Turtle Quote of the Day: “If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is he homeless or naked?” – George Carlin
Today in Economic History: It was on this date in 1805 when a strike by shoemakers (called cordwainers back then) was abruptly ended when local police intervened under orders from a local judge. This marked the first time an employer sought help from the courts to end a strike.
Possible Game Show Answer: Alaska is simultaneously the westernmost and easternmost state. This may explain why Alaska has more bipolar people than any other state. (*I made that last sentence up, but admit it – you read it and it sort of made sense.)
Wuss’up This Week: Lots of reports on our economy being released this week that can impact interest rates. Today we’ve got Existing Home Sales, tomorrow New Home Sales, and on Friday Durable-goods Orders and Consumer Sentiment. If these reports come in good for the economy you’ll see rates tick up, and vice versa if the numbers disappoint.
Interest Rate Update: For loans at $250k or less rates are at around 6.625% for a 30yr fixed conforming loan, and in the high-6s for loans at $251k-$766k. For jumbo 30yr fixed (*over $766k) we find them in the low-7s for a 7yr ARM and mid-7s for a 30yr fixed. As usual rates will vary based on if you’re a first time homebuyer, credit score, type of home, equity in the home, and if you like the worst horror movies ever made.
Don’t Forget to Remember: Any purchase or refinance loan that closes with me I will waive $450 in lender fees! Grab yourself a cup of instant karma and pass my info along to any friends, family, coworkers, or people that like gardening naked (how did Evanston make this list??) that can use this gift.
Turtle Quote of the Day 2: “My workout goals are simple: I’d like to be able to get up off the floor without looking like a turtle trying to flip itself back over.” – @sixfootcandy
Timeout for Trivia: Congrats to those who correctly guessed Amanda Seyfried last week!
Want to be entered into a drawing to win Mean Girls Pencils? Simply email me the answer to this week’s Who Am I? question. Good luck: “If you told me tomorrow is my birthday, I would tell you you’re right! I was born a long time ago in a city called the Mistake By the Lake, and that’s where I developed my comedy skills – eventually doing stand-up comedy. From there is was onto my own show – named after me! This ran for nine seasons (starting in the mid-90s). In 2007 I hit it big, replacing a man whose last name sounds perfect for the PSA he would say at the end of each show. Aside from that job, I still make appearances here and there – i.e. The Simpsons a few times, NCIS, The Masked Singer, and in 2014 as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars. And even though I’m loyal to my hometown sports teams, you might find me rooting for a certain Seattle team that I own a portion of.”
The Adieu Mortgage Haiku:
Good news, Mortgage Fans
You have two shopping days left
Until my birthday
