Fannie Mae: Economy Will ‘Reaccelerate’ in 2nd Half of 2013

Fiscal drags such as the sequester may have weakened economic momentum, but the economy should “reaccelerate” in the second half of this year as financial and housing conditions improve, according to Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group.

In its most recent economic outlook, the group revealed expectations for the economy to continue the modest recovery and grow 2.2 percent this year, up from 1.7 percent in 2012 and 2 percent in 2011.

“Employment numbers are getting better, albeit it at a relatively slow pace, and the April employment picture should help boost consumer sentiment toward the economy overall. Spending grew in the first quarter at a surprisingly strong pace, and although this rate is unlikely to hold up, consumers continue to show signs of resilience in the face of fiscal concerns,” said Doug Duncan, chief economist for Fannie Mae.

Experts See Risk of a Housing Bubble Resulting from Fed Policies

A majority of real estate experts responding to a recentZillow survey expressed some concern that the Federal Reserve’s current policies could lead to another housing bubble.

Only 4 percent of respondents are not at all worried about a bubble resulting from the Fed’s monetary policy that is keeping mortgage rates down. However, 48 percent see the Fed’s policies as “a little risky,” and the remaining 48 percent categorized the risk as “moderate to high risk.”

“How the Federal Reserve handles the eventual winding down of its policy of quantitative easing will be critical in determining if the current period of rapid appreciation is a benign bounce off the bottom or a more dangerous bubble being re-inflated,” said Stan Humphries, chief economist at Zillow.