Today’s News Synopsis:

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported a 12% decrease in mortgage applications after two weeks.  Freddie Mac released their latest Multi-Indicator Market Index report, showing which cities’ housing markets ranked the highest.  The Federal Reserve sees a more positive outcome to rasing rates as opposed to risks.

In The News:

Bloomberg – “Fed Officials Endorse Gradual Rate Hikes as Upside Risks Debated” (1-4-17)

“Federal Reserve officials focused on the impact of potential fiscal stimulus during their December policy meeting, with many starting to worry that the central bank might eventually be forced to quicken the pace of interest-rate increases to head off higher inflation.”

DS News – “Housing Shows Strength in Numbers” (1-4-17)

“If you’ve ever wondered how much every home in America is worth combined, the latest Real Estate Analytics report by Zillow will do the math for you.”

Mortgage Bankers Association – “Mortgage Applications Decreased Over Two Week Period in Latest MBA Weekly Survey” (1-4-17)

“Mortgage applications decreased 12 percent from two weeks earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 30, 2016.”

CNBC – “Why 2017 will finally be the year of the smart home: Consumers figure it out” (1-4-17)

“There are tons of high-tech gadgets to make homes “smarter” today, but homeowners are not asking for them as much as you might think.”

Bloomberg – “Sears Gets $500 Million Loan, With Real Estate Deal in Mind” (1-4-17)

“Sears Holdings Corp. is banking on making another big real estate deal.  Chief Executive Officer Eddie Lampert has agreed to loan the company $500 million, secured by Sears’s properties, in anticipation that a future sale of its sprawling real estate could help pay back debts.”

DS News – “And the Top-Ranked Metros Are…” (1-4-17)

“The latest Multi-Indicator Market Index (MiMi) by Freddie Mac detailed the improvement to four-fifths of the nation’s housing markets.”

CNBC – “Investors hate real estate stocks – and that could be good news for the sector” (1-4-17)

“The S&P 500’s newest sector isn’t getting much love.  Real estate, which was broken out of the financials at the end of the summer to create an 11th distinct sector, is the most underweighted sector by active managers, according to research from Bank of America Merrill Lynch.”