Your Lake of the Ozarks Mortgage Lender: February 2014

Monday, February 24, 2014

Harsh Winter Weather May Cause the Feds to Increase Purchases of Mortgage Bonds

"Winter is coming." George R.R. Martin. Winter has long arrived in many parts of the country, and it is being cited as a reason for several weaker than expected economic reports. Read on for details, and what they mean for home loan rates.

After making important improvements last year, the housing sector has struggled of late. January Housing Starts declined by 16 percent from December, and have been declining since November's annual rate of 1.101 million, which was the highest since 2008. Building Permits, a sign of future construction, also fell 5 percent in January from December, while Existing Home Sales declined by 5.1 percent.

In addition, the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index came in at 46, the lowest reading since last May. Readings over 50 indicate that more builders view conditions as good, rather than poor. The NAHB said that weather conditions across the country led to a decline in buyer traffic last month.

In the manufacturing sector, both the Empire State Manufacturing Index and the Philadelphia Fed Index fell in February, coming in well below expectations. The labor market is also struggling, as Weekly Initial Jobless Claims came in at 336,000 and continue to hover around this number. Meanwhile, inflation at both the consumer and wholesale level remains tame.

What does this mean for home loan rates? Remember that the Fed is now purchasing $35 billion in Treasuries and $30 billion in Mortgage Bonds (the type of Bonds on which home loan rates are based) to help stimulate the economy and housing market. This is down from the original $85 billion per month that the Fed had been purchasing. The minutes from the Fed's recent meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee revealed a lack of consensus on this topic. If economic data continues to be weak, the Fed may have to rethink the tapering it has begun. This will be a key story that could impact the markets and home loan rates in the weeks and months to come.

The bottom line is that now remains a great time to consider a home purchase or refinance, as home loan rates remain attractive compared to historical levels. Let me know if I can answer any questions at all for you or your clients.

I would love the opportunity to help you manage your Lake of the Ozarks Mortgage Loan or refinance. Give me a call at (573) 746-7211 or send me an email at mlasson@fsbfinancial.com with any questions you may have!!

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Michael Lasson

Sr. Residential Mortgage Lender

NMLS #: 493712

2265 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Suite B

PO Box 1449

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Direct: (573) 746-7211

Cell: (573) 216-7258

Fax:(573) 693-9141

Email: mlasson@fsbfinancial.com

Monday, February 17, 2014

It's Time to Take the Plunge for Special Olympics!!

The weather is warming up just in time for the 2014 Lake of the Ozarks Polar Plunge and there is STILL time to get your team registered! The event is this Saturday February 22 at the Lake of the Ozarks Public Beach #2.

The Polar Plunge is a unique and fun fundraising event for the Special Olympics Missouri. Each participating plunger will collect donations and pledges to commit to plunge into the icy waters of Lake of the Ozarks. The event has brought more than 600 plungers and raised more than $200,000 in past years.

Participating Plungers and teams are encouraged to come in fun and wacky costumes or themes to entertain viewers and be judged by the panel. If you're not sure about taking the dive, you can still participate by donating online, financially supporting a plunger or coming out to cheer them on as they brave the cold!!

Here is the schedule of Events:

Registration - 12:00pm-2:00pm
Parade Lineup for Judging - 1:50pm
Parade of Costumes - 2:00 pm
Announcements & Plungers' Oath - 2:15pm
Polar Plunge Begins 2:30 pm
Post-Plunge Party at Tan-Tar-A Resort 4:00pm-7:00pm

If you are interested in participating or making a donation please visit the Lake of the Ozark Polar Plunge Site. Hope to see you there!!

For Lake area news, resources and tips on financial services, please

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Michael Lasson

Sr. Residential Mortgage Lender

NMLS #: 493712

2265 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Suite B

PO Box 1449

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Direct: (573) 746-7211

Cell: (573) 216-7258

Fax:(573) 693-9141

Email: mlasson@fsbfinancial.com

Monday, February 10, 2014

6 Habits of Highly Successful Connectors

Networking is important for finding prospects, referral sources, and bringing in new business...but attending network functions alone is not enough. If you want networking to yield the best results, you've got to be a good connector!

