseeable future,” he said. “Mortgage rates are coming down.” But Gumbinger added that because of tight market conditions, “We don’t expect them to fall much more than a quarter percentage point.”

March 20, 2009 — “Bay Area home median falls below $300,000,” a San Francisco Chronicle article quoting HSH by James Temple:

Whether it will translate into the jumbo loan market, where secondary buyers all but vanished during the initial credit crunch of August 2007, remains to be seen, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president with Pompton Plains, N.J., research firm HSH Associates.

“Does it spark new demand? That’s an unknown question,” he said. “Just because financing is available doesn’t make the product more attractive. But then some support may be all this market needs to get itself moving forward again.”

March 20, 2009 — “Fed boost helps some home loan seekers,” a San Diego Union Tribune article quoting HSH by Emmet Pierce:

Nationally, the interest rate on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 4.94 percent yesterday, financial publisher HSH Associates reported. That was down almost a quarter-point from Wednesday and the lowest rate since HSH began keeping track in 1979.

HSH Vice President Keith Gumbinger cautioned borrowers not to get too excited about the drop in rates, however.

“We went from just above 5 percent to just below 5 percent,” he said. “It means a slightly lower monthly payment, which most borrowers would welcome, but you still need to have good credit.”

March 19, 2009 — “Mortgage Rates,” a post from ABC News’ blog ”The World Newser‘ by Tom Johnson:

Rates on 30-year mortgages plunged to a record low today after the Federal Reserve launched a new effort to prop up the flailing housing market. The national average rate on 30-year, fixed mortgages was 4.94 percent today, according to financial publisher HSH Associates, down nearly a quarter point from a day earlier.

March 19, 2009 — “Mortgage Rates at Record Lows: Time to Refinance?” a Smart Money article quoting HSH by Aleksandra Todorova:

Everyone else must shop around. And in those cases, lenders will require that you have at least 10% equity in your home, according to Keith Gumbinger, vice president at HSH Associates.

March 19, 2009 — “So the Fed Is Taking Action. How Will It Affect You?,” a Washington Post article quoting HSH by Dina Elboghdady and Ylan Q. Mui:

Rates should drop slightly, said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates.

Yesterday’s announcement “suggests the Fed is making an enduring commitment to keep rates that low through the end of this year and possibly into next year,” Gumbinger said. “But it’s not as if tomorrow the average rate will go down to 4 percent with no points.”

March 18, 2009 — “Mortgage rates expected to slide with Fed’s new moves,” an LA Times article quoting HSH by Tom Petruno:

Keith Gumbinger, vice president at mortgage research firm HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J., noted that although mortgage rates have historically shadowed moves in 10-year T-note yields, that relationship has become “fractured” in recent months. Mortgage rates have declined year-to-date even though Treasury yields have rebounded from record lows in December.

Even so, he is encouraged by the Fed’s commitment to extend mortgage-bond purchases, Gumbinger said. He figures mortgage rates could be down about a quarter of a percentage point in the next few weeks thanks to the Fed’s announcement.

March 18, 2009 — “Mortgage rates likely to sink on Federal Reserve’s actions,” an Associated Press article quoting HSH by Alan Zibel:

The national average rate on 30-year, fixed mortgages was 5.15 percent on Wednesday, according to financial publisher HSH Associates, up slightly from a day earlier. Heralding a drop in mortgage rates, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell Wednesday to 2.51 percent from late Tuesday’s 3.01 percent.

March 18, 2009 — “UPDATE1 -US 30-year mortgages slide toward record lows,” a Reuters article quoting HSH by Lynn Adler:

The Fed’s actions state “we will not walk away from supporting this marketplace,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a mortgage information publisher in Pompton Plains, New Jersey.

“This means that there is going to be a buyer for mortgages at these levels for the foreseeable future,” Gumbinger said. “That serves to enforce to the consumer that not only are interest rates low, but they are going to remain low and be stable” through the year.

March 18, 2009 — “Have mortgage rates hit bottom?” a Market Watch article quoting HSH, also appearing in CNNMoney, by Laura Mandaro:

“It has stabilized interest rates, which had been very erratic, and kept interest rates for conforming loans quite comfortable,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president at HSH.com, which surveys financial companies on mortgage and other lending rates.

February 27, 2009 — “Rates Are Low, But What about Mortgage Fees,” a Market Watch article quoting HSH appearing on RISMEdia.com by Amy Hoak:

In total, mortgage fees could cost you 3% or so of the loan amount, according to HSH Associates, a mortgage-information publisher.

February 26, 2009 — “Are you saving enough?” a CNNMoney.com article quoting HSH by Gerri Willis:

You can find rates of interest on these products at bankrate.com or hsh.com. By setting aside three to six months worth of savings, you’ll set yourself up to weather most any storm.

February 26, 2009 — “New Home Buyer Tax Credit: 7 Things You Need to Know,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

4. No payback: The good news for prospective homebuyers is that unlike a previously-enacted $7,500 tax credit, this one doesn’t have to be repaid. That makes the credit much more attractive from a would-be buyer’s prospective, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates. “[It's a] more traditional sort of incentive,” he says.

February 25, 2009 — “Local Real Estate Market Insulated From National Trends,” an Oswego County Business Magazine article quoting HSH by Lou Sorendo:

According to HSH Associates Financial Publishers, national average mortgage rates stand at 5.81 percent for a 30-year plan and 5.33 percent for a 15-year mortgage.

February 24, 2009 — “Jumbo Mortgages, Jumbo Headaches,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Nick Timiraos:

Like most jumbo lenders, ING offers mainly “hybrid” adjustable-rate mortgages that carry a fixed-rate for five or seven years and then reset annually to an adjustable rate. ING is offering initial rates as low as 5.5% for a seven-year adjustable-rate jumbo mortgage. Last week, the average for a 30-year conforming mortgage was 5.22%, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher.

February 22, 2009 — “How to stay afloat if your mortgage is worth more than your house,” a Chicago Tribune article quoting HSH by Carolyn Bigda:

A lofty goal, such as 20 percent equity, could be tough. Keith Gumbinger, vice president at HSH Associates, which tracks mortgage data, said: “Because of ailing home values, you may have to commit more money on top of what you originally signed up for.”

February 20, 2009 — “Jumbo Loan Defaults Rise at Fast Pace as Rich Suffer,” a Bloomberg article quoting HSH by Bob Ivry, also appearing in the Wall Street Journal Italia, the Toledo Blade, El Nuevo Herald, Costa Rica’s La Republica, Germany’s Welt Online:

“The biggest influence in rising delinquencies is related squarely to the economy rather than poor underwriting,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains, New Jersey-based mortgage research firm. “We are apparently all suffering to some degree. It’s certainly more severe for some but still, it’s pretty much widespread.”

February 18, 2009 — “How the Obama mortgage plan affects borrowers,” a MarketWatch.com article quoting HSH by Amy Hoak, also appearing in the Wall Street Journal:

“Details are woefully thin in this,” said Keith T. Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage and consumer loan information.

“There could be and probably will be a reasonable opportunity, particularly for borrowers who are mildly underwater,” Gumbinger said. Those with less than 10% equity built up in their homes might also benefit; single-digit equity positions can make it tougher for a homeowner to refinance, he said.

February 18, 2009 — “Obama’s Housing Plan: What’s in It for You,” a Smart Money article quoting HSH by Aleksandra Todorova:

The government’s calculations are missing the mark, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a mortgage-information research firm. The household in the example above owes less than their home is worth. “They could have gotten a loan anywhere on the private market,” Gumbinger says.

February 17, 2009 — “Bail Yourself Out,” a Newsweek article quoting HSH by Linda Stern:

Folks with less-than-stellar credit scores may soon get more help from the Obama administration’s new plan to subsidize troubled mortgages, but they shouldn’t just wait for it, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a mortgage research firm.

February 16, 2009 — “Auctions Making Increased Bid in Home Sales,” an Open House Column quoting HSH by Jim Woodard:

Positive signs are emerging in the home selling market. Here’s an encouraging report from the research and publishing firm of HSH Associates Financial: “After existing home sales bounced up by 6.5 percent in December, the National Association of Realtors reported that their pending home sales index also bumped up by 6.3 points during that month. That means that January’s and February’s existing home sales figures are likely to also sport a rise when they are released.”

February 15, 2009 — “Looking for a new loan or to refinance? Follow these 4 steps,” a Chicago Tribune article quoting HSH by Mary Umberger, also appearing in the Seattle Times:

“I know it’s heresy, but you’re going to have to prove you are the borrower you say you are,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a mortgage-industry publisher in Pompton Plains, N.J.

February 14, 2009 — “Jumbo loan limits eased in stimulus,” a Boston Globe article quoting HSH by Jenifer B. McKim:

Qualifying borrowers could get rates as much as 1 percentage point below prevailing jumbo mortgage rates. Last week the average rate for a 30-year fixed expanded conforming loan was 5.74 percent, while a jumbo loan was averaging about 6.83 percent, according to data-tracker HSH Associates.

February 11, 2009 — “4 Ways to Land a Refinancing Deal,” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH by Kate Klonick:

“The industry is woefully unprepared for the cascade of new business that’s coming in right now,” says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, the nation’s largest publisher of mortgage information.

February 10, 2009 — “Large mortgages still carry higher rates,” a San Francisco Chronicle article quoting HSH by Carolyn Said:

“If you can only have 10 percent (jumbo conforming loans in a pool), that’s not a true apples-to-apples comparison” with conforming loans, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of New Jersey’s HSH Associates, which reports on mortgage data.

Moreover, he said, “This is not a high-volume product. When you have a product that’s not producing high volumes, the interest rates have a tendency to be higher.”

February 8, 2009 — “US plan to curb mortgage rates falters,” a Financial Times article quoting HSH by Michael Mackenzie and Nicole Bullock:

Since January 13 the rate on standard long-term mortgages charged by lenders to prospective home owners has jumped from 5.04 per cent to reach 5.51 per cent on Friday, according to mortgage market analysts HSH Associates. The jump represents an almost 10 per cent rise in borrowing costs.

February 6, 2009 — “Buying and Selling in Tough Times,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

That means most would-be home buyers will need a FICO score of roughly 720, a down payment of at least 3.5 percent, and documented income verification to get the best mortgage rates, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates. “Mortgage money is available,” Gumbinger says. “However, you are going to have to align yourself more closely with the new, more prudent lending standards.”

February 6, 2009 — “Time to Buy Stocks or a House,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Katy Marquardt:

Unfortunately, the best deals are far from city centers, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates.

February 6, 2009 — “8 Simple Steps to a Higher Credit Score,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

In addition to documenting income and coming up with a down payment of at least 3.5 percent, today’s borrower will need a minimum FICO score of 720 to obtain the cheapest rates, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates.

February 5, 2009 — “Mortgage rates rise, defying Fed’s efforts to slash them,” an LA Times article quoting HSH by Tom Petruno:

Another issue putting upward pressure on mortgage rates: Some lenders have been so swamped with refi applications that they’ve raised rates to avoid facing a bigger backlog, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president at mortgage research firm HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J. “They’re trying to get business to ease off,” he said.

February 4, 2009 — “The new rules of mortgage lending,” a CNNMoney.com article quoting HSH by Les Christie:

The traditional thinking was, “If you have the capital to commit, why not?” said Keith Gumbinger of mortgage research firm HSH Associates. “It will give you a smaller balance to pay off. But now, in light of declining home markets, not everyone would agree with that.”

February 4, 2009 –”Housing Index Rises 6.3% But Recovery Still Elusive,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH:

The average rate for a conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to as low as 5.06% in December, a full percentage point from late November, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher.

February 1, 2009 — “Falling mortgage rates deserve a second look,” a Cherry Hill Courier Post article quoting HSH by Eileen Smith:

That’s the lowest rate since 1961, according to Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, a research firm in Pompton Plains.

January 31, 2009 — “Is It in Your Best Interest?” A Washington Post article quoting HSH by Dina ElBoghdady, also appearing in The News Tribune, and the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette:

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all type of thing. It’s barely a one-size-fits-most,” said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at mortgage research firm HSH Associates. “You have to have a goal in mind.”

January 29, 2009 — “Lending Is Changing; Getting A Mortgage May Take Bank Visit,” an Investor’s Business Daily article quoting HSH by Kathleen Doler:

“Wholesalers have been pulling back . . . first by product and then out of the whole segment,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information in Pompton Plains, N.J.

January 29, 2009 — “Home loans are out there,” a Lake Sun Leader article quoting HSH by Jennifer Hollis:

Home mortgage rates have been dropping across the nation. Currently, the National Average for 30-year fixed rate mortgages hovers around 5.85 percent, according to the financial publishing firm, HSH Associates.

January 28, 2009 — “Banks and Investors Face ‘Jumbo’ Threat,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH, also appearing on Calculated Risk:

Rates on 30-year fixed jumbo mortgages stood at 6.87% last week, compared to 5.34% for conforming mortgages, a difference of 1.53 percentage points,according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher.

