Mortgage Lending Plummeted In Q4 2023

Mortgage brokers felt the burn in the last three months of 2023, with residential lending across the board stalling. A new report from ATTOM found that 1.35 million residential mortgages were originated in Q4 2023. That’s a 13.8% drop from Q3, and the tenth decline in the last eleven quarters. Residential lending activity overall was down 16.5% YOY, with purchases, refinances, and home equity loans all taking a hit.  Compared to the boom of Q1 2021, activity is down more than 67%. “Multiple powerful forces continued to conspire against the mortgage industry during the fourth quarter, slicing back huge portions of their business,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “There were signs during the peak buying season of 2022 that…

Friends Are Buying Homes Together

By CHUCK GREEN They may not be your typical neighbors, but they could be moving next door soon: Friends who have carpooled their way into homeownership. According to a recent survey by JW Surety Bonds, nearly 15% of Americans have co-purchased a home with a person other than their romantic partner and another 48% would consider it. Just over a quarter (26%) of the individuals who co-purchased a home with a non-romantic partner said they bought it with a friend. Not surprisingly, young people are the most likely to consider this option. Gen Z would be the most willing to co-buy with a friend at 70%, with one in four Zoomers saying they believe co-buying a home can strengthen relationships.…

Renters Feel Bad About Their Finances, But It’s Cheaper Than Owning

By ERIN FLYNN JAY Compared to homeowners, renters feel bad about their finances, but in most of the country renting is the more affordable option right now. A recent Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll shows that homeowners are nearly twice as likely to say they are getting ahead financially when compared to renters. 57% of renters and 29% of homeowners described their financial situation as “poor.” According to Emily Peck, a markets correspondent at Axios, part of the problem is that the median asking rent in the U.S. is up 40% from the first quarter of 2020. With average hourly earnings rising only 20% during the same time period, wages did not keep up with costs. Homeowners were…

Investors Are Back, Buying 26% Of America’s Most Affordable Homes

With mortgage rates beginning to moderate, investors are back and snapping up the most wanted homes on the market. Investors bought 26% of America’s lowest-priced homes in Q4 2023, according to a new report from Redfin, a record-high share and up from 24% at the same time last year. By comparison, they bought 13.6% of mid-priced homes that sold and 15.9% of high-priced homes, both increases. Investors are more choosey now than they have been in recent memory, looking for lower-cost homes they can rent or flip for better profits. “I get tons of emails every day from investors looking for properties, but of course, they only want homes that are under market value, which are hard to come by.…

Will Profits Continue To Drop For Sellers?

By ERIN FLYNN JAY Gross profits and profit margins remained near record levels for sellers last year but they decreased for the first time since 2011 in what could be seen as a sign of a cooling housing market. ATTOM released its Year-End 2023 U.S. Home Sales Report on Jan. 24, which shows that home sellers made a $121,000 profit on the typical sale in 2023, generating a 56.5% return on investment. Compare that to 2022, when the gross profit on median-priced single-family homes was $122,600 and the profit margin was 59.8%. This drop in profits happened as the median nationwide home price rose at the smallest annual pace in more than a decade, according to ATTOM. So is this…

Foreclosures Up, Trending Back To Pre-Pandemic Levels

By ERIN FLYNN JAY Foreclosure numbers are up by double-digit numbers and industry leaders say they will continue to rise this year. Earlier this month, ATTOM, a curator of land, property, and real estate data, released its Year-End 2023 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions — were reported on 357,062 U.S. properties in 2023, up 10% from 2022 and 136% from 2021. CEO Rob Barber told The Mortgage Note several elements may be contributing to the rise in foreclosures. “Key among them is the increase in interest rates, especially for adjustable-rate mortgages, leading to higher monthly payments for homeowners. Additionally, escalating unemployment rates are a concern,” Barber said. Barber said…

Home Seller Profits Fall For The First Time Since 2011

Many Americans still can’t afford to buy a home as prices remain elevated and rates cool slowly, but sellers are already experiencing the unavoidable next step of price declines: falling profits. Profits on home sales fell last year for the first time since 2011 despite price gains, according to new data from ATTOM. Home sellers made a $121,000 profit on the typical sale in 2023, a 56.5% return on investment. This is a historically strong number – more than double what it was five years ago – but both gross profits and profit margins were down from 2022. At the same time, the national median home price increased at the slowest pace in 12 years. ATTOM noted that the data…

Year In Review: Highs And Lows Of 2023

By ERIN FLYNN JAY As 2023 comes to a close, industry leaders say there were some highs, but leaving this year behind won’t be a problem for many mortgage professionals. ATTOM CEO Rob Barber said in the spring, as the peak homebuying season heated up, lenders nationwide enjoyed their first quarterly increase in mortgage activity after eight consecutive declines dating back to early 2021. “The second-quarter rebound was huge as total loans shot up 22%. The spike was powered by across-the-board, double-digit gains in purchase, refinance, and home-equity credit line deals,” said Barber. But the turnaround was quick lived, he said, as the numbers went back down in the third quarter, with overall activity decreasing by 3%. Only refinance lending…

How Will AI Change The Mortgage Market In 2024?

By ERIN FLYNN JAY As artificial intelligence plays an increasingly important role in the mortgage business, industry leaders are figuring out ways to harness its power to revolutionize homebuying. Dan Weisman, director of innovation strategy at the National Association of Realtors, said AI brings enhanced automation, efficiency, and transparency to the process. People who can effectively use it have the chance to dominate the landscape in 2024. “With artificial intelligence rapidly entering our lives faster than most could imagine, the industry has opportunities to improve analyzing market trends, assessing credit risk, and ensuring regulatory compliance, which will lead to a more tailored lending experience,” Weisman said in a recent interview with The Mortgage Note. For example, JPMorgan Chase is developing…

Opportunity Zones: The Pros And Cons For Housing

By ERIN FLYNN JAY In some urban centers like New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami, Opportunity Zones have led to substantial investments including the revitalization of neighborhoods. These zones attracted developers and investors due to the tax benefits, resulting in new housing developments, commercial spaces, and infrastructure improvements. However, concerns have arisen about the displacement of existing residents and whether the benefits truly reach the communities that need them most. And while these zones have found success in urban settings, many rural regions have struggled to attract significant investment. Limited infrastructure, a smaller workforce, and higher perceived risks have made it challenging to draw investors to rural areas. That hurts the low-income neighborhoods Opportunity Zones are meant to strengthen.…