Jan 18 (Reuters) - Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp :
* FREDDIE MAC - “STARTING OFF YEAR, THINGS ARE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD FOR U.S. ECONOMY AND HOUSING MARKETS”
* FREDDIE MAC - FORECAST MODERATING GROWTH IN U.S. HOUSING MARKET ACTIVITY THROUGH NEXT TWO YEARS
* FREDDIE MAC-HOME SALES (6.35 MILLION), HOUSING CONSTRUCTION (1.3 MILLION STARTS), HOUSE PRICES (5.7 PERCENT INCREASE) EXPECTED TO BE MODESTLY HIGHER IN JAN 2018
* FREDDIE MAC - “THERE ARE FACTORS WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON IN 2018, NAMELY, IS ANOTHER RECESSION ON HORIZON”
* FREDDIE MAC - FACTORS ALSO WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON IN 2018 IS HOW WILL HOUSING MARKETS RESPOND TO DECLINING HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
* FREDDIE MAC - WHILE GROWTH TO REMAIN POSITIVE ,”WE DON’T EXPECT IT TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO GENERATE INCOME GAINS THAT KEEP PACE WITH HOUSE PRICES”
* FREDDIE MAC - ANTICIPATE THAT SHORT-TERM RATES WILL FOLLOW FOMC POLICY ACTIONS IN 2018 AND HEAD HIGHER
* FREDDIE MAC - IF ITS ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INFLATION FORECAST HOLDS, THEN THE FOMC WILL LIKELY RAISE RATES THREE TO FOUR TIMES IN 2018
* FREDDIE MAC - UNLIKE IN 2017, LONG-TERM INTEREST RATES WILL NOT HOLD STEADY, BUT WILL ALSO HEAD HIGHER
* FREDDIE MAC-IF TAX REFORM BILL RESULTS IN HIGHER THAN EXPECTED GROWTH AND/OR INFLATION PICKED UP MORE THAN EXPECTED, MORTGAGE INTEREST RATES MAY SPIKE
* FREDDIE MAC SAYS “IT DOESN’T APPEAR THAT ANOTHER RECESSION IS IMMINENT, BUT SIGNS ARE ACCUMULATING” Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: