Falling Oil=Falling Rates: How Oil Prices Affect Your Mortgage

We all know falling oil means more discretionary spending, with obvious repercussions, but did you ever think that falling oil would mean falling mortgage rates? Most real estate economists have been forecasting mortgage rates will rise in 2015, but the recent steep drop in oil prices could change all that. According to analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, an examination of break-even inflation rates suggests sharply lower oil prices are a key driver of the 90 basis points rally in 10-year Treasurys and the 60 basis points drop in mortgage rates in 2014. "The possibility of further declines in oil prices increases the chances that mortgage rates drop to the 3.25%-3.5% range that we believe is necessary to get housing back to affordable levels for many," says Chris Flannigan, ABS and MBS strategist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Full Article