Mortgage Roundup (8/13/20) – Suburbs, Fees & Refis

Good morning! Today is Thursday, August 13. New Hampshire issued a mask mandate ahead of a motorcycle rally in the state, citing the Covid-19 spread following the Sturgis rally. A fast-moving wildfire forces evacuations in southern California. The owner of the Dallas Cowboys told reporters his team will play all of their home games in front of fans in a stadium with “naturally-built airflow.” 

And in mortgage and housing news …

INVADING SUBURBS: President Trump warned about low-income housing “invading” suburban neighborhoods if Joe Biden is elected president, repeating a theme he has brought up in recent weeks. 

PROVE IT: The New Jersey attorney general challenged the Trump Administration to provide evidence for his claim that affordable housing leads to increased crime in communities.

MORTGAGE APPS: Mortgage applications are up 6.8 percent, with refinance activity leading the way.

FHFA REFI FEE: A new Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fee on mortgage refinances could cost homeowners $1,400. FHFA imposed the fee to cover heightened risks

NY EVICTIONS: New York renters cannot be evicted until at least October.

BANK RELATIONSHIPS: The COVID-19 pandemic hit Black-owned businesses particularly hard. A lot of it comes down to relationships with banks.

BOSTON FED PRO LOCKDOWN: Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren is worried about the recovery and becomes the third Fed president praising lockdowns

LESS THAN ZERO?: Will mortgage interest rates keep falling?  In other countries, lenders have even offered mortgages with negative interest rates.

REMODELING BOOM: Builders working on outdoor spaces saw the biggest increase in demand, with online searches for pool and spa professionals three times what they were a year ago.

DIGITAL LOAN SOFTWARE: Digital loan start-up Blend jumped to $1.7 billion valuation as mortgage and refinance demand continues to surge.

VACANT REAL ESTATE: Housing is in high demand in most markets across the US, but the pandemic is also leaving once very active properties now vacant.

DC MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE: Washington, DC borrowers who qualify can receive up to $5,000 per month to put toward their mortgages in an effort to help homeowners impacted financially by the COVID-19 crisis.