Back in 1936, Dale Carnegie published the timeless business classic How to Win Friends and Influence People. In it he describes "six ways to make people like you" and it is the foundation for connecting with others.

Be genuinely interested in people. Passion is an infectious quality, and being interested in other people's success requires passion.
Smile. According to Carnegie you should smile a lot...even when you're talking on the phone! Modern research shows that facial expressions and body language aren't just a reflection of emotions, they can actually influence them.
Remember their name. Carnegie says there is no sweeter sound to people than their own name. If you have trouble with names here are five tricks that can help.
Encourage people to talk about themselves. Asking lots of questions doesn't just reinforce you care about people, it gives you information for making relevant contact later on. The rule of thumb is "two ears, one mouth." In other words, listen twice as much as you talk.
Then...talk in term of their interests. When it's your turn to talk, frame things in light of the other person's interests. Stay on topic and ask their opinion—you should quickly be able to keep any conversation going for as long as someone is willing to speak to you.
Make sure people know they are important. There are many ways you can let people know they are important—"thank you notes" are one way. But if you deal with clients on a regular basis, aside from doing a good job, make sure the system you create for delivering that service is both intentional and unique. When you give people a great experience, they will return to you again and again.

Give these helpful tips a try and feel free to pass them along to your team, clients, and colleagues. If we haven't already, I hope to get the opportunity to CONNECT with you soon!

For Lake area news, resources and tips on financial services, please

LIKE my Facebook Page, Follow me on Twitter or Connect on LinkedIn

Michael Lasson

Sr. Residential Mortgage Lender
NMLS #: 493712

2265 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Suite B

PO Box 1449

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Direct: (573) 746-7211

Cell: (573) 216-7258

Fax:(573) 693-9141

Email: mlasson@fsbfinancial.com

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

2013 New Home Sales Increased by 16%

"Cold as Ice." Foreigner. While many parts of the nation were dealing with icy conditions last week, the markets were heating up with a slew of economic reports and another taper announcement by the Fed. Read on for details.

There was a mix of good and bad housing news last week, as Pending Home Sales were down 8.7 percent in December from November. The report cited harsh weather for the decline. New Home Sales also fell by 7 percent from November to December, to an annual rate of 414,000. While the December number was below expectations, there was good news for 2013 overall, as builders sold an estimated 428,000 new homes—16 percent more than in 2012.

Research firm CoreLogic also reported that completed foreclosures declined 14 percent from December 2012 to December 2013. However, the Case Shiller 20-city Home Price Index fell by 0.1 percent from October to November, the first decline since October to November of 2012. Overall, the housing market continues to improve.

Also of note, December Durable Goods Orders (orders for items that last for an extended period of time) fell by 4.3 percent, the biggest decline since July. Meanwhile, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of 2013 rose by 3.2 percent. This was above expectations, but below the 4.1 percent recorded in the third quarter of last year. The gains were led by a burst of consumer spending and an uptick in business investments. This is significant, as GDP is the broadest measure of economic activity. And inflation continues to remain tame, according to the Personal Consumption Expenditures Index.

What does this mean for home loan rates? Despite some weak economic reports, the Fed decided to taper its Bond purchase program by an additional $10 billion, noting that economic activity has picked up and the labor market continues to improve. Beginning in February, the Fed will now be purchasing $35 billion in Treasuries and $30 billion in Mortgage Bonds (the type of Bonds on which home loan rates are based). These purchases have been designed to stimulate the economy and housing market, and the figure is now down from the $85 billion in Bonds and Treasuries the Fed had been purchasing last year.

The timing of further tapering by the Fed will impact Stocks, Bonds and home loan rates throughout the year. It is a key story to monitor as we move further ahead in 2014.

The bottom line is that now remains a great time to consider a home purchase or refinance, as home loan rates remain attractive compared to historical levels. Let me know if I can answer any questions at all for you or your clients.