September Delinquencies Dropped 41% YOY, Lowest Level In 18 Months

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…

Morning Roundup (10/22/2021)– “Lull” In Forbearance Drops, Eviction “Tsunami” Still Elusive

Good Morning! Today is Friday, October 22. The CDC endorsed a “mix and match” strategy for distributing Covid-19 vaccine boosters. President Biden said he was open to ending the filibuster in order to pass bills on the debt limit and voting rights. A woman was killed on a Western film set when Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun. And in mortgage and housing news… Black Knight: The number of loans in active forbearance fell 0.6% since last Tuesday, entering an expected, mid-month period of “lull”. “Eviction Tsunami” Still Elusive: As federal protections ended, housing activists warned a “tsunami” of evictions would follow. Where is it? Counties Face Pandemic Damage: Some housing markets at the county level are still susceptible to damage from the pandemic, according to a new report from…

Forbearance Exits Hit Mid-Month ‘Lull’

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…

ATTOM: Some Markets Still Vulnerable To Covid-19 Economic Pressures

Despite the pandemic receding and a housing market cooldown, some housing markets at the county level are still susceptible to damage from the pandemic, according to a new report from ATTOM. The Q3 2021 Special Coronavirus Report showed that New Jersey, Illinois, and Delaware had the highest concentrations of at-risk markets, totaling 26 of the 50 counties whose housing markets might be most impacted by Covid-19. To determine risk to the market, the report looked at the percentage of homes facing possible foreclosure, the portion with mortgage balances exceeding property values, and the percentage of average local wages required to pay for homeownership expenses on median-priced houses or condos. Included on the list are eight counties in the Chicago metro…

Morning Roundup (10/21/2021)– Rates Climb, MBA Warns Of “Aggressive” Regulation

Good Morning! Today is Thursday, October 21. U.S. unemployment claims fall to a new pandemic low of 290,000. The gunman in the Parkland school shooting pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder. Donald Trump is launching a new social media platform, TRUTH Social. And in mortgage and housing news… Freddie Mac: Mortgage rates continued climbing, hitting 3.09% over the past week, Freddie Mac reported. “In Front Of Every Fight”: MBA President and CEO Bob Broeksmit said that “aggressive” federal regulation is back but that the MBA would fight tax hikes on mortgage servicing. Advocates Rally For “Robust” Spending: Housing stakeholders gathered at the capitol to call for the budget reconciliation package being negotiated in Congress to substantially represent housing.  Runaway Demand: …

Morning Roundup (10/20/2021)– Applications, Refis Tank

Good Morning! Today is Wednesday, October 20. The White House announced a plan to vaccinate 28 million children between the ages of 5 and 11. Kidnappers in Haiti are demanding $1 million per person for 17 members of a U.S.-based missionary group. Southwest Airlines has dropped its plan to put unvaccinated workers on unpaid leave starting in December. And in mortgage and housing news… Applications Down: Mortgage loan application volume fell 6.3% last week while refis hit their lowest level since July. Rocket Enhancements: Rocket Mortgage’s Rocket Pro TPO announced tech changes to help brokers grow and strengthen their businesses. Ex-UWM Exec Joins Scott Griffin: Scott Griffin Financial has announced that former UWM exec Judie Levitt has joined its senior…

MBA: Forbearances Plunged Again

Forbearances fell again last week, dropping to 2.28% of servicers’ portfolio volume, down from 2.62% the week before, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest survey. The estimated number of homeowners in forbearance plans is around 1.1 million. This week’s drop of 34 basis points beats out last week’s decline of 27 basis points, which was at that point the fastest rate of decline since October 2020. For Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans, forbearances were down 16 basis points to 1.05%. Ginnie Mae loans fell 17 basis points to 2.77%. Portfolio loans and private-label securities shares fell 108 basis points, from 6.91% to 5.34%. Independent mortgage bank servicers saw a drop of 25 basis points to 2.57%, and…

Morning Roundup (10/19/2021)– Zillow Takes A Break, Red States See White-Hot Markets

Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, October 19. DC suspended half of its metro trains after a series of derailings. Lawmakers accused Amazon leadership of misleading or lying to Congress about its business practices. Democrats looking for funding for Build Back Better are bringing back the idea of a carbon tax. And in mortgage and housing news… Red States See Biggest Home Price Jumps: The housing market in red states is white-hot compared to their blue counterparts. Here’s why. LendingHome New CRO: LendingHome announced that senior executive Carrie Weber has joined the company as chief risk officer. Zillow Offers Taking A Break: Zillow’s home-flipping business, Zillow Offers, will stop signing new contracts in order to address renovations on homes it already…

Morning Roundup (10/15/2021)– Forbearances Still Falling, UWM Backpedals On Crypto

Good Morning! Today is Friday, October 15. An FDA panel recommended booster shots for high-risk Moderna recipients. LinkedIn is shutting down in China, the last major social network to shutter there. Retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 0.7% in September from the month before, the U.S. Commerce Department said. And in mortgage and housing news…  Black Knight: Forbearances dropped another 10% this week, and they are now at their fastest rate of improvement since the pandemic began. Was Ishbia’s Crypto Move a ‘Stunt?’: After accepting just six cryptocurrency mortgage payments, UWM has signaled it’s not ready to do more. Millennials Vs. Boomers: A Zillow report found Millennials and Boomers are competing for housing, and Boomers are winning. Redfin: The number…

Black Knight: Forbearances Improved At Fastest Rate Since Pandemic Began

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…