If you’re wondering if mortgage rates can go any lower, the answer is “yes” – at least for another week. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to a record 2.78 percent this week, according to the Primary Mortgage Market Survey released by Freddie Mac on Thursday. It is the lowest rate recorded in the survey’s history, dating to 1971. The survey found: The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.78 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from last week’s 2.81 percent and last year’s 3.69 percent.The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.32 percent with an average 0.6 point, unchanged from last week and down from last year’s 3.13 percent.The 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage averaged 2.89 percent with an average 0.3 point,…
Mortgage applications edged up 3.8 percent for the week, as refinances and home purchases remain significantly higher than a year ago, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Mortgage Bankers Association. For the week ending October 30, refinances increased 6 percent from the previous week and were 88 percent higher than a year ago. Purchase applications were down 3 percent for the week but remained 25 percent higher than last year. The refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 68.7 percent of total applications from 66.7 percent the previous week. The adjustable-rate mortgage share of activity remained unchanged at 2.1 percent of total applications. “After a solid stretch of purchase applications growth, activity decreased for the fifth time…
Led by homeowners and renters in the Northeast, more than a quarter of Americans say they want to or have already moved due to the recent spate of fires, floods and hurricanes, according to a new report by Redfin. The survey found that 27 percent of Americans said the natural disasters made them want to move, 23 percent said they like where they live more and half said it has had no impact. “Climate change still doesn’t feel like an immediate threat to a lot of people, but as more folks come face to face with wildfires, hurricanes and floods, we’ll see an increase in the number of Americans who consider moving due to natural disasters,” said Redfin chief economist…
More than seven months after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, 5.8 percent of mortgages in the United States remain in forbearance, according to the latest report released by the Mortgage Bankers Association. MBA’s weekly forbearance survey found that 2.9 million homeowners are in forbearance plans, including: 5.83 percent of all mortgages were in forbearance as of October 25, down from 5.90 percent the week before.Ginnie Mae loans in forbearance decreased from 8.17 percent to 8.13 percent.Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans in forbearance decreased from 3.72 percent to 3.66 percent.Independent mortgage bank loans in forbearance dropped from 6.35 percent to 6.27 percent.Bank-managed mortgages held steady at 5.86 percent. “With more borrowers exiting forbearance in the prior week, the share…
Delinquency rates for commercial and multifamily property mortgages declined in October as the Covid-19 pandemic stretched into the fall, according to a survey released Monday by the Mortgage Bankers Association. The survey found: 94.6 percent of outstanding loan balances were current, up from 94.3 percent in September.3.4 percent were 90+ days delinquent, down from 3.5 percent a month earlier.0.6 percent were 60-90 days delinquent, which is unchanged from September).0.6 percent were 30-60 days delinquent, down from 0.7 percent.0.7 percent were less than 30 days delinquent, down from 0.9 percent. “Commercial and multifamily mortgage performance improved in October, but there continues to be evidence of elevated stress, especially among loans backed by retail and lodging properties,” said Jamie Woodwell, MBA’s Vice…
Renters tend to be prioritizing making monthly payments to their landlords amid the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new analysis conducted by Freddie Mac. Freddie Mac’s study found: 93.6 percent of renters paid full or partial rent in May.94.2 percent paid full or partial rent in June. The finding most closely aligns with the National Multifamily Housing Council Rental Payment Tracker, which reported 95.1 percent in May and 95.5 percent in June. “The surveys analyzed in this report provide valuable insight into the rental market during this unprecedented time and it is important to consider what each source captures and how that fits into the bigger picture,” said Steve Guggenmos, vice president of Multifamily Research and Modeling at Freddie Mac. “The…
Mortgage rates increased this week ever so slightly as they continue to hover at historic lows during the Covid-19 pandemic, Freddie Mac announced Thursday in its weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The survey found: The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.81 percent with an average 0.7 point, up slightly from last week’s record 2.80 percent and down from last year’s 3.78 percent.The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.32 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from last week’s 2.33 percent and last year’s 3.19 percent.The 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage averaged 2.88 percent with an average 0.3 point, up from last week’s 2.87 percent and down from last year’s 3.43 percent. “The record low mortgage rate environment is providing tangible support to…
Sales of newly built single-family homes fell slightly in September – but remained significantly higher than a year ago, according to a report released by the National Association of Home Builders. New home sales fell 3.5 percent from August to September. The September rate is 32.1 percent higher than 2019, and new home sales are up 16.9 percent overall this year. “With sales up 32 percent from a year ago, the demand for new single-family homes remains strong as interest rates are at historic lows,” NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke said. “However, the recent run-up in lumber and other material costs is leading to an increase in pricing.” New home sales were up across the country in 2020, including 22.5 percent…
Mortgage applications increased slightly in the latest weekly report released Wednesday by the Mortgage Bankers Association. The survey found: Mortgage applications for the week ending October 23 increased 1.7 percent from a week earlier.The Refinance Index increased 3 percent from the previous week and was 80 percent higher than the same week a year ago.The Purchase Index decreased 0.3 percent from the previous week and was 24 percent higher than the same week a year ago.The refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 66.7 percent of total applications from 66.1 percent the previous week.The adjustable-rate mortgage share of activity increased to 2.1 percent of total applications. “Mortgage applications to buy a home were flat compared to the prior week,…
The official numbers are in – and home prices continue to surge in the United States. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported Tuesday that home prices increased 1.5 percent in August from the previous month – and a whopping 8 percent from August 2019 amid historically low interest rates and a shortage of homes on the market during the Covid-19 pandemic. For the nine census divisions, monthly house price increases ranged from 0.9 percent in the East South Central division to 1.9 percent in the West South Central division. The annual increases changes ranged from 7.2 percent in the West North Central division to 9.7 percent in the Mountain division. “This large month-over-month gain contributes to an already strong increase…