January 27, 2009 — “Wells Fargo Says Mortgage Demand Slows Fall in Rates,” a Bloomberg article quoting HSH by Jody Shenn:

Profit margins for home lenders appear to be soaring, according to Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at mortgage- research firm HSH Associates Inc.

January 23, 2009 — “Costs and Tighter Rules Thwart Refinancings,” a New York Times article quoting HSH by Tara Siegel Bernard; also appearing in the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

Loans for more than $625,500 are priced about 1.7 percentage points above loans for less than $417,000, said Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a financial publisher. And the rates for loans that fall in between, or $417,000 to $625,500, are nearly a third of a percentage point more than for conforming loans.

January 23, 2009 — “Builder’s Low Loan Rate May Fall Flat,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH:

Toll, a builder of luxury homes, on Wednesday began offering some buyers of new homes a 3.99% 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. That is more than a percentage point less than the average rate on such mortgages, currently 5.27%, according to HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J.

January 23, 2009 — “Run the Refinancing Numbers, Then Run Them Again,” a New York Times article by Tara Siegel Bernard; also appearing in the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

“Delays are going to happen in this kind of environment,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a financial publisher. “The time to ask what happens to my rate when my rate lock expires is not at Day 30.”

January 23, 2009 — “Low Mortgage Rates: 7 Things You Need to Know to Refinance,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

Keep in mind that anyone trying to refinance a so-called “jumbo loan”–one that’s too large for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase–will face sharply higher rates, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates.

“The fees that you should be paying need to be low enough so that you can recoup your money through the break in the interest rate in a reasonable period of time–usually under four years,” Gumbinger says.

January 20, 2009 — “The lowdown on getting a low down payment loan,” a CNN Money article quoting HSH by Les Christie:

Lenders do look at buyers’ credit histories, but the interest rates that FHA borrowers pay aren’t actually based on their credit scores, as they are for most home buyers, according to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage loan information. Instead, FHA borrowers get the same interest rate that any conforming borrower with a good credit score would receive.

January 19, 2009 — “KOVALESKI: Why Re-fi? Loan rates hit 37-year low,” an article quoting HSH from theDESTINlog.com:

Federal Reserve actions are putting downward pressures on rates, according to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information that releases its own market survey.

January 18, 2009 — “Great credit required to qualify for best mortgage rates,” a Chicago Tribune article quoting HSH by Carolyn Bigda:

Recently, the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 5.1 percent, a level not seen since the early 1960s, according to HSH Associates, which tracks the industry. Just a few months ago, 6.5 percent was the average rate.

“The borrowers who do are going to be some lucky souls,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president at HSH. “But you’re going to need to be a good-credit-quality candidate.”

January 16, 2009 — “Not everyone can refinance to cut mortgage payments,” a USA Today article quoting HSH by Sandra Block, also appearing in the Tucson Citizen:

Ideally, you should have at least 20% equity, based on your home’s current appraised value, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage and consumer loan information. Most lenders will require an appraisal before refinancing your loan, and if the value of your home has dropped, you may be unable to refinance, or decide it’s not worth the trouble.

Homeowners with less than 20% equity may still be able to refinance, Gumbinger says, but they’ll probably need to buy private mortgage insurance. Private mortgage insurance, which protects lenders against default, is no longer available in some markets where home prices have plummeted because insurers no longer want to take the risk, Gumbinger says. And even if you can get mortgage insurance, the monthly premiums will reduce the savings from refinancing.

January 16, 2009 — “Mortgage Rates Drop Below 5 Percent — 4 Things to Know,” a U.S. News and World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

Thirty-year fixed mortgage rates will “wax and wane” in the 5½-to-6 percent range before closing out the year somewhere between 6 and 6¼ percent, Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, told me recently. “That’s still very attractive,” he said. “There is no reason to think that rates are going to go up so substantially so as to erode the marketplace.”

January 15, 2009 — “Mortgage Rates Fall to Record Lows,” a Business Week article quoting HSH by Prashant Gopal and Christopher Palmeri:

Keith Gumbinger, a vice-president at research firm HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J., said it makes sense to refinance now—if you can qualify.

“We’re near 50-year-low interest rates,” said Gumbinger, who estimates that rates haven’t been this low since 1961. “How much lower do you think they can get?”

January 14, 2009 — “Metro best sellers: foreclosures,” a Minneapolis Star Tribune article quoting HSH by Jim Buchta:

On the positive side, the market got a boost in recent months as mortgage interest rates dipped to generational lows. Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J., said continuing government intervention and a flight to the safety of Treasury bonds should keep 30-year fixed-rate mortgages in the 4.5 to 5 percent interest range on through much of the coming year.

January 14, 2009 — “Web sites offer financial help,” a WWAYtv3.com (abc) [North Carolina] article quoting HSH:

Two websites, hsh.com and dinkytown.net both have free financial calculators you can use to keep an eye on mortgage payments, or help you figure out how to get out of debt.

Other sites like hsh.com can calculate mortgages too, but it’s more geared toward financial advice.

January 14, 2009 — “Real estate forum: “I did not expect all of the extra expenses,” a Daily Summit News [Colorado] article quoting HSH by Allison Simson:

Question: Allison, We want to start previewing properties on the Internet. What are the most comprehensive databases of available properties?

Answer: The online sites of local newspapers are a good source of information, as are well-informed real estate practitioners. Once a community has been targeted, homebuyers can then tap into the Internet to explore financing options. “http://www.eloan.com” Eloan.com and “http://www.hsh.com” HSH.com are two sites serving this purpose.

January 10, 2009 — “Unanticipated relief for anxious homeowners,” a Boston Globe article quoting HSH by Jenifer B. McKim:

Both are now at remarkably low levels. The one-year Treasury, for example, was at 0.37 percent last week, an all-time low, while the six-month LIBOR was at 1.772 percent, its lowest since 2004, according to HSH Associates, a New Jersey-based mortgage loan tracker.

January 9, 2009 — “Lenders Backlogged by Refinance Rush,” a Washington Post article quoting HSH by Dina Elboghdady, also appearing in the Chicago Tribune:

The short answer: Not all lenders are trying to lure customers, said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at research firm HSH Associates.

“You don’t want to turn borrowers away,” Gumbinger said. “But if you do, that’s okay because you’re ostensibly having trouble serving the customers you already have.”

January 9, 2009 — “Rockland home prices plunge 10%,” a Lower Hudson Journal article quoting HSH by Jerry Gleeson:

Conventional mortgage rates have fallen below 5 percent in the region. Mahopac National Bank offered a 15-year mortgage at a rate of 4.375 percent, with 20 percent down, according to a survey by HSH Associates. Provident Bank in Montebello offered a 4.75 percent rate on a 30-year mortgage with 5 percent down, the survey said.

January 8, 2009 — “N.J. banks drop 30-year mortgages below 5%,” a NorthJersey.com article quoting HSH by Richard Newman:

Lenders are able to lower their rates because the Federal Reserve this week started buying $500 billion of mortgage securities backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae, as part of an economic recovery effort, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates in Pompton Plains.

January 7, 2009 — “Refinance Rush,” a Baltimore Sun article quoting HSH by Lorraine Mirabella, also appearing in the Mail Tribune (Oregon):

“You have to have some sense of what you’re trying to accomplish,” said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates. “For many borrowers, that is to save money, but for many borrowers refinancing turns out to be a money-loser because they don’t stay in the house long enough to get your money back from the transaction.”

January 7, 2009 — “Falling loan rates not falling enough?“, a Democrat and Chronicle article quoting HSH:

The national average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 5.65 percent on Tuesday, according to HSH Associates, a financial information publisher in New Jersey. Some experts said rates ought to be significantly lower.

January 6, 2009 — “Mortgage rates are low, but loans difficult to get,” a San Jose Mercury News article quoting HSH by Pete Carey:

“The credit is available, it’s just not as favorable,” said Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a New Jersey firm that tracks loan rates. A person with a 620 credit score putting less than 20 percent down “could be looking at 6.5 percent or more,” he said.

January 5, 2009 — “Jumbo mortgage loan rates put damper on refinancing,” a Boston Globe article quoting HSH by Jenifer B. McKim:

There is a new, third category of mortgages between jumbo and conventional loans, created last year by Congress, called conforming jumbos, which now average about 5.6 percent, according to a provider of industry data, HSH Associates.

December 31, 2008 — “Mortgage rates hit fresh 37-year low,” a CNNMoney article quoting HSH by Les Christie:

Action from the Federal Reserve is also putting downward pressure on rates, according to Keith Gumbinger, of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information that releases its own market survey.

“Just the fact that they said they’d do that put downward pressure on rates,” said Gumbinger.

December 31, 2008 — “Jean Chatzky — Small firms, homeowners ask questions,” a Daily Journal article quoting HSH by Arielle McGowen:

Mortgage rates, thanks to the Fed’s lowering of interest rates by 3/4 of a point, plus the news that the Treasury will buy mortgages, will very likely continue to fall, but they may already be at a level attractive enough to do this deal. (A 30-year fixed rate mortgage is at 5.28 percent on average, according to mortgage rate publisher HSH.com.)

December 31, 2008 — “Top 5 home-buying blunders for 2009,” a U.S. News & World Report article also appearing on MSN Money:

After all, home prices in your market could be moving in the direction opposite to the rest of the country. “Individual markets are not the national market,” says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates. “(The real estate market) is tremendously individualized.”

December 30, 2008 — “Mortgages: What You Need to Know in 2009,” a BusinessWeek article quoting HSH by Peter Coy, also appearing in the Economic Times, India:

You have to go back to around 1961 to find a time when 30-year mortgages had rates this low, according to Keith Gumbinger, a vice-president at financial publisher HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J.

The securitization of adjustable-rate loans has mostly dried up, so banks don’t want to originate ARMs, therefore they don’t offer attractive rates on them, says HSH’s Gumbinger.

December 28, 2008 — “Should I Refinance at 4.75?,” a Q&A with Washington Post editor Maryann Haggerty and writer Elizabeth Razzi:

One-year Treasury rates are only 0.45 percent, the 11th District Cost of Funds (COFI) index is just 3.125 percent, and the 12-month LIBOR is just over 2 percent, according to HSH Associates. Check your loan documents to see which index is used for your loan and what extra amount, or margin, will be added to that index to determine your new rate.

December, 24, 2008 — “Jumbo Mortgage Shoppers Get Little Relief From Rates,” a Bloomberg article quoting HSH by Kathleen M. Howley:

If low conventional rates entice enough homeowners to refinance, jumbo home loans may become more affordable as loan payoffs add liquidity to the banking system, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of mortgage-research firm HSH Associates Inc. in Pompton Plains, New Jersey.

“A guy in a low-cost market like Des Moines probably doesn’t care much about helping someone in New York buy a million-dollar apartment, but if he refinances his conventional loan, that’s exactly what he’ll be doing,” Gumbinger said. “He’ll be giving lenders the liquidity they need to rebalance their loan portfolios and compete for jumbo borrowers who typically are the best in terms of credit quality.”

December 23, 2008 — “Can jumbos join the party?”, an Associated Press article quoting HSH, appearing in the Seattle Times:

But lately there has been reason to hope for those looking to originate or refinance a hefty home loan. The average rate has been edging lower, falling below 7 percent from nearly 8 in October. Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, says the recent rush to refinance traditional mortgages is creating more liquidity in the overall market.

December 22, 2008 — “Mortgage activity surges at US banks,” a Financial Times article quoting HSH by Saskia Scholtes:

“The mortgage industry is collectively unprepared to deal with a cascade of business; staffs were pared to the bone as the market for mortgages shrank over the past year,” analysts at HSH Associates wrote in a note to clients.

December 22, 2008 — “Mortgage Applications Surge on Falling Rates,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Dan Fitzpatrick:

The moves drove mortgage rates down by roughly three quarters of a percentage point. After this past Tuesday’s move by the Fed to cut its benchmark rate to near zero, mortgage rates briefly fell to their lowest level since the 1960s, according to HSH Associates.

December 20, 2008 — “Low interest rates drive a new round of mortgage refinancing,” a Los Angeles Times article quoting HSH by E. Scott Reckard:

The trade group said the volume of home-loan applications was 37% above year-earlier levels for the week ending Dec. 12. During that week, the average rate for 30-year fixed-rate loans fell to 5.18% from 5.44%, and it was lower still this week, according to HSH Associates.

December 19, 2008 — “Rates hit new low: Time to refinance,” a Minneapolis Star Tribune article quoting HSH by Jim Buchta:

“This is nearly a historical and probably unprecedented opportunity,” said Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a financial publisher in New Jersey.

December 19, 2008 — “The rush to refinance,” a San Francisco Chronicle article quoting HSH by Carolyn Said:

“Interest rates are approaching 50-year lows,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president at HSH Associates in New Jersey. HSH, which conducts daily national surveys of interest rates, found that rates for a 30-year fixed-rate conforming (under $417,000) loan averaged 5.06 percent on Wednesday, down from 6.69 percent a month ago.

The HSH blog this week featured the headline: “Is your mortgage lender Santa?”

December 19, 2008 — “30-Year Mortgage Rate Sink to Lowest on Record,” a Washington Post article quoting HSH’s mortgage rates by Dina ElBoghady:

For instance, HSH Associates reported yesterday’s average at 5.18 percent, up from the previous day when the average was 5.06 percent.

Keith Gumbinger of HSH predicts that rates will hover around this range for the foreseeable future because of the unprecedented level of support that the mortgage market is receiving from the Federal Reserve, which pledged last month to buy a chunk of mortgage-backed securities.

December 19, 2008 — “The median sales price and number of homes sold continues to slide from last year,” an article quoting HSH from The Republican by Jim Kinney:

Nationally, the average rate on 30-year, fixed mortgages was 5.06 percent, according to financial publisher HSH Associates, the lowest since the 1960s and down from 5.3 percent Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.

December 19, 2008 — “Mortgage rates, home prices both fall in Sacramento region,” a Sacramento Bee article quoting HSH by Dale Kasler:

On Tuesday, the Federal Reserve promised it would pour billions more into the mortgage market in an effort to bring rates down. The effect was immediate, and electric: Freddie Mac said 30-year fixed rate mortgages fell to an average of 5.19 percent this week, the lowest since its survey began in 1971. Market researcher HSH Associates said the average was down to 5.06 percent.

December 18, 2008 — “Mortgage Rates Hit 37-Year Low: How to Capitalize,” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH by Kelli B. Grant:

Should the plan materialize, rates would be among the lowest seen in 50 years, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, which tracks rates on mortgages and consumer loans. But it’s far too early to count on such a move. “It’s all rumor at this point,” he says. “They’re ‘discussing the potential.’ There’s no plan, no details.”

December 18, 2008 — “The Home Front,” a U.S. News & World Report blog post quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

A daily survey found that the national average rate fell even lower Wednesday. Rates on 30-year, fixed mortgages was 5.06 percent, according to financial publisher HSH Associates, the lowest since the 1960s and down from 5.3 percent Tuesday.

December 18, 2008 –”Meltdown 101: Is it time to refinance a mortgage?”, an Associated Press article quoting HSH by Alan Zibel:

While a refinancing boom is great news for the beleaguered mortgage business, “the industry as a whole is not quite prepared,” said Keith Gumbinger, a senior vice president with HSH Associates.

December 18, 2008 — “Cheap money: The Fed rate cut and you,” a CNNMoney.com article quoting HSH by Jessica Dickler:

“To obtain today’s low interest rates, you need to have a down payment – or equity position in your home in the case of a refi – of at least 10% and fully document your income and your assets,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of mortgage-rate tracking firm HSH Associates. “If you don’t have good credit, you’re going to have trouble getting financing.”

“It used to be, you had to prove you were alive to get a mortgage,” he added.

December 18, 2008 — “Low mortgage rates here today, gone tomorrow,” a Chicago Tribune article quoting HSH’s mortgage rates by Mary Ellen Podmolik:

The average rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 5.06 percent Wednesday, down from an average rate of 5.3 percent Tuesday, according to mortgage information provider HSH Associates.

December 17, 2008 — “Got Equity?”, a National Public Radio blog post quoting HSH by Barrie Hardymon:

With mortgage rates nearing their lowest levels in a generation, homeowners hoping to refinance should already be working the numbers to see whether a new loan will work for them, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of mortgage research firm HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J. The average rate on 30-year conforming mortgages tracked by HSH was 5.30% today, down from 5.57% a week ago. Some mortgage brokers are quoting rates below 5%.

December 17, 2008 –”Stocks end lower as investors assess Fed rate cut,” an Associated Press article quoting HSH by Sara Lepro:

The Fed’s action on Tuesday is expected to lower rates on everything from home equity loans to credit card loans. Meanwhile, mortgage rates are falling after the Fed renewed its pledge to buy up billions of dollars of mortgage debt. The national average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage on Wednesday was 5.06 percent, according to financial publisher HSH Associates, the lowest average since the early 1960s and down from 5.3 percent on Tuesday.

December 17, 2008 — “A refinancing rush as interest rates come down,” an Associated Press article quoting HSH by Alan Zibel:

The national average rate on 30-year, fixed mortgages was 5.06 percent on Wednesday, according to financial publisher HSH Associates — the lowest since the 1960s and down from 5.3 percent Tuesday.

December 17, 2008 — “Home loans cheapen after Fed steps in,” a Reuters article quoting HSH by Lynn Adler:

After ending unchanged on Tuesday after the Fed action, the average 30-year mortgage fell to 5.05 percent on Wednesday afternoon from 5.30 percent, according to HSH Associates.

“The Fed did announce some important and expanding supports for other markets and mortgage markets especially,” said HSH vice president Keith Gumbinger, in Pompton Plans, New Jersey.

December 17, 2008 –”US average 30-year mortgage drops 1/4pt-HSH,” a Reuters article quoting HSH’s mortgage rates by Lynn Adler:

The average rate on U.S. 30-year fixed mortgages had fallen a quarter percentage point on Wednesday to 5.05 percent, a day after the Federal Reserve said it would expand its massive buying of mortgage bonds if needed to ease housing costs, HSH Associates said.

If mortgage rates end the week at an average of 5-1/8 percent, as expected, it would be the lowest level in at least 46 years, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH, a mortgage information provider in Pompton Plains, New Jersey.

December 17, 2008 –”Fed Cuts Rates Near Zero to Battle Slump,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Jon Hilsenrath:

So far, the Fed has only committed $8 billion to those purchases. Officials were relieved that mortgage rates have fallen since announcing the program last month. Rates on a conforming 30-year mortgages have dropped to 5.28% from 6.64% since the Fed’s last meeting, according to HSH Associates, a financial publishing firm.

December 17, 2008 — “Navellier points out why Bears got it wrong,” a Motley Fool blog post quoting HSH:

Thus far, the Fed has only bought $8 billion worth of this debt, and 30- year mortgage rates fell from 6.64% to 5.28% in the process, according to HSH Associates (published in The Wall Street Journal).

December 17, 2008 –”US home loan rate flat after Fed cut, headed down,” a Reuters article quoting HSH:

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 5.30 percent late Tuesday after the Fed sliced short-term lending rates to near zero, according to HSH Associates, a mortgage information provider. The night before, the rate was 5.28 percent.

December 17, 2008 –”Most consumers unlikely to see any big savings,” a Baltimore Sun article quoting HSH by Eileen Ambrose:

The rate cut is designed to make lending profitable and attractive to banks so they are willing to lend money to individuals and business owners, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a provider of mortgage information.

“Banks don’t have a willingness to lend,” Gumbinger said. But “if you’re a bank and can get money on an overnight basis at no cost, you can go and lend it to somebody at some amount of markup.”

December 17, 2008 –”Fed cuts key rate to spur lending,” an Asbury Park Press article quoting HSH by Michael L. Diamond:

“The price of money is not as important in this market as the availability of money,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains company that tracks mortgage rates.

December 16, 2008 –”Fed’s Latest Cut: Here’s What’s Next,” a SmartMoney.com article quoting HSH’s mortgage rates by AnnaMaria Andriotis:

As of Monday, new fixed-rate mortgages carry an average interest rate of 5.28%, down from 6.2% a year ago, according to HSH Associates.

Typically, a rate cut would help lower rates on these mortgages even further, but since rates are already so low, it’s doubtful that will happen this time, says Gumbinger.

December 16, 2008 –”Fed cuts key interest rate to historic low,” a San Jose Mercury News article quoting HSH by Sue McAllister:

But rates are likely to stay low for some time, said Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a financial publishing company based in New Jersey. His company’s statistics showed the daily national average for 30-year loans to be about 5.3 percent Tuesday.

December 16, 2008 –”Time to think about a mortgage refi — if you’ve got equity,” a Los Angeles Times blog post quoting HSH by Tom Petruno:

With mortgage rates nearing their lowest levels in a generation, homeowners hoping to refinance should already be working the numbers to see whether a new loan will work for them, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of mortgage research firm HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J.

“Borrowers who are at 6% or above should at least be considering” refinancing, Gumbinger said.

December 16, 2008 –”6 Things to Know About the Fed Rate Cut,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

1. Fixed mortgage rates: Today’s rate cut will have little if any impact on 30-year fixed mortgage rates, which are determined by factors that operate largely outside of the Federal Open Market Committee’s reach, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates. “Any change in the rate has little to do with long-term mortgage rates,” he says. But in its statement the Fed said it could expand a recently announced program to buy up debt and mortgage-backed securities from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that has already driven mortgage rates down to a very attractive 5.28 percent, according to HSH Associates. It also reiterated that it was looking at the possibility of buying long-term Treasury bonds. Both of these announcements could work to bring rates even lower.

December 15, 2008 –”Lower rates causing jump in new loan and refi customers,” a Santa Cruz Sentinel article quoting HSH by Jennifer Pittman:

Conforming mortgage rates have been the primary benefactor of the Federal Reserve’s industry bailout plan announced Nov. 24, according to HSH Market Associates, a national mortgage and consumer loan data company in New Jersey. The Federal Reserve committed to buying up to $600 billion of debt issued or backed by four major lenders: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae and Federal Home Loan.

December 13, 2008 — “A Buyer’s Market at Last,” a Newsweek article from their December 22nd issue by Linda Stern:

Current rates are grazing their 45-year lows as it is, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a mortgage-research firm. And they are as likely to head back up as they are to fall further.

December 12, 2008 –”Need Cash? Where to Find it Fast,” a Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, December 2008 article quoting HSH by Mary Beth Franklin and Stacy Rapacon:

Of course, the best time to apply for a home-equity line of credit is before you need it so you can hold it in reserve. And many homeowners with existing home-equity lines of credit have seen them reduced or frozen, reflecting declining home values, says Keith Gumbinger, vice-president of HSH Associates, which analyzes consumer-lending trends.

December 12, 2008 –”30-Year Mortgage Rates Hits Its Lowest level in 4 Years,” a Washington Post article quoting HSH by Dina ElBoghdady:

The mortgage research firm HSH Associates said yesterday’s average rate was 5.33 percent. The trade publication Inside Mortgage Finance said it was 5.09 percent based on its polling of lenders.

December 12, 2008 — “After Bleak Export and Labor News, Stocks Fall More Than 2%,” a New York Times article by Michael M. Grynbaum:

Rates on conventional 30-year home loans fell to 5.33 percent on Thursday, from 5.49 percent on Wednesday and 5.76 percent two weeks ago, according to HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage data.

December 12, 2008 — “Mortgage Rate Hits a 4-Year Low at 5.47%,” a Wall Street Journal article by Amy Hoak and Ruth Simon:

Mortgage rates dropped again on Thursday, with rates on 30-year fixed-rate conforming mortgages averaging 5.33%, according to HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J. The highest-quality borrowers can do even better.

December 11, 2008 –”Should You Refinance Your Mortgage Now?” a BusinessWeek article featuring HSH Vice President Keith Gumbinger by Lauren Young:

Applications for mortgage refinancing tripled in early December on news that the U.S. Federal Reserve will buy up to $600 billion of mortgage debt. BusinessWeek (MHP) personal finance editor Lauren Young spoke with mortgage guru Keith Gumbinger, of HSH Associates, a financial publisher, about the refinancing climate.

December 11, 2008 –”Mortgage Rates in Free-Fall: 4 Things You Need to Know,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

3. Where will rates finish the year? Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates recently told me he expects 30-year fixed mortgage rates to open the New Year at around 5½ percent and drift upwards to end 2009 somewhere between 6 and 6¼ percent. If correct, that means 2009 will be a year of very attractive mortgage rates.

December 11, 2008 — “Mortgage rates hit 41/2 year low,” a CNN Money article quoting HSH by Larissa Padden:

“What we’re seeing is a slight continued decline influenced by the Federal Reserve’s announcement to buy half a trillion in mortgage backed securities,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates. “And this continued minor downdraft is also due to the poor economic climate.”

December 11, 2008 –”Mortgage Rates in 2009: 7 Things You Need to Know,” a U.S. News and World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

Rates have already become increasingly attractive. The average national rate for 30-year fixed mortgages fell to 5.57 percent in the week of December 5, from 6.61 percent just seven weeks earlier, according to HSH Associates.

1. 2009 Rate Outlook: Thirty-year fixed mortgage rates should begin 2009 at around 5½ percent, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates. From there, they will “wax and wane” in the 5½-to-6 percent range, before closing out the year somewhere between 6 and 6¼ percent. “That’s still very attractive,” he says. “There is no reason to think that rates are going to go up so substantially so as to erode the marketplace.” (However, should the economic outlook improve more quickly than expected, mortgage rates could trend higher, Gumbinger says. In addition, new government programs unveiled next year could alter the projection.)

December 11, 2008 –”Can You Get a Loan?,” from Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, January 2009:

You may get a better reception at the local branch of your own bank or at a smaller community bank or credit union. If you don’t like the rate offered or you get turned down, keep shopping, says Keith Gumbinger, of HSH Associates, which publishes financial information and rates. “Price and access to money are widely variable. Just because a lender on one side of town says no doesn’t mean it’s no.”

