Mortgage rates ticked down again, the fifth straight week of declines.
Officials at Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.27%, down from 6.28% the week prior.
A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5%.
The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage fell from 5.64% to 5.54%. A year ago, it averaged 4.17%.
“Incoming data suggest inflation remains well above the desired level but showing signs of deceleration,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “These trends, coupled with tight labor markets, are creating increased optimism among prospective homebuyers as the housing market hits its peak in the spring and summer.”
First-time buyers particularly are feeling prepared to enter the market.
More than half of respondents to…
Mortgage applications righted themselves last week after a brief dip as buyers took advantage of cooling rates.
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey says the adjusted Market Composite Index – a measure of mortgage loan application volume – increased by 5.3%, outstripping last week’s 4.1% decline.
Adjusted purchase applications rose by 8%, while the unadjusted index was up 9% from the week before and 31% lower YOY.
The average interest rate for 30-year fixed loans fell from 6.40% to 6.30%. This is the lowest level in two months. MBA’s SVP and Chief Economist Mike Fratantoni attributed this to slowing job market data released last week. Slowing employment leads to less demand for housing, typically pushing rates down, and vice versa.…
Inflation continued its upward march last month but showed signs of cooling, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Consumer Price Index rose 5% YOY in March, down from 6% in February. Month-over-month, inflation was up 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis, compared to 0.4% in February.
The core index, which measures everything but volatile food and fuel costs, ticked up by 0.1% to 5.6% YOY. Though the increase is slight, it’s the first YOY acceleration since September.
“This is obviously a short-term setback for the Fed. However, inflation was never expected to decelerate in a straight line,” Tiffany Wilding, managing director and North American economist at PIMCO, wrote in a note. “[N]otwithstanding this report we…
First-time homebuyers are feeling ready to enter the market, despite facing high prices, rates, and competition.
TD Bank’s First-Time Homebuyer Pulse surveyed more than 1,000 Americans planning to buy a home in 2023 on their perception of the market and feelings of preparedness.
Of that group, 54% say they are now better off financially than they were two years ago. Just under 40% think it’s a good time to buy regardless of broad affordability pressures.
They are conscious of market pressures, and many are choosing to buy a fixer-upper or starter home, specifically looking for lower-priced properties. But the majority feel that homeownership is a good long-term investment and showed signs of financial preparedness such as saving for a down…
Vacation home hunters are poised to face less competition this spring buying season as the number of locks on second homes dwindles.
According to a new report from Redfin, the number of people locking in mortgages for second homes remained close to a 7-year low in March. Locks for these buyers are down by 52% from February 2020, before the pandemic housing boom, and 49% YOY.
In comparison, primary loan locks are only down 13% from pre-pandemic levels, and 29% YOY.
Locks for second homes peaked at 89% in August 2020 as wealthy Americans took advantage of historically low rates and remote work opportunities.
Now, second-home buyers are deterred by high costs and lifestyle changes. Remote work is gradually fading…
Lock volumes increased across the board last month, with purchase locks seeing the greatest gains of any March in the past five years.
Rate locks dollar volumes rose by 43% thanks to retreating rates and greater demand, according to Black Knight’s latest Originations Market Report.
Rates fell by 24 bps by the end of the month, impacted by banking sector uncertainty. They are continuing to shrink moving into April, hitting 6.28% last week.
“It is not unusual for rate locks to surge in March ahead of the spring homebuying season, although this year’s rise outpaced what we typically see on a seasonal basis,” said Andy Walden, vice president of enterprise research at Black Knight.
Purchase locks were up 44% month-over-month…
The average mortgage rate declined for another week, giving buyers planning to finance a home this spring a little more bang for their buck.
Officials at Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.28%, down from 6.32% the week prior.
A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.27%.
The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage increased, however, from 5.56% to 5.64%. A year ago, it averaged 3.91%.
“Mortgage rates continue to trend down entering the traditional spring homebuying season,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.
Retreating rates aren’t enough to bring buyers priced out of the market back.
Mortgage application volume, which had ticked up when rates first began declining, is dropping again as buyers contend…
Property taxes are on the rise, another source of financial stress for Americans.
According to new data released by ATTOM Data, total property taxes on single-family homes across the United States increased by 4% in 2022, totaling $340 billion.
This marks a significant increase from the previous year, with the average property tax bill for a single-family home rising to $3,719.
Property taxes were highest in the Northeast, with New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut topping the list. The lowest were seen in the South, with Alabama, West Virginia, and Arkansas having the least expensive property taxes.
Increasing taxes are an effect of soaring home prices, which have increased by 19% over the past year.
Though homeowners have benefitted from…
As technology improves, the concept of valuation modernization is gaining traction and some industry leaders say in a few years in-person appraisals could be a novelty instead of the norm.
Last month, leaders at Fannie Mae announced an update to their selling guide which includes newly available valuation options. They said valuation modernization helps lenders, appraisers, and risk investors manage collateral risk more efficiently while also benefiting customers with greater appraisal accuracy, lower costs, and an increased speed of loan decisions.
Matt Stepanovich, vice president of national sales, hybrid valuations and quality control at SingleSource Property Solutions, recently sat down with Editor Kimberley Haas to talk about what he is seeing.
SingleSource, located in Canonsburg, Penn., is a nationwide service…
Mortgage applications reversed after a month of increases despite declining rates, a rocky start to the typically robust spring buying season.
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey says the adjusted Market Composite Index – a measure of mortgage loan application volume – decreased by 4.1%.
Adjusted purchase applications dropped by 4%, while the unadjusted index was down 3% from the week before and 35% lower YOY.
Mortgage rates fell slightly, with the average interest rate for 30-year fixed loans down from 6.45% to 6.40%. This is the lowest level in more than a month.
Jumbo rates increased, however, from 6.27% to 6.36%.
“While we have seen relative weakness at the high end of the housing market in recent months, the…
