Anyone Wants U.S. Lenders To Offer Its 50/50 Program

Anyone.com, an international finance company, is looking for U.S. lenders to join it in offering a 50/50 homeownership model designed to combat the affordability crisis. Anyone, an Amsterdam-based finance company that hasn’t officially launched yet, is teasing the program as part of its goal to promote “housing for reasonable pricing and, above all, homeownership” despite the affordability crisis. The Anyone Mortgage lets potential buyers purchase a home with Anyone, giving Anyone up to 49% holding in the home’s equity and the buyer at least 51%. This is necessary to reduce the debt burden on the homeowner and gives both lender and buyer a shared interest. Rather than make money on interest, Anyone profits when the house’s price appreciates. “The current…

Just 6% Of Potential Buyers Plan To Purchase This Summer

With affordability at its worst level in more than three decades, most Americans are putting off buying a home until rates fall. Only 6% of Americans interested in buying a home are planning to do so this summer, with the majority waiting for interest rates to drop, according to BMO’s Real Financial Progress Index. Just 4% say they expect to buy in the fall. High rates, low inventory, and sky-high house prices are keeping potential buyers on the sidelines. Of those who don’t currently own a property, 65% are holding off due to the state of the economy. In the current high-rate environment, affordability is an insurmountable challenge for many buyers. As of May, each of the 100 largest U.S.…

Renting Is Still Cheaper Than Buying, But Not In All Cities

The choice between renting and buying isn’t obvious in some American cities. While most cities have clear-cut price advantages to either, some are in a sticky in-between where the benefits of renting or buying may come down to personal circumstances, according to a new study from Home Bay. Home Bay analyzed the 50 most-populous metros based on their price-to-rent ratios. A ratio of 15 or lower means it’s better to buy, while 21 or higher means it’s better to rent. The national average is 18. Pittsburgh, PA; New Orleans, LA; Chicago, IL; and Cleveland, OH, are the most affordable cities to buy a home in compared to their average rents, all with a ratio of 12. For example, residents can…

Rates Down Again, But Waning Banking Fears Add Volatility

The average mortgage rate ticked down again this week, but waning banking sector concerns have rates seesawing. Officials at Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.32%, down from 6.42% the week prior. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.67%. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage dipped from 5.68% to 5.56%. A year ago, it averaged 3.83%. “Economic uncertainty continues to bring mortgage rates down,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “Over the last several weeks, declining rates have brought borrowers back to the market but, as the spring homebuying season gets underway, low inventory remains a key challenge for prospective buyers.” Some buyers returned to the market early in order to snag a…

Affordability Inched Up In Q1 2023 But Remains Elusive

Buying a house became slightly more affordable in Q1 2023 as the housing market remains stalled, but remained out of reach for many Americans. According to ATTOM Data Solution’s Q1 2023 U.S. Home Affordability Report, median-priced single-family homes and condos were less affordable in the first quarter of 2023 compared to historical averages in 94% of counties. This is a huge leap from the 62% of counties that were less affordable at the same time last year. The portion of average wages it takes to pay major homeownership costs decreased slightly to 30%. While this is still unaffordable by most lending standards, it’s a minor improvement from the 31% registered at year-end 2022. ATTOM calls this housing data a “mixed…

Million-Dollar Homes Are Disappearing In Some American Metros

The number of million-dollar U.S. homes has dropped dramatically from a record high last year. They now account for 7% of all U.S. houses, down from 8.6% in June 2022, according to an analysis by Dana Anderson at Redfin. This could signal a reversal in the housing market, at least on the luxury side. Prices soared so high and so fast that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac raised their lending limits to $1 million in some metros back in 2021. The 18% hike was the highest single jump since at least 1970, outpacing the 15.9% increase seen in 2006. The exception to the current trend is Florida, which now has more homes worth $1 million than it did last year…

Prediction: Spring Home Shopping Season To Be Busy

The 2023 spring homebuying season may be cooler than in previous red-hot years, but competition will still be plentiful. According to a new Zillow analysis, ongoing stock shortages mean that even as fewer buyers enter the market this year, those who do will be competing for many of the same homes. Affordable markets like Cincinnati and St. Louis are likely to see the most competition, especially on lower-priced homes. The number of homes for sale now is equal to the number in 2021, which set a record for scarcity at the time. So while homes may sit on the market a little longer and sellers may have to make concessions, the chances of selling a home are still good, so…

Rate Locks Rose In January, But The Good News May Not Last

Rate lock volumes increased across the board in January, finally breaking a nine-month downward streak, as buyers began stepping out before the spring season. Lock volumes rose 32% last month, according to Black Knight’s Originations Market Report. “Mortgage rates declined in January, continuing a trend that began in early November 2022. Conforming rates dropped 36 basis points from where they were at the start of the year, and we saw that rates associated with those FHA/VA/jumbo locks all came down in kind,” said Kevin McMahon, president of Optimal Blue, a division of Black Knight. “Triggered by this pullback, rate lock volumes rose for the first time since March 2022, driven by declining interest rates and seasonal tailwinds, snapping a nine-month…

Monthly Mortgage Costs Fell In November, But Are Still Up 66% YOY

Homebuyers are finally starting to see some moderation in prices as the market corrects.  The cost of a new mortgage fell 4.8% in November as mortgage rates plunged, according to Zillow’s latest Market Report. This is only the second time mortgage costs have declined in the past 19 months. Falling home values and shrinking mortgage rates forced prices to cool. Rates dropped 57 basis points in November alone.  The typical U.S. home saw its value shrink 0.2% from October to November, and is down 0.5% from a peak in June. Renters also reaped the benefits of declining values, with rents seeing their largest single-month drop in the seven-year history of Zillow’s data. Affordability remains a challenge. Monthly mortgage costs are…

Price Appreciation Slows To Half Of April Peak

Home price appreciation is now half of what it was in April, its lowest recorded point since early 2021, according to new data from CoreLogic. October’s CoreLogic Home Price Index recorded a 10.1% increase YOY. Though still elevated, it continues to decrease from record highs earlier this year. The coming months are expected to push growth back into single digits. Month-over-month, prices were down 0.1% from September. Low inventory, waning buyer purchase power, and economic uncertainty are at the heart of the issue, CoreLogic leaders say. Price growth is expected to cool through next spring when the housing market may go negative before slowly rebounding in the latter half of 2023. CoreLogic predicts appreciation will be 4.1% next October. “Following…