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…
Good Morning! Today is Friday, March 25. The U.S. imposed new sanctions on more than 300 members of Russia’s Parliament. Some journalists have quit jobs at Russian state media outlets, citing regret for promoting lies about the war. Arizona Republicans passed a bill banning most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The Mortgage Note Reports Rates Rise: Mortgage rates continued their upward march this week, averaging 4.42%. Forbearances Up: Forbearance plans rose for a second week, pushed up by plan re-starts, though new plan starts remained steady. And in other mortgage and housing news… Affordability Down: Homebuyer affordability decreased in February, with the national median payment applied for by applicants jumping 8.3% to $1,653. “We’re Concerned”: Liz Shuler, president of…
Forbearance plans rose for a second week, according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. Overall, forbearances rose by 17,400 (2.4%). Forborne loans held by portfolios and PSLs drove the week with an increase of 7,800 (3.3%). FHA/VA loans saw an increase of 5,000 (3.3%), while GSE plans rose by 4,500 (2%). Black Knight said this week’s numbers “extended their upward trend this week following a typical pattern of increased mid-month restarts.” New plan starts held steady this week at 11,200, though restarts increased by 6,000 to a total of 31,700. Plan volume is down 47,000 (-6%) month-over-month. The increase this week comes on the heels of a major drop in plans two weeks ago, so rates remain historically low. An analysis…
Good Morning! Today is Friday, March 18. Moderna asked the FDA to authorize a second COVID booster dose for all adults. Russian forces remain stalled outside Kyiv, taking heavy casualties. A 13-year-old was driving the truck that hit a van in Texas, killing nine people. The Mortgage Note Reports Race-Based Lending: The Right Way to Promote Social Justice? The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) has announced a lending program for minority-owned businesses it calls “Economic Justice Loans.” Rates Break 4%:Mortgage rates averaged 4.16% this week, exceeding 4% for the first time since May 2019. Forbearances Rise: In a familiar pattern, forbearance rose by 8,000 last week (1%) after dropping to a post-pandemic low the week before. And in other…
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…
Good Morning! Today is Friday, March 11. President Biden will call for suspending normal trade relations with Russia, which would raise tariffs for many Russian products. Baseball players and owners struck a deal on a new contract, ending a lockout. The federal government extended the mask mandate on airplanes and other public transportation through mid-April. The Mortgage Note Reports Rate Reversal: Mortgage rates rose to 3.85%, reversing a brief period of declines brought on by uncertainty surrounding Ukraine. Forbearances Down: Forbearance plans dropped to a post-pandemic low this week, falling by 49,800 (-6.5%), according to Black Knight. And in other mortgage and housing news… Inflation Wreaks Havoc: The consumer price index for February rose 7.9% YOY, the highest level since…
Forbearance plans dropped to a post-pandemic low this week, falling by 49,800 (-6.5%), according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. Forborne loans held by portfolios and PSLs drove the week with a decline of 20,300 (-8.1%), while FHA/VA loans in forbearance fell by 15,300 (-5.4%). GSE plans fell by 14,300 (-6.1%). Plan volumes are down 42,700 (-5.6%) month-over-month. Some 154,000 plans are up for review in early April, the next time Black Knight expects to see significant improvement. One-third should expire. Overall foreclosure rates were up 11% month-over-month in February and 129% YOY as they return to pre-pandemic levels. Rick Sharga, executive vice president at RealtyTrac, an ATTOM company, said foreclosure activity this year will mimic February’s growth. “This isn’t an…
Good Morning! Today is Thursday, March 10. Democrats cut $15.6 billion in Covid-19 aid from the omnibus spending package. It includes $13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine. The Kremlin accused the U.S. of waging an “economic war” as Russia’s currency has lost about 40% of its value in a month. The Mortgage Note Reports Mortgage Fraud: A California man pled guilty to wire fraud related to a foreclosure rescue scheme that took in at least $5 million from thousands of distressed homeowners. Foreclosures In Full-Swing: February foreclosure rates were up 11% from January and 129% YOY as pre-pandemic activity returns And in other mortgage and housing news… Under The Microscope: President Biden ordered a study to assess the risks and…
Overall foreclosure rates were up 11% month-over-month in February as foreclosure starts soared, according to ATTOM’s February 2022 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. A total of 25,8333 properties had foreclosure filings (default notices, scheduled auctions, or bank repossessions). This is a 129% increase from the same time last year. Rick Sharga, executive vice president at RealtyTrac, an ATTOM company, said foreclosure activity this year will mimic February’s growth. “This isn’t an indication of economic turmoil, or of weakness in the housing market; it’s simply the gradual return to normal levels of foreclosure activity after two years of artificially low numbers due to government and industry efforts to protect financially-impacted homeowners from defaulting,” he said. Foreclosures hit their lowest level ever recorded…
Good Morning! Today is Thursday, March 3. Russia has continued to attack major cities in Ukraine, creating a humanitarian crisis. The Jan. 6 committee said there was evidence to conclude that Donald Trump may have committed crimes to try to stay in office. Fitbit is recalling its Ionic smartwatch after reports of overheating batteries. The Mortgage Note Reports Loan Factory’s Nguyen Says UWM Ultimatum ‘Has Divided Our Community’: In a one-on-one interview with The Mortgage Note, Nguyen explains why he chose to stop doing business with Mat Ishbia’s company rather than agree to it’s ‘All In’ ultimatum. Weak App Activity: Mortgage loan application volume fell 0.7% last week, faring slightly better than the prior week’s 13.1% drop but continuing a trend…