December 10, 2008 –”Regulator: mortgage rates could drop to 4 percent,” an Associated Press article quoting HSH by Daniel Wagner:

On Wednesday, the national average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 5.49 percent, down slightly from 5.54 percent on Tuesday, according to financial publisher HSH Associates. Rates, which plunged immediately after the Fed’s move on Nov. 25, have been hovering around 5.5 percent since then.

December 9, 2008 — “Jumbo loan limits,” a Washington Times article quoting HSH by David M. Dickson:

“It’s very difficult to close a loan in 30 days,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a financial publisher. “Unless you are absolutely ready to go when filling out the application, the window is already closed.”

December 7, 2008 –”Lower rates spark wave of refinancing,” an article quoting HSH appearing in The Tennessean by Naomi Snyder:

Mortgage rates have been extremely volatile this year. But average rates for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage have remained below 6 percent through last week, landing Friday at an average of 5.57 percent fixed for 30 years with a fee of a quarter of a point, according to financial news publisher HSH Associates in New Jersey. The average 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage stood at 5.44 percent.

December 7, 2008 –”There’s a thaw on mortgages, and you should enjoy it,” a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article quoting HSH by David Nicklaus:

Keith Gumbinger, a vice president of HSH Associates, says investors had been treating all mortgage-backed securities as toxic, even those that were backed by government guarantees. “We had a buyer’s strike for all things mortgage for a year and a half,” he said.

December 6, 2008 –”Refinancing Your Mortgage,” a Business Week article quoting HSH by Lauren Young:

Applications for mortgage refinancing tripled in early December on news that the Federal Reserve will buy up to $600 billion of mortgage debt. BusinessWeek’s personal finance editor Lauren Young spoke to mortgage guru Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a financial publisher, about the current refinancing climate.

December 5, 2008 –”Rate drops are of little help to many in California,” a Los Angeles Times article by E. Scott Reckard and Maura Reynolds:

Financial publisher HSH Associates of Pompton Plains, N.J., said the average rate offered by U.S. lenders on a 30-year fixed-rate loan had topped 6% since May for the best borrowers — people with good-to-excellent credit, fully documenting their earnings and assets, and buying single-family homes that they intended to live in.

But HSH said that changed after the Fed announcement last week, with rates dropping to an average of 5.54% on Thursday, the company’s data show.

December 5, 2008 –”Could News of Lower Rates Ice Home Sales,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Nick Timiraos:

Builders are pushing their own proposal to lower rates to 3% next year, but some say that 4.5% is too generous. Interest rates, at 5.5%, are near a nearly 50-year low of 5.375% set in June 2003. “Does the good-credit quality-home-buying market need more incentive than nearly 50 year low interest rates?” says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a financial publisher.

December 5, 2008 –”Fed Weighs Its Options as Europe Cuts Rates,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Joellen Perry and Jon Hilsenrath:

The difference in yields on Treasury debt and mortgage bonds guaranteed by Fannie has narrowed roughly 0.7 percentage points. Mortgage rates have come down along the way. The rate on a 30-year loan that conforms to Fannie and Freddie standards was 5.54% Thursday, compared with 6.75% in mid-October, according to HSH Associates, a firm that tracks rates.

December 4, 2008 –”Mortgage rates continue to fall,” a CNNMoney.com article quoting HSH’s rates by Ben Rooney:

The 30-year rate averaged 5.5% on Monday. It increased to 5.54% on Tuesday and to 5.75% on Wednesday, according to data from HSH Associates, the nation’s largest publisher of mortgage and consumer loan information.

Still, rates have held steady below 6% since Monday, Nov. 24, marking the longest string of days in this range since February, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates.

“It looks like we’ve shifted into a new range,” Gumbinger said. Going forward, he thinks rates will “bounce around below 6%.”

December 4, 2008 –”Treasury Weighs Action on Mortgage Rates,” a Washington Post article quoting HSH by David Cho, Zachary A. Goldfarb, Dina ElBoghdady:

Yesterday, the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased slightly to 5.75 percent yesterday, up from 5.54 the previous day, said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at research firm HSH Associates.

December 4, 2008 — “Refinancing Jumps by Record Pace,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Ruth Simon:

The surge in application volume comes as mortgage rates fell by more than 0.50 percentage point. Rates on 30-year fixed-rate conforming mortgages have moved up slightly. They currently average 5.75%, according to HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J., compared with an average of 6.16% just before the government announcement.

December 4, 2008 –”U.S. Eyes Plan to Lift Home Sales,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Deborah Solomon and Damian Paletta:

The average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages conforming to Fannie’s and Freddie’s standards was about 5.75% Wednesday, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher. That’s up from about 5.5% Monday but down from more than 6% before last week’s announcement.

December 4, 2008 –”Thursday Newspaper Review-Irish Business News and International Stories,” a Finfacts Ireland, Business and Finance Portal article quoting HSH:

“For borrowers on the fringe — low credit score, erratic documentation, high debt loads, et cetera — mortgage money may actually be available but the other terms and conditions that need to be jumped to have access to that financing make it prohibitive,”said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of the financial publisher HSH Associates.

December 4, 2008 — “Treasury mulls plan to lower mortgage rates to 4.5%,” a CNNMoney.com article by Tami Luhby:

Rates are already inching up, hitting 5.75% on Wednesday, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates. Several government attempts to lower mortgage rates this year have failed to have a lasting effect.

December 3, 2008 –”Financial industry pushes for lower mortgage rates,” an Associated Press article quoting HSH, also appearing on FOXNews.com by Christopher S. Rugaber and Alan Zibel:

The goal of the industry’s proposal would be to take advantage of the unusually large difference, or spread, between mortgage rates and yields on government debt. On Wednesday, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note yield sank as low as 2.65 percent, while the national average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgages was 5.75 percent, according to HSH Associates.

December 2, 2008 — “Self-Employed Are Frozen Out of Mortgages,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Nick Timiraos and Ruth Simon:

Those who can get a jumbo loan are finding them very expensive. Rates on jumbo loans averaged 7.49% last week, nearly 1.6 percentage points above the rates on loans eligible for government backing, according to HSH Associates, financial publishers in Pompton Plains, N.J. The gap widened from 1.3 percentage points two weeks ago. In July 2007, the gap between the two was as little as 0.25 percentage point.

December 2, 2008 –”Grim data crush 5-day stock rally,” a Los Angeles Times article quoting HSH by Walter Hamilton:

Mortgage rates last week were about 2.75 percentage points higher than the 10-year Treasury yield, compared with a typical spread of about 1.5 points before the home-loan crisis, said Keith Gumbinger of research firm HSH Associates.

November 27, 2008 — “As Loan Rates Fall, Borrowers Seek ‘Taste of the Bailout Pie’,”a Washington Post article quoting HSH’s rates by Dina ElBoghdady:

Rates on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped a quarter of a percentage point from Monday to 5.76 percent yesterday — the lowest since early February, according to research firm HSH Associates.

November 27, 2008 –”Mortgage Market Warms Up,” a Pittsburgh Tribune Review article quoting HSH by Rick Stouffer:

“Loan activity and interest in loans certainly flared after the Fed’s announcement,” said Keith Gumbinger, spokesman for HSH Associates, Financial Publishers, a Pompton Plains, N.J., company which tracks loan rates. “No doubt many borrowers have been waiting for rates to hit a certain point, with either their loans in process or nearly complete.”

November 27, 2008 –”Good buys in home loans,” Baltimore Sun article quoting HSH’s rates by Lorraine Mirabella:

Tuesday’s action by the Federal Reserve sent mortgage rates down to the lowest levels since February. Rates on 30-year fixed mortgages dropped to a national average of 5.76 percent yesterday, from 6.06 Monday, according HSH Associates. Yesterday’s rates were the lowest since Feb. 6, when they were at 5.74 percent, HSH said.

November 26, 2008 –”U.S. Consumer Loan Aid Will Trickle Only So Far,” a New York Times article quoting HSH by Ron Lieber and Tara Siegel Bernard:

“This brings a major buyer into the marketplace with very deep pockets to snap up available securities, and a sizable number of them at that,” said Keith T. Gumbinger, vice president of the financial publisher HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J. “With new demand for both debt- and mortgage-backed securities coming into the market, the dollar value of those investments can rise, helping to lower their yields. Mortgage rates track those yields, and decline right along with them.”

November 26, 2008 — “New Low Mortgage Rates: Should You Jump?,” a Smart Money article quoting HSH by Kelli B. Grant and Nicole Ridgway:

The hope now is that these lower rates will not only spark a wave of refinancing but also home buying, which could help prop up sagging home values, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, which tracks rates on mortgages and consumer loans.

November 26, 2008 –”Mortgage rates fall for 2nd day; won’t help all,” an Associated Press article, also appearing in the San Francisco Chronicle, quoting HSH’s rates by Adrian Sainz:

The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage Wednesday was 5.76 percent, the lowest it has been since February, according to HSH Associates, which publishes mortgage information. The lowest daily figure this year was 5.47 percent on Jan. 23.

November 26, 2008 –”Mortgages headed down,” a MarketWatch.com article quoting HSH by Amy Hoak:

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell about 29 basis points on Tuesday, from 6.06% to 5.77%, said Keith T. Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage and consumer loan information. “That was the largest one-day drop we saw since Sept. 8,” Gumbinger said. That last drop came just after it was announced that Freddie and Fannie would be taken over by the government. “The expectation is that they will continue to improve,” he said of mortgage rates.

November 26, 2008 –”Mortgage rates plummet,” a CNNMoney.com article quoting HSH by Les Christie:

“The feds agreed to spend a half a trillion dollars to buy up mortgage backed securities and another $100 billion to fund lending for Fannie and Freddie; we’re not talking chump change anymore,” said Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information.

Rates averaged 5.77% for the day on a 30-year, fixed rate loan, down from 6.06% Monday, according to Gumbinger.

November 26, 2008 –”Fed Aid Sets Off a Rush to Refinance,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH’s mortgage rates by Ruth Simon and James R. Hagerty:

November 25, 2008 –”Fed Attacks Mortgage Rates: 4 Things to Know,” a U.S. News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

So what will the actions mean for mortgage rates? Keith Gumbinger, of HSH Associates, says that the moves could bring fixed mortgage rates down by as much as a half point. “Having someone with hundreds of billions of dollars to buy these things–fresh money in the market–means rates should go down,” Gumbinger says. “It’s a direct pass through [to consumers], if their cost of funds goes down, down goes the cost of mortgage credit on the other side.”

November 21, 2008 –”Fannie, Freddie Put Foreclosures, Evictions On Hold For The Holidays,” an InsuranceNewsNet.com article quoting HSH:

Given that the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Freddie and Fannie, announced this loan-modification program starting Dec. 15, the decision to suspend foreclosures isn’t surprising, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates. “You don’t want to start the program and find people who have missed the cutoff by a day or a week.”

November 19, 2008 — “Housing Activity in Western WA during Oct Described as “Disappointing, but,” an Eastside Business Journal article quoting HSH:

According HSH Associates, the nation’s largest publisher of mortgage and consumer loan information, the rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage for the week ending 10/31/08 was 7.05 percent; a year ago it was 6.73 percent.

November 14, 2008 — “Who benefits from the new Fannie-Freddie plan,” a CNN Money article quoting HSH by Les Christie:

“Some people may be technically eligible but not practically eligible,” due to factors like an extremely low income, according to Keith Gumbinger, of mortgage research firm HSH Associates. “I wish someone would get a clear handle on how many people it could actually help,” he said.

November 14, 2008 –”When refinancing mortgage makes sense,” a Chicago Tribune article quoting HSH by Ellen James Martin:

However, many homeowners not in financial distress can still go through customary channels to escape a high-cost ARM in favor of a fixed-rate loan, says Keith Gumbinger, at HSH Associates, a firm that tracks mortgage markets ( www.hsh.com).

If you couldn’t qualify for a low, fixed-rate mortgage when you bought your present home, but have since enjoyed sufficient gains in household income to be eligible for such a loan, then “this could be your chance to claw your way out of that ARM once and for all,” Gumbinger says.

November 14, 2008 –”Pushing for relief on home loan rate,” a Sarasota Herald Tribune article quoting HSH by Michael Pollick:

The concept of using federal dollars to thaw the freeze in the housing market makes sense and could have legs in the months ahead, said Keith Gumbinger, a mortgage industry analyst at HSH Associates of New Jersey.

“It is hard to spur demand when prices are falling,” Gumbinger said. “Who wants to catch the falling knife? We need to start thinking of different ways to solve that problem.”

November 11, 2008 — “Fannie, Freddie soon to drop high limit,” a San Francisco Chronicle article quoting HSH by Kathleen Pender:

But Keith Gumbinger, a vice president with HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information, doesn’t think it will happen. “There are so many other problems in the world right now, I’m not sure this is a front-burner issue,” he says.

