Forbearances Fell Below 700k For The First Time Since The Pandemic Began

Early April exits offset two weeks of rising forbearance starts and re-starts, resulting in plan volumes dropping below 700,000 for the first time since the pandemic began, according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. Overall, forbearances fell by 63,200 plans last week. GSE plans fell by 24,500 (-11%), followed by FHA/VA (-21,800, -8.1%) and loans held by portfolios and PSLs (-17,000, -16.7%). New plan starts still rose slightly, up to 10,300 (+200). However, last week they dropped to their lowest level in four months, so the uptick may not be cause for concern. Restarts also rose by 1,400 to 21,600. Plan volume is down 66,200 (-8.8%) month-over-month.  Forbearance volumes have ticked up some after long periods of decline, but are generally…

New Plan Starts Drop To Lowest Level In Four Months

Forbearances rose slightly again as late-month new plans and restarts offset early-month exits, according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. Overall, forbearances rose by 3,700. Forborne loans held by portfolios and PSLs increased by 5,300 (2.1%). FHA/VA loans remained unchanged, while GSE plans fell by 1,800 (0.8%). New plan starts dropped to 10,100, the lowest level in four months. Restarts fell by 11,500 to 20,200. Plan volume is down 40,000 (-5.1%) month-over-month.  Forbearance volumes have ticked up some after long periods of decline, but are generally improving as the country recovers from the pandemic. The number of homeowners with existing loan workouts who were current on their payments rose in February for the first time since June 2021. “We can credit…

Forbearance Plans Up In Typical Mid-Month Pattern

After dropping to a post-pandemic low, forbearance rose by 8,000 last week (1%), according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. Forborne loans held by portfolios and PSLs drove the week with an increase of 9,000 (3.9%). It was slightly offset by FHA/VA loans in forbearance falling by 1,000 (-0.3%). GSE plans remained unchanged. Black Knight calls this a “familiar pattern,” in which the middle of the month brings an uptick in plans. They’ll even out next week. Notably, both new plan starts and restarts fell, with starts hitting their lowest weekly total since Thanksgiving. Plan volume is down 41,000 (-5%) month-over-month. The increase this week comes on the heels of a major drop in plans last week, so rates remain historically…

Little Change In Forbearances Mid-Month

The number of loans in forbearance stayed more or less the same as exits stalled mid-month, making up 1.9% of all active mortgages, according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. November has hit a lull in its third week that mimics similar slowdowns in the last few months. Black Knight has characterized these declines as “expected.” The number of active forbearance plans rose 0.2% as activity hit its lowest level since mid-August. Plan volume rose by 5,000 for portfolio and PLS loans with small declines for FHA/VA (-2000) and GSEs (-1000). FHA/VAs saw an increase in new plans, pushing start volume to its highest level since October. Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) head Rohit Chopra has zeroed in on foreclosures since…