Analysts predict housing trends for '04 - 2004-01-02
It was hard to ignore the housing headlines in 2003, with both existing homes and new homes regularly breaking sales records.

Michael Sklarz, chief valuation officer for Fidelity National Financial, says a handful of coastal markets are vulnerable to home-price declines — Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and New York. But he said mortgage rates would have to soar above 8 percent "or beyond for there to be any significant declines."
Read the full story at Honolulu Advertiser

US mortgage bond spreads narrow on seasonal demand - 2004-01-02
U.S. mortgage-backed security prices dropped on Friday, but spreads over Treasuries narrowed by
some degree, as some dealers shrugged off recent selling and bought the securities to prepare for possible investor demand next week.

Banks could buy large quantities of mortgage-backeds next week, taking advantage of the healthy return they can earn by borrowing at low short-term rates and investing in higher-
yielding mortgage-backeds, a trader said.
Read the full story at Reuters via Forbes