November 10, 2008 — “Need Cash? Where to Find It Fast,” a December 2008 Kiplinger Magazine article quoting HSH by Mary Beth Franklin and Stacy Rapacon:

Of course, the best time to apply for a home-equity line of credit is before you need it so you can hold it in reserve. And many homeowners with existing home-equity lines of credit have seen them reduced or frozen, reflecting declining home values, says Keith Gumbinger, vice-president of HSH Associates, which analyzes consumer-lending trends.

November 6, 2008 –”Mortgage Rates Fall,” a CNNMoney article quoting HSH by Lara Moscrip:

Even though interest rates were slightly lower this week, rates are fairly firm and likely to remain that way, according to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates.

“From the mortgage-lender standpoint, the risks are rising,” he said. “And because the risk of real estate lending remains so acute, the price of that money reflects the risks.”

November 5, 2008 — “GMAC Posts Loss, Says ResCap Mortgage Unit May Fail (Update3),” a Bloomberg article, also published in the Detroit Free Press, quoting HSH by David Mildenberg and Caroline Salas:

“Investing in the housing industry did what it was intended to do for GMAC for a while, but the tremendous changes in the market conditions have left many of those previous bets exposed,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates Inc., a Pompton Plains, New Jersey research firm. “They never suspected the road would end with a cliff.”

November 4, 2008 –”Forecast 2009: Your savings and credit,” a Money Magazine article quoting HSH by Ismat Sarah Mangla:

On the bright side, the best rates available on credit cards and car loans are likely to fall a bit too (see the chart to the right). The exception: rates on home-equity loans (vs. lines of credit). HSH Associates projects them to rise from 7.9% to 8.3%. (Also, see accompanying graph in article)

November 1, 2008 — “Bernanke Says the U.S. Needs to Maintain a Role in Mortgage Securities,” a Wall Street Journal article by Sudeep Reddy:

On Thursday, the average for 30-year fixed-rate loans conforming to Fannie and Freddie standards was 6.63%, according to financial publisher HSH Associates, up from 6.34% in early September before the government put the firms into conservatorship.

October 31, 2008 –”Mortgage rate rises nearly half a point,” a Sacramento Bee article quoting HSH by Dale Kasler:

“Borrowers may get discouraged at times or may have to step out of the market for a while,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of New Jersey mortgage consultant HSH Associates. “There’s a lot of confusion out there, a lot of uncertainty.”

October 30, 2008 –”Fed Steps Up Assault on Slump,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Jon Hilsenrath, Joellen Perry, and Liz Rappaport:

In just the past week, the average 30-year mortgage rate increased to 6.56% from 6.1%, according to HSH Associates, a mortgage-data publisher.

October 30, 2008 –”Mortgage Plan Isn’t Cutting Rates,” a Wall Street Journal article, also appearing in The Australian, quoting HSH by James R. Hagerty:

But the companies’ ability to do that is constrained by continued jitters among bond investors, who insist on higher yields than they used to accept. Consumer mortgage rates have risen modestly since early September. Wednesday, the average for 30-year fixed-rate loans conforming to the standards of Fannie and Freddie was 6.64%, up from 6.34% on Sept. 5, just before the regulator took control of them, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher.

October 30, 2008 –”Housing market may get a boost,” a Sarasota Herald Tribune article quoting HSH by Michael Pollick:

Approaches like the one being discussed this week have been bandied about at the federal level throughout the summer and fall, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates of Pompton Plains, N.J., whose firm monitors the mortgage industry nationally.

“Some kind of subsidy is what you are talking about,” Gumbinger said. “It could be two or three percentage points. If a borrower is struggling at 8 and can make payments at 6, the government might be subsidizing the difference between 6 and 8. The borrower would be making a payment as if his rate was 6 percent.

October 29, 2008 –”Mortgage applications jump 17% on lower rates,” a CNNMoney.com article quoting HSH by Les Christie:

“Rates were going down last week,” said Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information. “There were people, especially homeowners wanting to refinance, waiting to pull the trigger. And as soon as the number went down, they did.”

October 29, 2008 –”What today’s Fed rate cut means to you (hint: not much),” a Consumer Reports’ Money Blog post quoting HSH by Chris Horymski:

For example, fixed mortgage rates, despite the numerous Fed rate cuts this year, have actually increased from one year ago, according to HSH Associates. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.71 percent, compared to 6.55 percent last year.

October 28, 2008 –”Bargain Hunters Help Shrink Housing Glut,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by James R. Hagerty:

Mortgage rates jumped Monday amid continued turmoil in the credit markets. Some mortgage firms quoted rates of 6.5% or more for standard 30-year fixed-rate loans. That was up from an average of 6.2% last week, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher.

October 27, 2008 — “Mortgage shock? Adjustable rates tied to LIBOR, COFI, other indexes,” a San Jose Mercury News article quoting HSH by Sue McAllister:

But no adjustable loans are indexed to the overnight LIBOR rate, said Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a financial publisher. Loans typically are pegged to indexes called the one-month, three-month or six-month LIBOR. Those rates reflect averages of what certain banks are charging for longer-term loans, and they rose lately, too, before falling back a bit.

“Interest rates on the adjustables go up and down, that’s the point of them,” Gumbinger said. LIBOR has been up recently, and Treasury indexes are low, he said, “But that also works in reverse. There is not a clear winner among these indexes.”

October 23, 2008 –”Mortgage rates fall after last week’s spike,” a CNN Money article quoting HSH by Lara Moscrip:

Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information, attributed the prior week’s spike to the massive federal bailout. The Treasury needs to sell a great number of new Treasury bills to raise money to fund new government guarantees.

October 22, 2008 –”After spike, mortgage rates look set to soften,” a Market Watch article quoting HSH by Laura Mandaro:

A survey of 170 mortgage originators conducted by HSH Associates and released on Tuesday showed lenders lowered the average rate of a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage to 6.16%, more than a half-point lower than last Wednesday’s 6.75% but still higher than in early September when U.S. government moved to shore up the mortgage market by taking over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

October 22, 2008 –”Volatile Mortgage Rates to Persist Until Year-End, Analyst Says,” a Bloomberg article quoting HSH by Alexis Leondis:

“With interest rates pogo-sticking, I think it’s a safe bet in this marketplace that volatility is the order of the day and will continue until the holidays,” said Gumbinger, vice president of mortgage-research firm HSH Associates Inc.

October 21, 2008 –”Fannie and Freddie’s Regulator Suggests U.S. Backs Their Debt,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by James R. Hagerty:

The average rate on 30-year fixed-rate home loans that conform with the standards of government-backed investors Fannie and Freddie was 6.61% last week, up from 6.14% the week before, according to HSH Associates, a financial-data publisher. On Monday, rates were coming down.

October 21, 2008 –”Brace yourself if you have a LIBOR-linked ARM,” a USA Today article quoting HSH by Sandra Block:

Many one-year ARMs are reset every six months, so if the downward trend continues, the rate increase will be temporary, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president for HSH Associates, which publishes information about mortgages and consumer loans.

That’s a good thing, because most ARM borrowers will have no choice but to make the higher payments, Gumbinger says.

October 20, 2008 –”How to get a loan when credit is tight,” an article quoting HSH from Consumer Report’s Money Blog:

Mortgage lenders in particular are looking at down payments. Some will want you to put down 20 percent, although you may be able to get a loan for less, depending on the type you’re applying for and your location, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a company that analyzes consumer debt markets.

October 19, 2008 — “New midlevel mortgages get ‘purgatory rates,’ a Washington Post article quoting HSH by Dina ElBoghdady, also appearing in the San Francisco Chronicle:

Q: What are the interest rates on these loans?

A: For the week through Thursday, the average rate was 6.66 percent on a conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgage; it was 6.82 percent in the middle tier, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of research firm HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J. “It’s fairly priced money. It’s competitive,” he said. But borrowers who need more than $729,750 were looking at a 7.92 percent on average on a 30-year fixed-rate loan.

October 19, 2008 –”US house prices face long fall to bottom,” a Agence France-Presse (AFP) article quoting HSH:

“We’re in an ugly little spiral at the moment,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a research company that tracks the mortgage market by surveying 2,000 lenders weekly in the United States.

“The market is suffering from oversupply and there has been very little improvement in factors that would contribute to demand,” he told AFP.

October 16, 2008 –”5 Tips on Getting a Mortgage in a Credit Crisis,” a US News & World Report article quoting HSH by Luke Mullins:

But that doesn’t mean you can’t get a mortgage, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates. “Mortgage money is available,” Gumbinger says. “In order to have access to the financing, however, you are going to have to align yourself more closely with the new, more prudent lending standards.”

October 16, 2008 –”Mortgage rates spike — biggest jump since ‘87,” a CNNMoney.com article quoting HSH by Les Christie:

Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information, attributes the rate increase to the massive federal bailout. To fund the rescue and the new government guarantees, Treasury must sell a raft of new Treasury bills to raise money.

October 16, 2008 –”Mortgage rates headed to 7%,” a CNNMoney.com article quoting HSH by Les Christie:

The average interest rate on a 30-year, fixed rate mortgage jumped to 6.6% late Tuesday from 6.06% the Tuesday before, according to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information.

October 15, 2008 –”Home Prices Seem Far From Bottom,” a New York Times article quoting HSH by Vikas Bajaj:

Those higher fees are generally invisible to borrowers because banks factor them into mortgage interest rates. While the national average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is now 6.75 percent, according to HSH Associates, mortgage brokers say the rates for many borrowers in the Southwest or Florida can be as high as 8 percent, especially for so-called jumbo loans that are too big to be sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

October 15, 2008 –”Credit Shows Signs of Easing on Bank Rescue,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Serena Ng, Liz Rappaport, Carrick Mollenkamp:

Fixed mortgage rates are going up as well because of rising yields on long-term Treasury bonds. On average, the rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was 6.60% on Monday, up from 6.05% a week before and 5.87% in September, according to HSH Associates, a data publisher.

October 15, 2008 –”No Quick Fix for Housing Prices,” a Wall Street Journal article quoting HSH by Ruth Simon and Michael Corkery:

Rates on fixed-rate jumbo loans currently average 7.91%, according to HSH Associates, more than a full percentage point above rates on conforming loans eligible for government backing, which jumped nearly a third of a percentage point Tuesday to 6.6%.

October 10, 2008 –”When an ARM Makes Sense,” a New York Times article, also appearing in The Ledger, quoting HSH by Bob Tedeschi, also appearing in the Seattle Times:

“Some borrowers right now must consider an ARM,” said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, a financial industry publisher. That is especially true, he said, of those who need so-called jumbo loans — mortgages so big that lenders cannot sell the loan to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored companies that resell mortgages to investors.

October 9, 2008 — “Resolving your own credit crisis,” a Reuters article quoting HSH by Linda Stern:

Their problems can take many forms. Some homeowners still are saddled with a mortgage they can’t afford to keep current. Others are shopping for new loans but finding them hard to come by. “The increasing stresses in the system are starting to restrict access of credit even for good-credit borrowers,” says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, which monitors the U.S. mortgage and housing markets.

October 9, 2008 — “Subprime borrowers may face new hit next month,” a Miami Herald article quoting HSH by Monica Hatcher:

But Keith Gumbinger, vice president of mortgage industry publisher HSH Associates, questioned Citigroup’s estimate that the $144 jump would lead to an additional 10 percent increase in defaults.

”Of the 121,000 borrowers, how many can afford no change in their monthly payments?” Gumbinger said, “Does their analysis really intend to suggest that a full 10 percent can’t afford another hundred bucks a month?”

October 9, 2008 — “How the Fed interest-rate cut may affect you,” a Los Angeles Times article quoting HSH by E. Scott Reckard, also appearing in the Baltimore Sun:

Bank depositors have benefited lately from intense competition for their money, because the credit crunch has made it difficult for banks to get funds elsewhere. That competition remains “spirited,” but the Fed’s action will probably result in lower rates, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of rate tracker HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J.

“Instead of promoting an 18-month CD at 4%, they may compete only at 3.5%,” Gumbinger said.

October 2, 2008 — “Need a Loan?” a Time article quoting HSH by Barbara Kiviat:

The average 60-month new-car loan is priced at 7.10%, not much different from in the spring, according to HSH Associates, Financial Publishers. Those 0%-financing deals still exist too, from automakers desperate to move the metal. But you’re not going to get that rate (or maybe any) unless your credit score is north of 700; a year ago, 620 might have gotten you wheels. Even people with good credit are starting to see trouble. The dealer network AutoNation reports that approval rates for that group have dropped to roughly 60% from 90% a year ago.

October 2, 2008 –”Falling on hard times,” a MarketWatch.com article quoting HSH by Lew Sichelman:

Q: Where can I check mortgage rates daily, because I heard they change every day.

A: You have heard correctly, except that they change almost by the hour. There’s a great company little mortgage-reporting company called HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J., that has its finger on the pulse of the market. I know that’s a cliché, but it really is a terrific source of information and data at www.hsh.com. Check out the Web site.

October 1, 2008 — “Area retailers say the credit’s there for customers,” a Houston Chronicle article quoting HSH by Brad Hem:

Banks may have tightened up their loans to other banks and businesses looking for large financing deals, but the problem hasn’t spread to smaller loans, said Paul Havemann, vice president of HSH Associates, a New Jersey-based consumer loan information firm.

