Shutdown Squeeze Play May Cause Mortgage Fallout

Mortgage rates slipped downward for the third consecutive week; but before would-be refinancers and home buyers cheer too loudly, they may want to ponder the reason why. The federal government shutdown is creating a dark cloud that overhangs all aspects of finance. On October 3, Freddie Mac announced that 30-year mortgage rates had declined for the third straight week, reaching their lowest level since late June at 4.22 percent. With coverage of the government shutdown dominating the news media,...