Tax Extension Fine Print, MBS Catch a Break, Inflation Indicators
The Federal tax deadline was delayed to May 17th but please read the fine print – not all states have extended their deadline to conform with federal guidelines and some states have even pushed it out further. If you are self employed and you pay quarterly estimated taxes, the due date for first quarterly payment […]
Mars House, Mild Inflation, Strong Home Sales
Tired of getting beat out making offers on homes, why not purchase a digital one? This home is chalk full of features including gem-like furniture made from tempered glass & a roof embedded with MicroLEDs capable of displaying different colors or even landscapes – did I mention that the backyard view is in Mars? If […]
New Stimulus, Strong Equity, Light Inflation
$1.9T in Stimulus includes: $1,400 to individuals meeting requirements$300 additional weekly unemployment benefits extendeduntil Sept 6th, gig workers can qualify. Student loan forgiveness not taxable through 2025! Child Tax Credit is now more generous increasing as much as $3,600 per child. Rates – Increased again this week continuing the 2 month trend. Rates are down […]
Propane Demand, Mortgage Rates Increase, Home Building
Pandeminomics: If you have tried to find propane recently (this week I felt the squeeze on bar & chain oil & non-ethanol gasoline) you must understand that 50% of people get their heat from liquid propane or natural gas in this country. When power goes out people turn to propane and non-ethanol gas to run […]
Dumplings for a Party, Mortgage Rates Increase, Tepid Inflation
Happy Lunar New Year! Hope everyone is enjoying time with family & friends and eating lots of good food. A big thank you to all of our clients, business partners, friends & family for the great year of the Rat. We are sad to cancel our annual dumpling party – instead I made a video […]
Short Squeeze, Fed Still Buying, Strong Home Sales
If you are like me your probably read at least 5 stories about Gamestop this week. This is a great example of a ‘short squeeze.’ There has been other speculation about ‘pump and dump’ strategies and whether it really is a David vs. Goliath story (Cleary in runs like this the ones that got in […]
Thanksgiving Dinner 35 Year Low, Homes Appreciate 7% Nationwide
For 2020, the average cost of a Thanksgiving Dinner for 10 people was $46.90. This is a 4% decrease from last year and the lowest level since 2010. If you adjust for inflation, there hasn’t been a cheaper year since the survey started in 1986. Turkey prices dropped 7% year over year to $1.21 per […]
Turkey Futures, Loan Performance, Tepid Inflation
As someone that loves turkey leftovers (porridge, ramen, pasta, tacos) I’ve never had a problem buying/eating a larger. This year we will likely see an oversupply of turkey and lower turkey prices after peak season. Rates – ended the week where they started with some fluctuation in response to Pfizer’s vaccine announcement (upward pressure) as […]
Migration Data, Jobs Update, Inflation
This NPR story interviews Marie Patino from Bloomberg City Lab as she wrote an article that interprets the migration data during early Covid-19. Though dated to the beginning of the pandemic, it helps address the anecdotal ‘exodus from large cities’. In the US, Manhattan and San Francisco are experiencing urban flight (homes sales in Manhattan […]
Home Improvements Rise, Inflation Up, Jobs Update
Google home improvement searches are up 50% from last year. 3/4 homeowners surveyed by porch.com reported they had completed major home remodels since covid. Deck construction is up 275%, landscaping hires are up 238%, and fence installation is up 144%. More time at home, extra cash on hand (from not going out/traveling), and low interest […]