MAY 2, 2025 – It is really difficult to write anything about the economy after the passing of KC Conway, CRE, MAI this week. KC was a great guy. Brilliant mind. The last 20+ years of his career he turned his focus to being an economist. Everyone liked KC. A rare individual. He will be missed by our industry and obviously his family and friends. RIP my friend.
Very briefly, 1st Quarter GDP came in at a -0.3%. As I mentioned in my April 5th post, and last August, the stock market was forecasting a huge negative surprise for this quarter. 99%+ of us had no clue what would cause it. That doesn’t matter. The stock market just says it will happen.
My last email to KC went unanswered. I now know why. I was wondering how much of the GDP reading was attributed to the extreme import trade as companies rushed to beat the tariffs. KC never replied. I have since heard it was probably around 2.0%. So, the actual GDP would have been around +1.7%.
As the import trade will be the reverse in the 2nd Quarter and companies will have stopped ordering from overseas, this will ‘falsely’ inflate the GDP by a similar amount. Early indications are around +2%. This might fall as the economy will definitely be weakening into the Summer. But, the odds of two consecutive negative GDP quarterly readings is very low. Thus, an ‘official’ recession is unlikely at this point.
That said, the market has forecast significant weakness at the beginning of the Fall. Things should be much clearer by then.
As an aside, the DOW Industrials never did trigger a Bear Market. They came close like last August.
That’s enough. Remember, to enjoy EVERY day of your life. We do not know when it will be our last.
Shalom,
The Mann
Tag Archives: KC Conway
TO REITERATE – MORTGAGE RATES ARE NOT AN ISSUE
MARCH 22, 2024 – The following is from an article by Gabriella Cruz-Martinez of Yahoo Finance on March 21st:
“Sales of previously occupied US homes gained momentum in February as buyers accepted the new normal of higher mortgage rates.
Existing home sales surged 9.5% in February from the month before to an annualized rate of 4.38 million, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported Thursday. That was almost 6% higher than a year earlier and marked the largest monthly increase in a year.
Sales picked up last month, even as mortgage rates flirted with 7%.”
My June 15, 2023 post titled “CAN PEOPLE AFFORD 7% MORTGAGE RATES?” appears to have been accurate and played out as I predicted. I will simply show a few quotes here. You can revisit the post if you want to read it in its entirety.
A side note, the S&P HomeBuilders Index is at all-time highs. It is up almost 75% since the October low. Even with the supply of new homes soaring, the market has no worries of a housing bust occurring this year.
Shalom,
The Mann
Excerpts from my June 15, 2023 post:
JUNE 15, 2023 – YES! The simple answer is, of course!
I saw a survey this week where people said they needed mortgage rates to drop to about 4% for them to afford a new house. As my friend The Red-Shoe Economist, KC Conway, would say ‘I call BBQ-Sauce!’
People can afford a 7% mortgage rate. They can afford a 10% mortgage rate! Us old-timers remember when a rate below 10% was a bargain.
By this time next year when the world realizes the day of artificially low interest rates is history and will not return, they will simply adjust to living with 7%-8%+ mortgage rates and supply and demand analyses will work the same as they did before. People adjust. They always have. It’s just easier to complain before facing reality and adjusting the way they do things. Human nature.
“Sales of previously occupied US homes gained momentum in February as buyers accepted the new normal of higher mortgage rates.
Existing home sales surged 9.5% in February from the month before to an annualized rate of 4.38 million, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported Thursday. That was almost 6% higher than a year earlier and marked the largest monthly increase in a year.
Sales picked up last month, even as mortgage rates flirted with 7%.”
My June 15, 2023 post titled “CAN PEOPLE AFFORD 7% MORTGAGE RATES?” appears to have been accurate and played out as I predicted. I will simply show a few quotes here. You can revisit the post if you want to read it in its entirety.
A side note, the S&P HomeBuilders Index is at all-time highs. It is up almost 75% since the October low. Even with the supply of new homes soaring, the market has no worries of a housing bust occurring this year.
Shalom,
The Mann
Excerpts from my June 15, 2023 post:
JUNE 15, 2023 – YES! The simple answer is, of course!
I saw a survey this week where people said they needed mortgage rates to drop to about 4% for them to afford a new house. As my friend The Red-Shoe Economist, KC Conway, would say ‘I call BBQ-Sauce!’
People can afford a 7% mortgage rate. They can afford a 10% mortgage rate! Us old-timers remember when a rate below 10% was a bargain.
By this time next year when the world realizes the day of artificially low interest rates is history and will not return, they will simply adjust to living with 7%-8%+ mortgage rates and supply and demand analyses will work the same as they did before. People adjust. They always have. It’s just easier to complain before facing reality and adjusting the way they do things. Human nature.
CAN PEOPLE AFFORD 7% MORTGAGE RATES?
JUNE 15, 2023 – YES! The simple answer is, of course!
I saw a survey this week where people said they needed mortgage rates to drop to about 4% for them to afford a new house. As my friend The Red-Shoe Economist, KC Conway, would say ‘I call BBQ-Sauce!’
People can afford a 7% mortgage rate. They can afford a 10% mortgage rate! Us old-timers remember when a rate below 10% was a bargain.
People buy a mortgage payment. They do not buy a home price. Everyone knows that. So, all people have to do is adjust the price downward (and the mortgage amount is obviously based on the purchase price…for simplicity, I will assume a 100% LTV since people do not put much money down).
Let’s say someone can afford a $2,000/month PITI (for now, assume no escrow). At a 4%, 30-year mortgage, they could buy a $418,922 house. Technically, a higher price if the LTV was less than 100%.
At a 7% mortgage rate, the $2,000/month PITI can buy a $300,615 house. The point is they can still afford a house at a higher interest rate. They just have to adjust the price category they look at. They do the same thing when interest rates go down – they look at houses pricier than they really need. Well, adjust in the other direction when rates go up! Life is so simple.
Also, one major benefit to the above that gets overlooked is it is alot easier to save for a down payment on a $300k house than a $420k house! People have a much easier time of getting into a new house when they adjust their price target downward.
Combine the above with a low inventory and you probably have an explanation for home prices rising every month this year. Demand remains strong. People can afford houses at the new interest rate level.
Lastly, I find the argument that the public cannot afford a house payment at 7% interest weak when they can afford to run up their credit card debt at 18.99%-26.99%+ interest rates!!!!!! Another way to more easily afford a mortgage payment at current rates is to not have credit card debt! Adjust your way of living. It’s that simple.
By this time next year when the world realizes the day of artificially low interest rates is history and will not return, they will simply adjust to living with 7%-8%+ mortgage rates and supply and demand analyses will work the same as they did before. People adjust. They always have. It’s just easier to complain before facing reality and adjusting the way they do things. Human nature.
Shalom,
The Mann