“You’re talking about five grand for a living room set,” he said. “Banks aren’t going to fail over that.”

Banks make money by lending money and collecting interest when it’s repaid, so they have a strong interest in making loans, Havemann said.

September 30, 2008 — “The Credit Crunch: Where Is It Happening?” a TIME article quoting HSH by Barbara Kiviat:

For car loans, the division between those who feel the crunch and those who don’t often comes down to credit score. The average 60-month new car loan is priced at 7.10%, not much different than in the spring, according to HSH Associates, Financial Publishers — and the average rate on a 60-month used car loan, 7.54%, has actually been drifting downward.

September 30, 2008 –”Consumers: Caught in the Credit Squeeze,” a BusinessWeek article quoting HSH by Tara Kalwarski:

With or without a bill, consumer credit will continue to be tight in the short term, says Keith Gumbinger, vice-president of HSH Associates, the nation’s largest publisher of mortgage and consumer loan information. In the housing market, the tighter the credit—or, the higher the standards required by a bank to secure a loan—the smaller the pool of potential home buyers, and the harder it becomes for them to obtain loans. “It’s not like flipping on a light switch,” explains Gumbinger. “Some of these institutions have hundreds of millions of dollars in underwater assets. They’re not in a big hurry to make loans.”

September 29, 2008 –”The Credit You Deserve,” a Newsweek article quoting HSH by Linda Stern:

Still think the time is right? Whether it’s a home or auto loan, here’s how to find that cash now.
Mortgages Conventional borrowers seeking less than $417,000—the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac limit in most housing markets—will not have trouble finding loans, says Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates. He tells would-be borrowers to shop local first: The small bank on the corner, or the credit union you already belong to, might be in the best position to offer a good rate. “There might be only a handful in your town, so check them all,” he says.

September 28, 2008 –”What is Libor? Answers to interest-rate questions,” an article quoting HSH from the Associated Press by Alan Zibel:

Q. Why are so many U.S. home loans tied to these rates?

A. Adjustable-rate mortgages used to be based on the yields of short-term government debt. But as international money flowed into the U.S. mortgage market this decade, investors in mortgage debt wanted to use a rate “that was a little more indicative of their cost of doing business in global markets,” said Keith Gumbinger, a senior vice president with financial publisher HSH Associates.

September 26, 2008 –”Few Good Scenarios in View as Crisis Spreads,” an article quoting HSH from the Wall Street Journal by Jon Hilsenrath, Joanna Slater, Justin Lahart:

On 30-year fixed-rate mortgages that meet Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s criteria, the average interest rate was 6% as of Sept. 19, down from 6.4% a year ago, according to HSH Associates. Rates on larger “jumbo” loans, at 7.36%, haven’t risen much either. Rates on home-equity lines of credit have dropped because of declines in banks’ benchmark prime rate.

September 26, 2008 — “Loans Are Available, But Harder To Get,” an article quoting HSH from INVESTORS.com by Donald Jay Korn:

“Tighter credit standards have been taking effect for a while,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president, HSH Associates, a publisher of loan information based in Pompton Plains, N.J. Lenders have been looking harder at mortgage applicants.

This tightening process stopped about a month ago, Gumbinger says. That’s when the federal government took over mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

That action stabilized requirements, he adds.

September 25, 2008 –”Countrywide Made Home Loans to Gorelick, Mudd,” an article quoting HSH from the Wall Street Journal by Glenn R. Simpson:

A little over a month later, Ms. Gorelick received a rate of 5% for the first 10 years on a $960,149 refinancing. The transaction was handled by another employee who sat next to him, Mr. Feinberg said. The average market rate for loans of the type obtained by Ms. Gorelick and Mr. Raines fluctuated around 6% at that time, according to data from HSH Associates Inc., potentially saving the two borrowers thousands of dollars over the life of the loans.

September 25, 2008 –”Refinancing Window Open For those With Good Credit, Equity,” an article quoting HSH from INVESTORS.com by Jeff Schnepper:

At midweek, 30-year fixed conforming mortgages averaged 6.24% and jumbos 7.60%, down from 6.57% and 7.68% respectively four weeks earlier, says loan-tracker HSH Associates. That’s a third of a percentage-point drop in conforming rates. On a $200,000 mortgage, it’s a difference of $43.22 a month, $15,560.36 over the life of the loan.

September 24, 2008 –”As economy wobbles, N.J. worries,” an article quoting HSH from the Asbury Park Press by Michael L. Diamond:

“All of (the government’s actions) have been to keep the sand castle from falling further,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains company that tracks mortgage rates. “We’re well along in (writing off losses). What we don’t know is how long — and in what form — the rebuilding process will take.”

September 24, 2008 –”U.S. home prices fall to October 2005 levels,” an article quoting HSH from The Dallas Morning News:

Separately, financial publisher HSH Associates said Monday that the national average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 6.26 percent on Monday from 6.11 percent on Friday as details of the government’s rescue plan remained in flux.

September 23, 2008 –”Home buyers: On or off the fence?” an article quoting HSH from CNNMoney.com by Les Christie:

But, starting about the middle of last week, rates started to turn and by Tuesday of this week, the 30-year was nudging up past 6.26% again, according to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of financial information.

“It’s a very perilous time in the financial markets right now, and investors are feeling very exposed,” he said. “That makes for a very uncertain rate environment.”

September 23, 2008 –”Home prices fell 5.3 pct in July, gov’t says,” an article quoting HSH from the Associated Press by Alan Zibel:

The national average rate on a 30-year, fixed rate mortgage rose to 6.26 percent on Monday up from 6.11 percent on Friday as details of the government’s rescue plan remained in flux, according to financial publisher HSH Associates. The rate had fallen as low as 5.87 percent last Tuesday.

September 23, 2008 –”The Crisis and Your Pocketbook,” an article quoting HSH from The Washington Post by Ylan Q. Mui and Dina ElBoghdady:

The impact on mortgage rates isn’t clear. Yesterday’s upheaval in the financial markets reflected investors’ uncertainty about the rescue plan and lifted interest rates on home loans. The rates on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage rose to an average of 6.26 percent yesterday after a recent daily low of 5.87 percent, said Keith Gumbinger of research firm HSH Associates. “There has been an upward march for interest rates since the news of the bailout broke,” Gumbinger said. Rates dipped below the 6 percent mark in the days following the federal government’s takeover of mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

September 22, 2008 –”Mortgage Hunt Tough, Not Impossible,” an article quoting HSH from The Christian Science Monitor by Margaret Price:

“The recapitalization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac means they will continue to provide mortgages to good credit quality borrowers and at lower rates,” than before the government intervened, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, which tracks consumer loans and mortgages. In effect, “good credit quality borrowers will not be as penalized for the difficulties of their less creditworthy brethren.”

September 21, 2008 — “S&P plunges, bonds soar, gold bounces in last year,” an article quoting HSH from The Chicago Sun-Times:

Mortgage rates bounced around last week along with the markets. The average rate on a 30-year, fixed rate mortgage rose to 6.11 percent Friday, up from 6.07 percent a day earlier, according to HSH Associates. The rate fell as low as 5.87 percent Tuesday.

September 21, 2008 –”Real estate market slow to respond to gov’t plan,” an article quoting HSH from the Associated Press, printed in The International Herald Tribune:

In fact, on Friday the average rate on a 30-year, fixed rate mortgage rose to 6.11 percent, up from 6.07 percent a day earlier, according to financial publisher HSH Associates. The average rate had fallen as low as 5.87 percent on Tuesday, but investors are clearly still jittery.

September 21, 2008 –”Rates, Prices Now Favor Prepared First-Time Buyers,” an article quoting HSH from The Hartford Courant by Carolyn Bigda:

After the federal government took over mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac this month, rates on home loans fell about a third of a percentage point, on average, according to HSH Associates, which tracks the industry.

September 20, 2008 –”Can Washington stop home price declines?” an article quoting HSH from the Associated Press by Alan Zibel:

Mortgage rates have yet to see any positive impact. The average rate on a 30-year, fixed rate mortgage rose to 6.11 percent on Friday, up from 6.07 percent a day earlier, according to financial publisher HSH Associates. The rate had fallen as low as 5.87 percent on Tuesday.

September 20, 2008 — “Lenders tighten credit terms,” an article quoting HSH from The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review by Rick Stouffer:

Since January, rates on lines of credit have ranged from a high of 7.2 percent in January, to a low of 5.63 percent in May. Currently, credit lines carry an average interest rate of about 5.76 percent, according to financial publisher HSH Associates, Pompton Plains, N.J.

September 20, 2008 — “Staten Island housing market rebound snuffed out by financial crisis,” an article quoting HSH from the Staten Island Advance:

“The news is still good on mortgage rates,” Keith Gumbinger, of HSH Associates, reassured buyers last week. “Maybe rates stopped declining for the moment, but they remain at much more comfortable levels than you saw a few months ago.”

September 19, 2008 –”Fickle Mortgage Market Demands Quick Decisions,” an article quoting HSH from the Washington Post:

The bottom line, echoed by many consumer advocates, is that if you’re shopping around for a loan and you find a rate that works for you, grab it. Do not risk a botched deal by waiting for a lower rate, said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at research firm HSH Associates. “In these highly volatile market conditions, your opportunity to get that deal completed may be fleeting,” Gumbinger said.

Here are some issues to consider if you’re thinking of buying a home or refinancing your loan. The answers are based on advice from Gumbinger; from Greg McBride of the personal finance Web site Bankrate.com; and from Gibran Nicholas of CMPS Institute, which trains and certifies mortgage bankers and brokers.

September 18, 2008 –”Secondary Markets Put pressure on Mortgage Rates,” an article quoting HSH from HousingWire.com by Paul Jackson:

According to the Journal, which cited data from HSH Associates, conforming 30-year-fixed mortgage rates now average 6.11 percent, a full 33 basis points above the numbers reported by Freddie Mac. The Journal cited unnamed brokers in suggesting that rates have risen “one-eighth to one-quarter of a percentage point in the past two days.”

Conforming mortgage rates are only part of the mortgage picture, of course; and for jumbo borrowers — those looking to buy a property outside of the conforming loan limits — rates have soared. Rates currently average 7.42 percent for 30-year fixed-rate jumbo mortgages, according to HSH data.

September 18, 2008 –”AIG, Lehman Turmoil Bump Mortgage Rates Higher,” an article quoting HSH from U.S. News and World Report by Luke Mullins:

Thirty-year fixed mortgage rates had fallen measurably in the aftermath of the government’s September 7 seizure of mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But over the past couple of days—thanks to the mayhem surrounding AIG and Lehman Brothers—mortgage rates have reversed course, according to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates.

Average rates on conforming, 30-year fixed mortgages jumped from 5.87 percent on Tuesday to 6.11 percent on Wednesday, Gumbinger says. (They slipped back to 6.05 percent Thursday afternoon.) The increase, he says, was driven by investors’ growing concerns about the market chaos, which has made them less willing to purchase mortgage-related securities.

September 18, 2008 — “The pain on Main Street,” an article quoting HSH from CNN Money by Tami Luhby:

“The price of money has increased and the availability of financing has been impacted,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, which tracks mortgage rates. “It’s pure volatility right now. There’s no way to know on any given day what’s going to happen in any given market.”

September 18, 2008 –”Housing construction plunges 6.2 pct. in August,” an article quoting HSH from the Associated Press by Martin Crutsinger:

Part of the reason for optimism is the dramatic fall in mortgage rates that has occurred since the government moved to seize control over mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The average interest rate on a 30-year mortgage was 6.14 percent on Wednesday, up from 6.02 last week, but still below 6.65 percent a month ago, according to HSH Associates.

Economists said the lower mortgage rates should help provide a floor for home sales, keeping them from falling further.

September 18, 2008 –”Jump in Mortgage Rates Disappoints Home Buyers,” an article appearing in the Wall Street Journal by Ruth Simon and James R. Hagerty:

Rates on 30-year fixed-rate conforming mortgages currently average 6.11%, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher in Pompton Plains, N.J., after dropping below 6% last week. Rates slid a bit more on Monday before jumping by roughly one-eighth to one-quarter of a percentage point in the past two days, mortgage lenders and mortgage brokers say. Rates currently average 7.42% for 30-year fixed-rate jumbo mortgages, which are loans too large to be eligible for purchase by government-sponsored mortgage investors Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

September 18, 2008 — “Anxiety rises as the era of easy credit comes to an abrupt end,” an article appearing in USA Today by David Lieberman:

But here we are, and lenders have taken a big step toward tighter lending rules since the steep decline in home values began in mid-2006.

Mortgage rates fell after the bailout of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, but now they’re inching up. HSH Associates says the average rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 6.14% on Wednesday, up from 6.02% last week.

