Commercial And Industrial Real Estate Doing Well

By CHUCK GREEN While climbing interest rates are throwing a monkey wrench in the U.S. economy, commercial real estate – at least in the short term – seems to be looking up. In a recent address to the 2022 REALTORS Legislative Meetings’ Commercial Economic Issues and Trends Forum, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said regardless of burgeoning rates, the commercial real estate market is expected to prosper. “Outside of the office sector, which is lagging behind as employers allow increased remote work flexibility to keep and attract talent, commercial real estate continues to strengthen,” Yun said. Apparently shucking aside setbacks in light of the 2020 and 2021 pandemic, heading into this year conditions were looking up for the commercial real…

New Program Helps Buyers Get Energy-Efficient Appliances With Their Home Loan

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Guild Mortgage has partnered with The Home Depot to help buyers save on utility costs and manage multiple payments by bundling the cost of new energy-efficient appliances into their home loan. The GreenSmart Advantage program offers options to finance energy or water-efficient improvements up to 5% of a home’s appraised value by consolidating the costs into a mortgage. Refrigerators, dishwashers, smart thermostats, washing machines, and dryers are examples of what can be included. Primary FHA purchase transactions are eligible. A 3.5% down payment and a credit score above 580 are required to qualify. Mary Ann McGarry is CEO of Guild Mortgage, which is headquartered in San Diego. She said in a statement that the company is always…

Another Week Of Rate Increases

Mortgage rates inched up to an average 5.30% last week, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.30%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 2.96%. “Homebuyers continue to show resilience even though rising mortgage rates are causing monthly payments to increase by about one-third as compared to a year ago,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “Several factors are contributing to this dynamic, including the large wave of first-time homebuyers looking to realize the dream of homeownership. In the months ahead, we expect monetary policy and inflation to discourage many consumers, weakening purchase demand and decelerating home price growth.” Affordability dropped in Q1 2022,…

Commercial/Multifamily Originations Up YOY But Decline From Q4

Commercial and multifamily mortgage loan originations rose 72% YOY in Q1 2022, though they were down 39% from Q4 2021 due to seasonality trends, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Quarterly Survey of Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Bankers Originations. “The strong momentum in commercial and multifamily borrowing and lending at the end of 2021 carried into the first quarter,” said Jamie Woodwell, MBA’s Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Research.  “The continued growth in lending activity is the result of the ongoing strong demand for certain property types like industrial and multifamily, as well as renewed interest in other property types that saw more dramatic declines during the early stages of the pandemic, such as hotel and retail.” Demand for hotel…

American Equity Shoots Up In Q1 2022

Just under half of all mortgaged residential properties in the U.S. were considered equity-rich in Q1 2022, up to 44.9% from 41.9% in Q4 2021 and 31.9% in Q1 2021, according to a new report from ATTOM. ATTOM’s U.S. Home Equity and Underwater Report shows that only one in 31 homes (3.2%) were considered seriously underwater in Q1 2022, about the same from last quarter but down significantly from 4.7% the year prior. “Homeowners continue to benefit from rising home prices,” said Rick Sharga, Executive Vice President of Market Intelligence for ATTOM.  “Record levels of home equity provide financial security for millions of families, and minimize the chance of another housing market crash like the one we saw in 2008.…

Inventory Rebound May Be On The Horizon

Active listings were down only 12.2% in April, its smallest YOY decline since December 2019, according to Realtor.com’s Monthly Housing Trends Report. This suggests that inventory may be about to bounce back up after the crippling shortage of the last year. Though new listings declined, the number of homes under contract saw a YOY decrease as well, closing some of the distance between supply and demand. Pending listings were down 9.5% YOY. Improvements were seen in the share of mid-sized homes, adding to listings for families upgrading from starter homes and possibly easing the way for first-time homebuyers who have struggled to find affordable entry homes during the pandemic. “April data suggests a positive turn of events is on the…

Loan Applications Rise Even As Rates Hit Highest Point Since 2009

Mortgage loan application volume rose by 2% last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly survey shows. The adjusted Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, rose by 2%. The adjusted purchase index increased by 5%, while the unadjusted purchase index was up by 5% and was 8% lower YOY. The refinance index fell 2% and was down 72% YOY. Refinances made up 32.4% of total applications, down from 33.9%.  ARM activity accounted for 10.8% of total applications, up from 9.3%. “The increase in mortgage applications last week was driven by a strong gain in application activity for conventional and government purchase loans, even as mortgage rates rose to their highest level – 5.53%– since 2009. Despite…

Acting Comptroller Discusses Bank Mergers

By KIMBERLEY HAAS The Acting Comptroller of the Currency says there is a need to update the frameworks used to analyze bank merger applications. In a speech before the Brookings Institution on Monday, Michael Hsu discussed proposed mergers in the context of bank competition, financial stability, and facilitating the needs of communities. “Bank mergers have received significant attention this past year. Concerns about the negative effects of bank mergers on competition, communities, and financial stability have prompted some to call for a moratorium on merger activity,” Hsu said. “In response, others have defended the benefits of mergers. They note that the U.S. financial services market is highly competitive, and mergers allow institutions to achieve needed economies of scale and to…

Consumer Sentiment On Housing Hits Lowest Level Since May 2020

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Consumers across the country continue to report difficult homebuying conditions due to inflation, higher mortgage rates, and home price appreciation. Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, says that in April their Home Purchase Sentiment Index fell to its lowest level since the spring of 2020. The percentage of respondents who said it is a good time to buy a home decreased from 24% to 19%, while the percentage who said it is a bad time to buy increased from 73% to 76%. As a result, the net share of those who say it is a good time to buy decreased 8 percentage points month over month, according to the survey. “The current lack…

Refi Closing Costs Still Less Than 1% Of Loan Amount In 2021

The national average closing costs in 2021 for a single-family property refinance were up $88 YOY, but still less than 1% of the average refi loan amount, according to CoreLogic’s annual Refinance Closing Cost Report. The average closing cost was $2,375, up 3.8% from 2020’s $2,287. The average refi loan amount was $304,909. By contrast, the national average for purchase closing costs was $3,860. The main difference in closing costs between the two are owner title insurance and inspection fees common for purchase transactions, but less often required for refis. Most third-party fees were still lower for refis. “In 2021, homeowners were still able to get good deals on both interest rates and closing costs,” said Bob Jennings, executive, CoreLogic…