Mortgage Rates Decrease

Despite the economic slowdown due to weakening manufacturing and corporate investment, the consumer side of the economy remains on solid ground. The fifty-year low in the unemployment rate combined with low mortgage rates has led to increased homebuyer demand this year. Much of this strength is coming from entry-level buyers – the first-time homebuyer share of the loans Freddie Mac purchased in 2019 is forty-six percent, a two-decade high.