Faced with inflation pressure and rising rates, many borrowers are seeking lower monthly mortgage payments in the form of ARMs or longer terms. But lower monthly payments come with a price. LendingTree analyzed 380,000 loans to determine how much more borrowers with 30-year loans pay than those with 15-year loans. They found that borrowers with 15-year fixed rate mortgages saved an average of $215,000 in interest across the loan’s lifetime. Of course, 15-year loans also required borrowers to pay an average of $572 more a month in order to rack up those savings. One reason shorter-term loans save borrowers so much money is that their interest rates are typically lower. The 30-year fixed rate averaged 5.89% last week, while the…
Mortgage fraud risk dropped 7.5% YOY in Q2 2022, with one in 131 mortgage applications containing instances of fraud, CoreLogic reported. In contrast, Q2 2021 saw fraud in 1 in 120 applications. Mortgage fraud is defined as the deliberate act of lying or omitting information that is used by an underwriter or lender to fund, purchase, or insure a mortgage loan. CoreLogic’s Mortgage Fraud Risk Index showed fraud risk in mid-2022 coming down from a point of high risk in 2021. The company said it is also partly due to a recalibration of its sourcing model in Q1 2022. After the update, the index showed higher risk during certain months in Q2. For example, while overall fraud risk fell, income…
More than half of U.S. homes built in the last ten years face risk from climate change, a huge jump from previous decades, Redfin reported. Redfin analyzed climate-risk scores from ClimateCheck and county records on homes built since 1900 to determine how many homes have a higher risk of climate-related damage. Fifty-five percent of homes are at risk for fires, while 45% are in drought-prone areas. This is a massive increase from the first half of the 20th century when only 14% of homes were in high fire risk areas and 37% faced droughts. New homes are also more vulnerable to heat and floods– almost 100% of homes built in the last two years see increased heat risk– but fire…
Mortgage rates hit their highest point in almost 14 years last week, up from 5.66% to 5.89%, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.89%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 2.88%. “Mortgage rates rose again as markets continue to manage the prospect of more aggressive monetary policy due to elevated inflation,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “Not only are mortgage rates rising but the dispersion of rates has increased, suggesting that borrowers can meaningfully benefit from shopping around for a better rate. Our research indicates that borrowers could save an average of $1,500 over the life of a loan by getting one…
Home price drops are up more than 95% from last year as the market cooldown continues into fall, according to HouseCanary’s latest Market Pulse report. The report compares data between August 2021 and August 2022 and is an ongoing review of insights from HouseCanary’s platform. The data shows that the monthly nationwide supply continues shrinking as interest rates increase. Combined with seasonal slowdown after the spring and summer buying seasons, net new listing volume and contract volume fell YOY across all price points. “The nationwide supply shortage accelerated by the Fed’s rate hikes and economic concerns persisted through the end of the summer despite a slight increase in inventory back in June,” said Jeremy Sicklick, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer…
Mortgage loan application volume fell last week, with both refis and purchase applications falling as interest rates hit their highest point since mid-June, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey shows. The adjusted Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased by 0.8%. The adjusted purchase index fell 1%, while the unadjusted purchase index dropped 3% and was 23% lower YOY. The refinance index dropped by 1% and made up 30.7% of total applications, down 83% from the same time last year. “Mortgage rates moved higher over the course of last week as markets continued to re-assess the prospects for the economy and the path of monetary policy, with expectations for short-term rates to move and stay higher…
Mortgage rates continued rising last week, up from 5.55% to 5.66%, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.66%, continuing its trek towards 6% after a few weeks of reprieve in the low 5’s. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 2.87%. “The market’s renewed perception of a more aggressive monetary policy stance has driven mortgage rates up to almost double what they were a year ago,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “The increase in mortgage rates is coming at a particularly vulnerable time for the housing market as sellers are recalibrating their pricing due to lower purchase demand, likely resulting in continued price…
Mortgage loan application volume fell 3.7% last week, continuing a downward spiral as mortgage rates hit their highest point since mid-July, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey shows. The adjusted Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased by 3.7%. The adjusted purchase index fell 2%, while the unadjusted purchase index dropped 4% and was 23% lower YOY. The refinance index dropped by 8% and made up 30.3% of total applications, down 83% from the same time last year. “Mortgage rates and Treasury yields rose last week as Federal Reserve officials indicated that short-term rates would stay higher for longer. Mortgage rates have been volatile over the past month, bouncing between 5.4% and 5.8%,” said Joel Kan,…
Home prices decelerated in June as buyers left the market, driven by historically high prices and rising interest rates. Both the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices and Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (FHFA HPI) saw price growth moderate in June. The HPI saw prices rise only 0.1% from May, while Case-Shiller reported an 18% YOY gain in June, down from 19.9% in May. FHFA’s data suggests prices are just now beginning to moderate. From Q1 2022 to Q2, prices rose 17.7% YOY and 4% quarter-over-quarter, with the only deceleration appearing in June. “Housing prices grew quickly through most of the second quarter of 2022, but a deceleration has appeared in the June monthly data. The pace of growth has…
Home prices have peaked in a growing number of overpriced housing markets as sellers and buyers pull back in the face of rising interest rates and affordability challenges. Researchers at Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University analyzed the 100 most overvalued housing markets by looking at their premiums, the percentage above the long-term pricing trend that buyers must pay on a property. The larger the premium, the more overpriced the market. In July, they found that premiums fell in 27 markets. Of those, 22 also saw home prices fall. Most of these markets are west of the Mississippi River. This is a significant increase from June when premiums declined in 12 markets and prices fell in only seven. FAU’s…