September 18, 2008 –”Applications to refinance home mortgages surge,” an article from the Associated Press by J.W. Elphinstone, referenced in articles from these other publications: Forbes, The Boston Globe, The Seattle Times, The Miami Herald, Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Providence Journal:

A mini-refinance boom started last Thursday but ended early Monday, said Pava Leyrer, president of Heritage National Mortgage in Michigan. The average rate on a 30-year, fixed rate mortgage was 6.14 percent on Wednesday, up from 6.02 percent last week after the government bailed out Fannie and Freddie, according to HSH Associates.

September 17, 2008 –”Low rates on credit, loans are out there,” an article appearing in USA Today by Sandra Block:

Long-term mortgage rates have been sliding since the government announced it would take over Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. In recent months, the mortgage giants cut back on the number of mortgages they bought, driving up rates for borrowers. But now that the two companies no longer need to make a profit for shareholders, they can buy more loans. And that will inject more money into the mortgage markets, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president at HSH Associates, a mortgage information firm.

September 17, 2008 –”Jump in London rate to hit U.S. housing,” an article from Bloomberg News appearing in the Chicago Tribune:

Daily Libor rates are used to calculate monthly adjusting mortgage resets, including some so-called option ARMs that allow borrowers to defer payments by increasing mortgage balances, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of Pompton Plains, N.J.-based mortgage research firm HSH Associates Inc.

September 16, 2008 –”Mortgage rates falling, but nervous home buyers may stay on sidelines,” an article appearing in the San Jose Mercury by Sue McAllister:

“Whenever there’s turmoil, it’s a natural human emotion to go into a defensive mind-set and choose to do nothing,” Walters said. “Buying when everyone else is afraid and selling when everyone else is greedy tends to be beneficial over time. But why don’t more people put it into practice? It’s hard to do. It’s hard to buy when you are scared, and it’s hard to sell when you’re greedy.”

Keith Gumbinger of financial data publisher HSH Associates agreed that prospective home buyers could be feeling battered this week, in spite of the improved lending rates.

September 16, 2008 –”U.S. Mortgage Rates May Wreak Havoc After Libor Climbs,” a Bloomberg article by Kathleen M. Howley:

Daily Libor rates are used to calculate monthly adjusting mortgage resets, including some so-called “option ARMs” that allow borrowers to defer payments by increasing mortgage balances, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of Pompton Plains, New Jersey-based mortgage research firm HSH Associates Inc. More importantly, gains in the shorter-term Libor rates may signal increases to come in the three- to 12-month indexes used to calculate the majority of ARM resets, he said.

September 16, 2008 –”Full circle: Financial hurricane puts focus back on mortgage, housing markets,” a San Francisco Chronicle article by Carolyn Said,

“Lenders reported to us a fair upsurge in interest in placing loan applications last week (from) purchase and refi borrowers waiting for a ‘5 handle’ (interest rate in the 5 percent range) on their rates to pull the trigger on a deal,” said Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a mortgage research firm in New Jersey. Bay Area mortgage brokers also said they’d seen a big increase in inquiries last week.

September 16, 2008 –”Housing,” a Chicago Tribune article by Mary Ellen Podmolik:

“If you meet today’s stricter requirements, and have found the hgme of your dreams, which may be on sale at 10 to 20 percent off peak prices, by all means pull the trigger on your deal,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a New Jersey-based financial information firm.

September 13, 2008 — “Trading on the Future,” a Wall Street Journal article by Anne Tergesen:

The homeowner would also come out ahead with a home-equity loan. With an 8.06% interest rate, the going rate these days, someone borrowing $62,500 would repay $91,234 in principal and interest over 10 years, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information. Shared-appreciation agreements, he adds, are “potentially a very expensive source of money.”

September 12, 2008 –”Drop in Rates For Mortgages Gets Attention of Borrowers,” a Washington Post article  by Dina ElBoghdady:

The dip followed the federal government’s takeover of mortgage giants Freddie and Fannie Mae. It’s by no means a historic low. The 46-year low was 5.37 percent in 2003, according to research firm HSH Associates. But it’s an attention-grabbing number for borrowers who have not seen rates under 6 percent since early spring.

“That 6 percent level is kind of a psychological break point,” said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates. “Consumers see a five in front of mortgages, and they get excited.”

September 12 2008 –”US mortgage rates fall,” an article from HomesOverseas.co.uk — “The world’s leading international property magazine”:

Mortgage rates in America have dropped to under 6%, following the government’s decision to seize control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac earlier this week, according to the HSH Associates.

A 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage now averages 5.93%, compared to 6.35% this time last week.

A growing number of borrowers are rushing to tie in to the new rates, however, they are only applicable to people borrowing under $729,750 (£412,000) – the new conforming loan limit.

September 11, 2008 — “Slash Your Property Tax,” a SmartMoney.com article by Lisa Scherzer:

When to seek a reassessment isn’t an exact science. It depends on how much your home’s value has declined, and on what sort of dollar gain you’ll likely get in your tax bill, says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a mortgage information provider. If you’re paying $1,000 in property taxes and getting your home reassessed will drop that by 10%, you’re pocketing $100 — probably not enough to justify the effort of an appeal. But if you can save, say, $500 or more, it’s probably worth it.

September 11, 2008 –”Slide in local home sales, prices held through Aug.,” a Baltimore Sun article by Lorraine Mirabella and Jamie Smith Hopkins:

Buyers, he said, are convinced that prices will still drop, and “as long as they are convinced that is possible, they will lack urgency.”

And the lower mortgage rates might not last, said Keith T. Gumbinger, a vice president with HSH Associates.

“It’s too soon to call it a permanent decline,” he said.

September 11, 2008 — “Pending home sales in August lift hopes,” a Minneapolis Star Tribune article by Jim Buchta:

Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, N.J., said that, while rates took a significant dip, they’re about midway between the January low-water mark when interest rates dipped to 5.16 percent and the peak in July of 6.69 percent.

September 10, 2008 — “Mortgage rates plummet, but borrowers beware,” a CNNMoney article by Les Christie:

But that doesn’t mean that lenders won’t continue to subject borrowers to strict criteria, according to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a tracker of mortgage loan information. The aim is to make mortgages more available, but only to the most qualified borrowers.

September 9, 2008 — The government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac dragged mortgage rates down by nearly a third of a percent. Here’s just a sampling of HSH in today’s news:

The Los Angeles Times:

The lower yields began to show up in mortgage rates Monday as the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate conventional mortgage loan dropped to 6.04% from 6.34% on Friday, according to research firm HSH Associates.

A sustained drop in mortgage rates below 6% could bring more buyers into the glutted housing market, while also giving an assist to strapped homeowners who are trying to refinance.

“That should provide some kick-start but [rates] do have to get down there and hang around there a little bit,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president at HSH. “It takes time to build a water-cooler buzz.”

The Wall Street Journal:

Despite the Federal Reserve’s easing of short-term interest rates over the past year, the 30-year mortgage rate had remained elevated, according to HSH Associates.

That rate last week was 2.74 percentage points higher than the 10-year Treasury bond yield — the highest difference between government interest rates and mortgage rates since the credit crisis began.

The average 30-year mortgage rate fell to 6.04% Monday from 6.34%, according to HSH Associates, a financial-data publisher.

However, rates on “jumbo” mortgages, those too large to be purchased by Fannie or Freddie, jumped to 7.35% from 7.14%, according to HSH. “There’s still a bit of a credit crunch in the markets,” says Paul Havemann, vice president at HSH. “If I had to guess, the markets are now wondering who’s out there going to be buying jumbo mortgages.”

The New York Times:

Still, the decision to place the two companies into conservatorship immediately lowered mortgage rates Monday by helping to drive up the price of bonds they issue. The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to about 6.04 percent from 6.34 percent last week, according to HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage industry data. That is down about 0.65 of a point from July.

The Washington Post:

The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate loan fell to 6.04 percent yesterday — about a third of a percentage point lower than on Friday, before news of the federal takeover, according to research firm HSH Associates. On a $200,000 mortgage, that’s about $500 in annual savings.

From SmartMoney.com:

“The hope is that this is the beginning of the stability the market has been longing for,” says Keith Gumbinger, vice president at mortgage-information firm HSH Associates. Among other things, the moves aim to lower mortgage rates and relax lending standards, making it easier for homeowners to buy new homes or hold onto existing ones.

How it will all play out, however, is difficult to determine at this early stage. “This is an unprecedented event, and the market is still shaking all the details out,” says Gumbinger. Adds Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, a consumer advocate: “We’re going to have to figure this out as we go along.”

September 8, 2008 — “Mortgage rates drop after Fannie, Freddie takeover,” an Associated Press article by Alan Zibel:

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage dropped 0.3 of a percentage point to 6.04 on Monday, according to HSH Associates, and are expected to decline a little more in the coming weeks.

September 8, 2008 — “Is it ever okay to take out a 401(k) loan,” a Money Magazine article published on CNNMoney.com by Joe Light:

You do the math. To see how much a loan will decrease your 401(k) value at retirement, use the “Should you borrow from your 401(k)?” calculator at bankrate.com. Look up HELOC rates and payments at hsh.com. For how much you’d save on taxes, multiply the interest by your marginal tax rate.

September 3, 2008 –”Pick-a-payment loans turn poisonous,” a CNN Money article by Les Christie:

“These things have their own private hell,” said Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information. “The reset trigger is absolutely coming.”

August 31, 2008 — “Mortgage rates rise to make up for greater risk assumed by investors,” a Baltimore Sun article by Jamie Smith Hopkins:

Oh, you wanted to know what the reason is? (So much for an easy column. Can’t a wonk get a day off?)

Keith T. Gumbinger, a vice president at financial publisher HSH Associates, sums it up like this: “Risk means higher rates.”

August 30, 2008 — “Rates Are Struggling To Lower With Fannie & Freddie Passing the Buck to Consumer,” a Money Magazine article republished in straightforwardfinancial.wordpress.com:

By February, the rate on a loan over $417,000 was as much as 1.5 percentage points higher than loans beneath that cap, according to mortgage industry research firm HSH Associates.

August 29, 2008 –”Don’t Sell Those Ginnie Maes,” a Business Week article by Chris Palmeri:

If you haven’t already discovered it HSH Associates runs a great Web site with lots of free data for checking the latest mortgage rates.

August 27, 2008 — “Housing fix backfires,” a CNN Money article by Stephen Gandel:

By February, the rate on a loan over $417,000 was as much as 1.5 percentage points higher than loans beneath that cap, according to mortgage industry research firm HSH Associates.

August 25, 2008 — SeekingAlpha.com, a “leading provider of stock market opinion and analysis,” reprinted “Wachovia Sell Land, Construction Loans to LandCap”:

“Rather than holding on to properties in a market where values are declining and prospects of recovery are slim right now, Wachovia thinks it’s a good opportunity to get rid of some of this real estate,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates Inc., a Pompton Plains, New Jersey-based research firm. “The fact the deal got done is a positive.”

August 23, 2008 — “Coming Up With the Cash,” a Washington Post article by Renae Merle:

“Before you get into this, before you even start shopping for a home, go and investigate potential sources of money. Don’t dismiss grant programs,” said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, a real estate research firm.

August 20, 2008 — “Wachovia Sells Land, Construction Loans to LandCap,” a Bloomberg article by David Mildenberg:

“Rather than holding on to properties in a market where values are declining and prospects of recovery are slim right now, Wachovia thinks it’s a good opportunity to get rid of some of this real estate,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates Inc., a Pompton Plains, New Jersey-based research firm.

August 20, 2008 — “Mortgage Normalcy Will Be Anything But,” a Wall Street Journal article by Jeff D. Opdyke:

Mortgage rates have improved a smidgen recently, with 30-year conforming-mortgage rates averaging 6.58% nationally Monday, compared with 6.65% last week, according to HSH Associates.

August 18, 2008 — “Washington’s ultimate solution,” a CNN Money article by Allan Sloan:

HSH Associates says fixed-rate 30-year mortgages cost 6.70% in early August, up from 6.47% when the Fed first cut rates.

August 11, 2008 — “Fannie Mae post $US2.3bn loss as defaults soar,” an article appearing in The Australian by the WSJ’s James Hagerty and Aparajita Saha-Bubna:

Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.64 per cent over the past week, financial publisher HSH Associates said.

August 11, 2008 — “No breaks for staffers in finance,” an article quoting HSH Associates that appeared in the Sarasota Herald Tribune:

“If you guys really need money and can’t get it in the market, come knock on the door and we’ll take care of you, the government is now saying,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a New Jersey-based provider of consumer loan information.

August 9, 2008 — “Fannie Mae Loss of $2.3 Billion Exceeds Forecasts,” a Wall Street Journal Article by James Hagerty and Aparajita Saha-Bubna:

Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.64% over the past week, according to HSH Associates, a financial publisher.

August 8, 2008 – “Mortgage Rates, Down for So Long, Are Creeping Back Up and Crimping Affordability,” a New York Times article by Tara Siegel Bernard:

Rates on a 30-year fixed-rate loan, which were as low as 5.89 percent in mid-April, have been climbing and now remain near a one-year high of about 6.7 percent, according to the financial publisher HSH Associates.

August 8, 2008 — “Mortgages get more expensive-again,” a CNN Money article by Les Christie:

The increases were inevitable, according to Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage loan information.

