Bill McBride — Comment on House Prices: Real Prices, Price-to-Rent Ratio, Cities

Even if you don't follow housing closely, this is something to be aware of. Charts illustrate if you just want a quick overview. Housing seems to have bottomed and recovery is in progress. As Bill notes, the figures are through June and don't take into consideration the recent rise in mortgage rates. Latest reports are indicating that this is having an adverse effect on the recovery, along with stagnant incomes in a weak economic recovery and credit still relatively tight.

Calculated Risk
Comment on House Prices: Real Prices, Price-to-Rent Ratio, Cities
Bill McBride

Hale Stewart — Mortgage Rates Rise; Mortgage Bonds Drop

The Financial Times outlines the the potential problems: "The change could affect the US economy in two ways: by making new loans less affordable, it could damp the recent recovery in house prices; and it could reduce the number of Americans refinancing into cheaper mortgages, eliminating savings that have boosted consumer spending." 

Bonddad
Mortgage Rates Rise; Mortgage Bonds Drop
Hale Stewart

hbl — Cutting Interest Rates to Boost the Economy: A Fallacy of Composition just like the False Notion of Cutting Wages to Create Jobs?

hbl thinks though monetary policy in terms of a plausible transmission mechanism, i.e., not "expectations."

Read it at Thought Offerings — on macroeconomics, markets, MMT, and more
Cutting Interest Rates to Boost the Economy: A Fallacy of Composition just like the False Notion of Cutting Wages to Create Jobs?

by hbl