Buyers are still fleeing the market in droves despite signs of cooling, driven out by rising mortgage rates and economic uncertainty. Home sales fell by 19.3% YOY in July, hitting their lowest level since the pandemic started, Redfin reported. It’s the biggest annual decline in U.S. home sales in more than a year. Sales also fell 4.1% from June. Redfin noted that while affordability challenges pushed some buyers out, others were concerned about the potential for home-value declines. Home price appreciation rose at its slowest pace since June 2020, up only 7.7%, and talk of price correction is everywhere. Fewer homeowners put their homes on the market, too. New listings fell 13.5% YOY, the biggest decline in more than a…
Mortgage rates dropped to an average 5.13% last week from 5.22% the week prior, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.13%, following a rollercoaster couple of weeks that saw both a 30-point rate decrease and a 20-point increase. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 2.86%. “Inflation appears to be beyond its peak, which has stopped the rapid increase in mortgage rates that the housing market was experiencing earlier this year,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “The market continues to absorb the cumulative impact of the large price and rate increases that led to a plunge in affordability. As a result, over the rest…
New listings fell 12% during the four-week period ending August 7, the largest YOY decline since June 2020, according to recent Redfin data. Higher mortgage rates are keeping some Americans in their homes longer than they normally would be. Some homeowners are experiencing what Redfin calls “rate lock-in,” a fear of putting their home up for sale due to a low rate they nabbed during the pandemic. Others are realizing they won’t get an offer over listing price on-demand like they could last year. “Buyers are backing off due to rising housing costs and sellers are holding back because they realize they won’t get the bidding war they would have gotten six months ago,” said Redfin Deputy Chief Economist Taylor…
Zonda’s New Home Pending Sales Index for June 2022 finds the housing market cooling to levels seen in February 2020. The New Home PSI posted a reading of 125.5 for June, down 7.5% YOY and 27.9% below cycle highs. It measures new home orders and average sales rate per community. New home sales dropped month-over-month by 0.2%, the fifth straight month of declines. The new home orders component fell 10.5% YOY, while the average sales rate per community component fell 8.2% YOY. “Home sellers and home buyers are adjusting to a new reality in the housing market,” said Ali Wolf, Zonda’s chief economist. “Home sellers are quickly understanding the days of frenzied demand are behind us and it takes an…
Millennials are often touted as getting the short stick when it comes to the housing market. Over the housing boom of the last two years, many Millennials who recently reached prime homebuying age started looking to buy their first home. But high competition and limited inventory have made this a notoriously difficult market for first-time buyers. This has been intensified by rising home prices. As of 2021, the average millennial with a mortgage owed $255,527 in mortgage debt, up 10% from the 2020 average and 16% from 2019. But while Millennials may be the largest buying cohort right now, Gen Z is right on their heels. Gen Z places much stock in the value of owning a home. Nearly 60%…
Most consumers think the economy is on the “wrong track,” growing frustrated as they struggle against inflation and a slowing economy. Fannie Mae’s most recent Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) fell 3.4 points in June to its lowest reading in ten years, while a survey-high 81% of consumers reported they believe the economy is on “the wrong track.” The full index is down 14.9 points YOY. Four of its six components fell from the month prior. More Americans reported they are worried about losing their jobs in the next twelve months (+5%) and fewer reported their income has significantly increased in the past year (-1%.) For the first time in almost seven years, a plurality of respondents said they would…
Mortgage loan application volume rose slightly by 0.7% last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly survey shows. The adjusted Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased by 0.7%. The adjusted purchase index rose 0.1%, while the unadjusted purchase index fell by 21% and was 24% lower YOY. The refinance index rose by 2% and made up 30.3% of total applications, down 80% from the same time last year. ARM activity fell to 10.1% of total applications. “Mortgage rates continue to experience large swings. After increasing 65 basis points during the past three weeks, the 30-year fixed rate declined 14 basis points last week to 5.84%,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Associate Vice President of Economic and…
Only 17% of consumers believe it’s a good time to purchase a home as rising interest rates and high home prices push many buyers out of the market, according to Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index. The May HPSI fell by 0.3 points, remaining relatively steady, but continues to move closer to its 10-year low of 63, recorded in April 2020. The full index is down 11.8 points YOY. Affordability was the main concern of the consumers surveyed. The “Good Time to Buy” indicator dropped to a new low, with 79% of respondents saying it’s a bad time to buy a home. The majority of respondents also said they expect mortgage rates to continue rising in the next twelve months. A…
Seller-buyers are making a splash this spring, with 72% of home sellers also planning to buy their next one this year, according to a new survey from Realtor.com. Realtor partnered with HarrisX to survey homeowners nationwide. The results showed a market flooded with younger seller-buyers looking for more affordable homes to accommodate growing families. Millennials are the most active seller-buyers in the market (47%). Gen Z, the youngest market-ready cohort, came in second at 25%, followed by Gen X (15%) and Baby Boomers (12%). Most seller-buyers said they planned to buy a home first, then list their current home (46%), the choice that offers the most flexibility. Another 44% said they plan to sell and buy at the same time,…
Good Morning! Today is Friday, May 6. The U.S. provided intelligence that helped Ukraine sink the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. The FDA further limited the use of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. Karine Jean-Pierre will become the first Black woman and first openly gay person to serve as White House press secretary. The Mortgage Note Reports Rates Back Up: Mortgage rates shot back up after a one-week reversal of their upward trend, averaging 5.29% last week. Asking Prices: In April, 15% of home sellers dropped their asking prices, a 5.9% YOY increase that coincides with monthly mortgage payments rising 42% YOY. In Case You Missed It: This week, Editor Kimberley Haas reported that the CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage has come under fire after posting online that he is “disappointed” with…