August 7, 2008 — “IndyMac to stop most mortgage loans, cut 3,800 jobs,” an article appearing in the Tehran Times:

“IndyMac had been a well-regarded player in mortgages but given how the market is, it may be easier to restart such a business in the future than maintain one now,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains, New Jersey-based mortgage information publisher.

August 4, 2008 — “Fed’s Cuts Seem Toothless As Rates Resist,” a Wall Street Journal article by Mark Gongloff:

A fixed, 30-year mortgage went for 6.6% last week, according to HSH Associates, compared with 6.4% the day the Fed started cutting rates.

August 3, 2008 — “Shopping for a mortgage? Use HSH for the best rates,” a posting from the Courier News’ blog by Real Estate Editor Pam Mackenze:

HSH is a company in Pompton Plains that tracks mortgage rates around the country. Every Friday, they issue a newsletter that you can subscribe to, and they have charts to show how mortgages rates this week compare to previous weeks, previous years, etc. You can also compare rates from one state to another. This is all free. You can find the link to HSH on our real estate page, www.mycentraljersey.com/homes in our “Helpful Resources” box.

July 31, 2008 — “Mortgage rates drop as oil eases,” a CNN Money article by Kenneth Musante:

“Yes, there is some influence in hope for less inflation pressure, but we’d need a more extended period of these softening prices” to see a significant decline, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSHAssociates.com, an online publisher of consumer loan information.

July 29, 2008 — “Amid Housing Slump, Glut Eases Slightly,” a Wall Street Journal article by James R. Hagerty:

Those who can get a loan are finding it more expensive. Rates for 30-year fixed loans that conform with the standards of Fannie and Freddie last week averaged 6.69%, up from 6.55% a month before and about even with the year-earlier level, according to surveys by HSH Associates, a financial publisher. For “jumbo” mortgages, those too large to be purchased by Fannie or Freddie, rates last week averaged 7.70%, up from 7.65% a month earlier and 7.02% a year before, HSH says.

July 29, 2008 — “5 Mortgage Fees to Watch Out For,” a SmartMoney article by Kelli B. Grant:

“They’re trying to keep the sand castle up,” says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, a mortgage-information firm based in Pompton Plains, N.J. “Ultimately it’s the borrower who’s paying for all this reform.”

July 28, 2008 –”Isn’t It Rich?” a Barron’s article by Randall W. Forsyth:

The Wall Street Journal reports rates on 30-year, fixed-rate conforming mortgages — those that qualify for purchase by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — jumped 40 basis points in the last week to an average of 6.71%, according to HSH Associates.

“What It Takes to Get a Mortgage Now,” an article by Pat Mertz Esswein from Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, August 2008:

“The availability of credit won’t be any further impaired than it already has been due to market conditions,” says Keith Gumbinger, of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage information. But a riskier environment for lenders (he cites the recent federal takeover of Indy Mac bank) and the more stringent federal regulation and oversight of Fannie and Freddie likely to come will probably boost the cost of credit.

July 25, 2008 — “Housing Bill Won’t Solve Market’s Problems,” an Associated Press article by Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Alex Dominguez, posted on The Huffington Post:

Average rates on 30-year fixed rate loans under $417,000 have soared to more than 6.8 percent _ the highest rates in a year, according to data publisher HSH Associates.

July 24, 2008 — “Housing bill won’t solve market’s problems,” an Associated Press article by Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Alex Dominguez, posted on CNNmoney.com:

Average rates on 30-year fixed rate loans under $417,000 have soared to more than 6.8 percent _ the highest rates in a year, according to data publisher HSH Associates.

Keith Gumbinger, a senior vice president with HSH Associates, said, “You have to offset those losses some way or another.”

July 24, 2008 — “Local reaction mixed on measure’s effects,” a San Diego Union Tribune article by Roger Showley and Emmet Pierce:

Even before Congress acted, the average interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate conventional conforming loans was on the rise, reaching 6.81 percent yesterday from 6.32 percent a week earlier, according to HSH Associates, a New Jersey company that publishes consumer rates…

July 23 2008 –”Mortgage Rates Near a Year High,” a Wall Street Journal article by Ruth Simon and James R. Hagerty:

Rates on conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose by nearly 0.40 percentage point in the past week to an average of 6.71%, according to HSH Associates.

in Pompton Plains, N.J. Rates on jumbo loans, which are too big to be eligible for purchase by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, currently average 7.84%.

July 23, 2008 — “Woes Afflicting Mortgage Giants Raise Loan Rates,” a New York Times article by Vikas Bajaj:

The average interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose to 6.71 percent on Tuesday, from 6.44 percent on Friday, according to HSH Associates, a publisher of consumer rates. The average rate for so-called jumbo loans, which cannot be sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, was 7.8 percent, the highest since December 2000.

July 23, 2008 — “A rise in mortgage rates,” Peter Viles of the LA Times‘ blog quotes HSH from a recent New York Times article:

From today’s New York Times: “The average interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose to 6.71 percent on Tuesday, from 6.44 percent on Friday, according to HSH Associates, a publisher of consumer rates.

July 23, 2008 — “US mortgage rates increase again,” an article by the BBC:

The interest rate on an average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose to 6.71% from 6.44% on Friday, HSH Associates says.

July 23, 2008 — “Mortgage Rates Rising,” a post from Zillow.com’s blog that quotes HSH from a recent article in the New York Times:

According to a mortgage article in the New York Times on Tuesday, the average interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose to 6.71 percent on Tuesday, from 6.44 percent on Friday, according to HSH Associates, a publisher of consumer rates.

July 23, 2008 — “Raise Rates, If It Makes You Feel Better,” a Barron’s article by Randall W. Forsyth:

Rates on 30-year, fixed-rate conforming mortgages — those that qualify for purchase by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — jumped 40 basis points in the last week, to an average of 6.71%, according to HSH Associates, the Wall Street Journal reports.

July 23, 2008 — “Loan giants’ woes push rates up,” an article published in the San Jose Mercury News:

The average interest rate for 30-year fixed rate mortgages rose to 6.71 percent Tuesday, from 6.44 percent Friday, according to HSH Associates, a publisher of consumer rates. The average rate for so-called jumbo loans, which cannot be sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, was 7.8 percent, the highest since December 2000.

July 23, 2008 — “Let’s screw homeowners again!!!,” a post from Techimo.com:

The average interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose to 6.71 percent on Tuesday, from 6.44 percent on Friday, according to HSH Associates, a publisher of consumer rates.

July 23, 2008 –”30 year fixed rates jump to 6.71%; Congress has reached agreement on housing bill,” a post from Financial Sight:

Interest rates on Conforming 30 year fixed-rate mortgages rose to 6.71% on Tuesday, up from 6.44% last Friday according to HSH Associates.

July 22, 2008 — “WSJ: Mortgage Rates Increase Sharply,” a post from Calculated Risk:

Ruth Simon and James Hagerty at the WSJ report: Mortgage Rates Near a Year High. According to the Journal – reporting data from HSH Associates – 30 year rates rose to an average of 6.71% last week, and jumbo rates have risen to an average 7.84%.

July 19,2008 — “How to Survive the Bank Crisis,” a Newsweek article by Linda Stern:

“There are huge disparities on pricing from one side of town to the other,” reports Keith Gumbinger of research firm HSH Associates. You can find pricing down in the 6 [percent range] and others up in the 8’s in the same city. Check rates with a couple of local brokers, a national mortgage bank and at online sites like hsh.com. But don’t wait too long; interest rates are likely to rise.

July 18, 2008 — “When you need more income to buy home,” a Chicago Tribune article by Ellen James Martin:

“The problem lies in areas where income growth is in single digits while home appreciation is in double digits,” says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, a firm that tracks mortgage markets throughout the U.S.

July 16,2008 — “Getting a loan, and not getting burned,” a Daily News article by Elizabeth Lazarowitz:

“You can’t simply pick up the phone and call one lender,” said Keith Gumbinger of HSH Associates, whose Web site, hsh.com, publishes mortgage data.

July 14, 2008 — “Mortgages: More expensive, more scarce,” a CNN Money article by Les Christie:

“Before then, the interest rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was about 1.5 percentage points higher than yields on 10-year Treasury notes,” according to Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a publisher of consumer loan information. Treasuries are a benchmark for mortgage rates.

“Higher rates coming to a mortgage giant near you?,” a post from the Baltimore Sun’s real estate blog:

“The last thing anyone wants to see is higher rates,” said Keith T. Gumbinger, a vice president at financial publisher HSH Associates. “That could induce even further downward pressure on home prices.”

July 13, 2008 — “Mortgage Lenders Fear Loss of Safety Net, Rising Cost,” a redorbit.com article by Richard Newman:

“If the government-backed mortgage funders privately take on more debt to stay afloat, such as by issuing bonds, the interest cost would likely be high and that expense would surely be passed on to consumers,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a mortgage data tracker in Pompton Lakes. “The price of mortgage money will increase,” he said.

July 13, 2008 — “More Story Than a Loan Merited,” by Washington Post Ombudsman Deborah Howell:

Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, was quoted in Stephens’s story as saying that Obama “did better than average. It’s a good deal.” Gumbinger also told me that the rate “was not out of the boundaries” of what other borrowers were offered. “Frankly, any reasonably savvy borrower should have been able to do better than average. That context was missing from the story,” he said.

July 12, 2008 — “Worries batter mortgage giants, Administration moves to rebuild confidence, avoid a takeover,” a Baltimore Sun article by Jamie Smith Hopkins:

“The last thing anyone wants to see is higher rates,” said Keith T. Gumbinger, a vice president at financial publisher HSH Associates. “That could induce even further downward pressure on home prices.”

July 12, 2008 — “Ripple Effects From Fannie And Freddie, Mortgage Giants’ Problems Could Mean Higher Loan Rates,” a Washington Post article by Nancy Trejos:

“It’s unclear what twists and turns this will take, but they have to raise capital,” said Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, which publishes loan information.

July 12, 2008 — “Freddie, Fannie having problems, Shore mortgage brokers say lenders already have tightened their standards,” an Asbury Park Press article by Michael L. Diamond:

The problem? “All loans in the marketplace are pressured by falling home prices,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains company that tracks mortgage rates.

July 12, 2008 — “Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Turmoil Pose New Economic ‘Headwind,’” a Bloomberg article by Matthew Benjamin and Craig Torres:

“Even if the government steps in with some type of rescue, mortgage rates may rise as much as half a percentage point as the cost of selling mortgage-backed securities rises,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of mortgage research firm HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, New Jersey.

July 12, 2008 — “How Fallout Could Affect Main Street,” a New York Times article by Ron Lieber:

“That increased cost must be passed along; it’s the nature of the beast,” says Keith T. Gumbinger, vice president of the financial publisher HSH Associates, where he has tracked mortgage rates for more than two decades.

July 11, 2008 — “Fannie, Freddie Turmoil May Hike Rates, Slow Recovery (Update1),” a Bloomberg article by Kathleen M. Howley:

“Home loan rates would go up by one percentage point, to about 7.3 percent, if the companies failed because borrowers would have to pay private market rates,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of mortgage research firm HSH Associates in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. “Even if the government steps in, rates could gain as much as half a percentage point as the cost of selling mortgage-backed securities rises,” he said.

July 12, 2008 — “Saving After the Sale, You can win big at closing by junking junk fees and shopping around,” a Washington Post article by Renae Merle:

“One lender may include a document preparation fee that the other doesn’t, but the second lender has a processing fee,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a mortgage information company based in New Jersey. “It all makes direct comparisons difficult.”

July 11, 2008 — “Rates could rise on Fannie, Freddie woes, If your mortgage is owned by agencies, though, don’t panic,” a Market Watch article by Amy Hoak:

“It’s hard to gauge just how much rates might rise,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage and consumer loan information. “But any significant rate spike would be another blow to housing markets that are already struggling,” he added.

July 11, 2008 — “Fieldstone bankruptcy plan OK’d by judge,” a Baltimore Sun article by Tricia Bishop:

“They’ve emerged from bankruptcy only to perhaps find the most difficult operating environment maybe ever, but certainly of the last 25 years,” said Keith T. Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, a financial publisher.

“IndyMac to stop most mortgage loans, cut 3,800 jobs,” a Reuters article by Jonathan Stempel:

“IndyMac had been a well-regarded player in mortgages but given how the market is, it may be easier to restart such a business in the future than maintain one now,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a Pompton Plains, New Jersey-based mortgage information publisher.

July 2, 2008 — “Obama Got Discount on Home Loan, Campaign Defends Lower Rate as Lender Competition for Business,” a Washington Post article by Joe Stephens:

“It’s certainly safe to say that this borrower did better than average,” said Keith Gumbinger, an HSH vice president, noting that consumer rates vary widely. “It’s a good deal.”

June 29, 2008 — “Demand for bigger jumbo mortgages is slow to materialize,” a Chicago Tribune article by Walter Hamilton:

“It has rolled out somewhat slower than people expected,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president at mortgage research firm HSH Associates. “Not that many borrowers have been able to take advantage of this yet.”