America’s Scariest Housing Markets Are In California

American home shoppers have plenty to fear this Halloween as the housing crunch continues. But where buyers live plays a role in how stressful their experience is. Though markets are tough across the nation, California is home to the scariest housing markets in the U.S., according to a new analysis by Point2. Of the 200 largest American metros, California markets bode worst for homebuyers based on price changes and for-sale inventory.  Nine of the ten worst markets are in California, and they aren’t stereotypically wealthy West Coast leaders like San Francisco and Los Angeles. Instead, these are emerging hubs like Escondido and Sunnyvale, which were once more affordable than their famous counterparts. Finding affordable housing in California has long been…

Average Rates Hit Over 20-Year High

Mortgage rates hit their highest level in more than 20 years last week, breaking 7% on average and adding extra weight to Americans’ heavy housing burden. Officials at Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.09%, up from 6.96%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 5.13%. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage also increased, up to 6.46% from 6.34%. A year ago, it averaged 4.55%. “The economy continues to do better than expected and the 10-year Treasury yield has moved up, causing mortgage rates to climb,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. These are the highest rates since April of 2002. In October and November of last year, rates reached 7.08%. “The last time…

Learn More About The Construction Lending Market With CEO Brian Mingham

The CEO of a national end-to-end risk mitigation company says their platform opens doors to lenders that want to enter the construction market. Leaders at CFSI Loan Management in Colorado say that at most lending institutions, construction loans make up less than 10% of originations due to the challenges and complexities of managing these transactions. The company has completed more than 150,000 project inspections, 50,000 funding draws, and 25,000 project feasibility reviews. More than $15 billion in construction projects are being managed through CFSI’s construction lending platform, according to a press release. Brian Mingham, founder and CEO of the company, was working in the mortgage business when the idea for CFSI was conceived. He says he saw the value in…

Aidium CEO: Our Mission Is To Help Mortgage Companies Succeed

By KIMBERLEY HAAS The CEO of Aidium Mortgage CRM says companies are investing in technology designed to streamline the mortgage loan origination process to improve efficiency and profitability. “They’re understanding that they could have made more money in 2020 and 2021 with better systems and I think that they’re also seeing right now they need to do everything they can to provide a best-in-class experience and to make sure no leads fall through the cracks,” Spencer Dusebout said. Dusebout sat down with The Mortgage Note after it was announced that Daily AI, which he founded in 2019, had rebranded as Aidium. Brands previously acquired by Daily AI – Whiteboard CRM and Recruitable.ai – will also be part of the Aidium…

Millennials Dominate In America’s Biggest Metros

Despite challenging conditions for first-time homebuyers, Millennials are actively engaging in the housing market, especially in the nation’s largest metros, according to a new analysis from LendingTree. The analysis found that Millennials– people aged 25 to 40 in 2021– make up a majority of homebuyers in most of the US’s largest metros, especially Denver, Seattle, and Boston.  Of mortgages offered in Denver, 63.3% were offered to Millennials. In Seattle, 61.35% were offered to Millennials, and in Boston, 61.08%. Miami, Jacksonville, and Tampa have the smallest share of buyers in this age group, at 46.54% across all three markets. San Francisco, New York, and San Jose have the greatest portion of older Millennials, with an average age of 33.51%, while Indianapolis,…

MBA: Pace Of Forbearance Exits Drops To Lowest Since June 2020

The total number of loans in forbearance fell from 1.67% of servicers’ portfolio volume to 1.41% in December 2021, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Loan Monitoring Survey. The pace of monthly forbearance exits is at its lowest point since MBA began tracking exits in June 2020. MBA estimates 705,000 homeowners are currently in forbearance plans. Independent mortgage banks saw a 0.28% decline from 1.94% to 1.66%, while depositories saw a 0.28% drop from 1.52% to 1.24%. The share of forborne Fannie and Freddie loans fell to 0.68%, down by 8 basis points, while Ginnie Mae loans fell from 2.10% to 1.63%, down 47 basis points. PLS and portfolio loans in forbearance dropped by 51 basis points to 3.43%.…

MBA: Forbearances Fell To 1.67% In November

The total number of loans in forbearance fell from 2.06% of servicers’ portfolio volume to 1.67% in November, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Loan Monitoring Survey. MBA estimates 835,000 homeowners are currently in forbearance plans. Independent mortgage banks saw a 0.34% decline from 2.28% to 1.94%, while depositories saw a 0.5% drop from 2.02% to 1.52%. The share of forborne Fannie and Freddie loans fell to 0.76%, down by 16 basis points, while Ginnie Mae loans fell to 2.10%, down 42 basis points. PLS and portfolio loans in forbearance dropped by 106 basis points to 3.94%. “The share of loans in forbearance in November declined – albeit at a slower pace than October – as borrowers continued to…

Wishing For A White Christmas? Home Sales Will Likely Stay Warm This Winter, As Will The Weather

By KIMBERLEY HAAS As people throughout the country wish for a white Christmas this upcoming weekend, it is expected that home sales will stay warm in many parts of the nation throughout the winter. Continued bidding wars, the Great Resignation, and Millennials on the market will all likely contribute to keeping home prices high during a season where sales typically cool off until spring. And above-average temperatures expected in many parts of the United States may also keep buyers on the market at a time when they would typically try to avoid moving due to snow and ice. Bidding Wars Redfin reported on Friday that in November, 59.5% of home offers written by their agents faced competition, which is the…

A New Gold Rush For Lenders? Benefitting From The Great Resignation

By KIMBERLEY HAAS As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and workers reevaluate their commitment to metropolitan life, lenders in smaller cities stand to benefit from what is being termed the “Great Resignation.” It is estimated that about 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs in September after months of dramatic departure numbers, which means those employees are looking for and taking new jobs, often choosing to live in a different location if they have the option of working remotely. Since 87% of employees say they would like to work remotely at least one day a week, and one in three workers would not want to work for an employer that required them to be onsite full time, potential homebuyers are taking these…

Delinquency Rate Dropped 4.25% In October

The national delinquency rate continued to improve at a slow but steady pace last month, with especially impactful declines for loans overdue by 30 days or more, according to Black Knight’s October 2021 “first look” report. Delinquencies dropped another 4.25% at the end of October to 3.74%. The decline was pushed by significant changes in longer delinquencies. Loans 30 or more days past due dropped by 82,000, bringing their total below 2 million for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.  Serious delinquencies also saw huge drops, declining by 10%, or 127,000 loans. Black Knight attributes that dip to the first wave of homeowners in forbearance beginning to make payments again. The report predicts more improvement in this…