Forbearances Rise Again

New forbearance plans rose for the second week in a row, up by 19,000 plans (2.3%), according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. The increase was driven primarily by a 9.6%, 9,000, jump in FHA/VA plans. Forborne loans held by portfolios and PSL also rose by 9,000 (3.3%) while GSE plans rose by 1,300 (0.5%). Black Knight noted that the increases follow a pattern of “significant plan exits followed by predictable lulls driven by new plan starts and restart activity”. “This week’s data held true to that pattern,” the post reads. This is the second consecutive week of increases after a long period of declines, though Black Knight stressed that last week’s percentages were artificially pushed up by restart activity paired…

Forbearances Up Due To Exit Slowdown

As forbearance exits yet again hit an expected mid-month slowdown, resulting in an increase in active plans, according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. Active forbearance plans rose by 36,000 (4.6%) this past week, driven primarily by a 9.6%, 25,000, increase in FHA/VA plans. Forborne loans held by portfolios and PSL rose by 8,000 (3.2%) while GSE plans rose by 3,000 (1%). The headline is ominous coming a week after new plan starts reached their highest level since an unexpected jump in December. However, new plan starts actually fell by 3% week-over-week. Restart activity paired with an exit “lull” pushed plan entries up. The majority of homeowners in Covid-19 related forbearance have exited their plans as the economy continues its slow…

Morning Roundup (1/19/2022)– A Place For Fido, NAHB HMI

Good Morning! Today is Wednesday, January 19. Microsoft is buying Activision Blizzard in a $75 billion deal. Gilead Sciences is accusing suppliers and distributors of selling fake versions of its HIV medications. The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot issued subpoenas to Rudy Giuliani and three other Trump allies involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. And in mortgage and housing news… Finding A Place For Fido: As pet owners think about what their next move will be if they have to sell their homes due to the economic backlash of the pandemic, some organizations are advocating for increasing options for renters with dogs and cats. Forbearances Down: The total number of loans now in forbearance fell…

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%.…

Morning Roundup (1/18/2022)– Home Sales Slump In December

Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, January 18. China’s economy grew by only 4% in Q4 2021, worrying the international community. Communications to Tonga are still fraught after a volcanic eruption in the Pacific, hampering aid. Airlines warned of grounded flights this week if AT&T and Verizon deploy more 5G technology, which they say interferes with altitude readings. And in mortgage and housing news… Is Home Ownership More Affordable Than Renting? A report released this month suggests that despite rising home prices it is more affordable to own a median-priced home than to rent a three-bedroom property in a majority of the United States, but it all depends on where you live. Slumping Home Sales: December homes sales saw their largest…

Morning Roundup (1/17/2022)– Commercial, Multifamily Delinquencies Down In Q4 2021

Good Morning! Today is Monday, January 17. It’s Martin Luther King Day, and markets are closed. Martin Luther King Jr.’s family will lead a march for voting rights today in DC as congressional Democrats vow to press ahead with legislation. The public can begin ordering free at-home rapid Covid-19 tests through a new government website on Wednesday. Four hostages at a Texas synagogue were freed on Saturday, and their captor killed. And in mortgage and housing news… No Longer A Nightmare on Elm Street: The house made famous by the 1984 horror movie “A Nightmare on Elm Street” has sold for nearly $3 million in Los Angeles after being on the market for less than three months. C&M Delinquencies Fall:…

Morning Roundup (1/14/2022)– Forbearance Exits Remain High, Rates Hit 3.45%

Good Morning! Today is Friday, January 14. The Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a vaccine-or-testing mandate for large employers. Australia canceled Novak Djokovic’s visa for a second time, days before the Australian Open. The leader of the far-right Oath Keepers militia was charged with seditious conspiracy in the Capitol riot investigation. And in mortgage and housing news… Forbearance Exits Remain High: Of single-family homeowners who entered Covid-19 related forbearance, 89% have now exited their plans, according to Black Knight. Rates Climb Again: Mortgage rates jumped significantly this week, up to an average of 3.45% from 3.22%, Freddie Mac reported. Vice Chairwoman: President Biden will nominate Sarah Bloom Raskin, a former top Treasury Department official, to serve as…

Forbearance Exits Remain High

Of single-family homeowners who entered Covid-19 related forbearance, 89% have now exited their plans. Active forbearance plans dropped by 43,000 (-8%) in the first week of January, according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. The number of loans in forbearance fell across all categories, led by a 22,000 (-8%) drop in forborne loans held by portfolios and PSLs. Forbearances on FHA/VA loans fell by 17,000 (-16%) and GSE loans fell by 4,000 (-1.6%). The number of active plans is down 100,000 (-12%) from last month. An additional 155,000 plans are up for extension or removal in January. However, less than a third are expected to expire, meaning exit volumes will lessen moving forward. New plan starts rose again, reaching their highest…

Morning Roundup (1/13/2022)– Foreclosure Filing All-Time Low, Mortgage Applications Up

Good Morning! Today is Thursday, January 13. Donald Trump endorsed booster shots and said politicians who hid their vaccination status were “gutless.” Kevin McCarthy, the top House Republican, said he would not cooperate with the House committee investigating the Capitol riot. More than 8,000 unionized employees at Kroger’s King Soopers stores in Denver went on strike on Wednesday. And in mortgage and housing news… Mortgage Applications Up: Mortgage loan application volume rose 1.4% from last week, though refis once again fell, MBA reported. All-Time Low: ATTOM’s Year-End Foreclosure Market Report found foreclosure filings dropped to an all-time low in 2021, down 95% from a peak of nearly 2.9 million in 2010. Forty-Year High: The BLS’s Consumer Price Index reported that…

Foreclosures Activity Hits Record Low

ATTOM Data Solution’s Year-End 2021 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report found foreclosure filings dropped 29% from 2020 and were down 95% from a peak of nearly 2.9 million in 2010. It is the lowest level since ATTOM began tracking filings in 2005. Properties with foreclosure filings–default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions– made up 0.11% of all U.S. housing units, down from 0.16% in 2020. “The COVID-19 foreclosure tsunami that some people had anticipated is clearly not happening,” said Rick Sharga, executive vice president at RealtyTrac, an ATTOM company.  The report is heartening from a broad view of foreclosure filings in the US. However, it found that filings increased as protections expired, pushing rates closer to pre-pandemic levels. A total of…