The national delinquency rate dropped below 4% for the first time in 18 months in September, according to Black Knight’s September 2021 “first look” report. It is a 2.3% drop from August and 41.3% lower year-over-year. And those numbers might have been even better if not for the impact on delinquencies a result of hurricanes in Louisiana, many in FEMA-declared disaster areas. Mississippi, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Alabama ranked just below Louisiana for the highest percentages of non-current loans. Foreclosure starts also fell in September, coming down 45% from August. August saw spikes in foreclosure starts in the days following the Supreme Court’s decision to end the national moratorium. However, those increases were from historic lows, meaning the raw numbers…
The number of loans in active forbearance fell 0.6% since last Tuesday, entering an expected, mid-month period of “lull,” according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. Only 7,300 homeowners exited forbearance plans this week. The slowdown is significant compared to the two weeks prior, during which forbearance rates were dropping at break-neck speed. Forbearance rates have been improving at the fastest pace since the pandemic began, with 432,000 homeowners exiting their plans in the first weeks of October alone. But Black Knight noted that the dip is unremarkable, mimicking “the same mid-month lull in removal activity that we’ve been reporting on for many months now.” Portfolio and PSLs plans rose by 6,000, lowering the average set by declines of 10,500 for…
The number of loans in active forbearance have fallen another 10% since last Tuesday, adding to last week’s 11% drop, according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. More than 450,000 homeowners have exited forbearance plans just in the last two weeks. Forbearances have fallen 22% over the last month, the fastest decline since the beginning of the pandemic. All investor classes have seen forbearances drop at least 20%. The total number of mortgages in forbearances is down 143,000 this week. The largest drop was in loans held by PSLs and bank portfolios, which fell by 88,000, or 19%. GSEs and FHA/VA loans in forbearance both dropped by 6%. Black Knight noted that this wave of exits was expected, as many plans…
The number of loans in active forbearance fell by 11% since last Tuesday, the largest weekly decline in twelve months, according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. That leaves 1.39 million homeowners in forbearances due to Covid-19. The total number of mortgages in forbearances is down 177,000 this week. The largest drop was in FHA/VA loans, which fell by 84,000 plans. GSE loans in forbearance dropped by 11% and bank portfolios/PLS dropped by 8%. Black Knight has been expecting a huge decline in forbearance plans, and predicted last week that this week would be a killer, saying “the largest declines in forbearance volumes typically come during the first week of the month, as plans which expired in the prior month are…
Huge equity increases for homeowners might not be enough to prevent foreclosures, according to Black Knight’s latest Mortgage Monitor Report. “An analysis of our McDash loan-level mortgage performance dataset back to 2007 shows that holding equity in one’s home might not be a blanket backstop to foreclosure activity,” said Black Knight Data & Analytics President Ben Graboske. He explained that for homeowners who were 120 or more days late, having high equity did not significantly change the likelihood of being recommended for foreclosure. While borrowers are considerably less likely to have their homes involuntarily liquidated if they have high equity, it does happen. Thirty percent of borrowers recommended for foreclosure with 40% equity stakes lost their homes. “What the data…
The number of plans in active forbearance fell by 11,000 this week, according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. That leaves 1.58 million homeowners in forbearances due to Covid-19. The total number of mortgages in forbearances is now down 192,000 month-over-month, an 11% difference. This is the fastest rate of decline reported by Black Knight since July. As early forbearance entrants reach their final expirations, even larger exit rates are expected. The blog notes that “the largest declines in forbearance volumes typically come during the first week of the month, as plans which expired in the prior month are deactivated in servicing systems of records.” Forbearance exits are being closely watched by industry analysts as expiration dates for forbearance plans loom.…
Cash-out refis skyrocketed in the last three months, while overall rate locks for mortgage originations increased in August, according to Black Knight’s latest Mortgage Origination Monitor report. Rate locks rose 1.3% from July, driven by a 7.6% increase in cash-out refinancing activity. Refi lending is up 41% over the last three months, making refi the largest share of the market for the first time since February. “The rise in cash-out lending is hardly surprising given the extraordinary growth we’ve seen in tappable equity this year,” Black Knight Secondary Marketing Technologies President Scott Happ said. American homeowners gained a record $1 trillion in tappable equity in the second quarter of 2021. “We’ve now seen cash-out activity increase for three consecutive months,…
Good Morning! Today is Monday, September 13. Democratic Senators returning from a week long break are considering a compromise on the $3.5 trillion spending bill. The Federal Reserve said continuing inflation comes from unusually high prices for goods like electronics and cars. Supreme Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett said she’s worried the public sees the Court as a partisan body, while refusing to comment on the unsigned Texas abortion ruling. And in mortgage and housing news… Bidding-War Rates Hit New Low: A Redfin analysis found 58.8% of home offers faced competition, the lowest rate in 2021. Forbearances Down: After dropping last week, the total number of mortgages in active forbearance declined another 2% this week, according to Black Knight. Love Letters: Prospective homebuyers are writing “love letters” to get an…
