Despite an uptick in job numbers and an increase in personal incomes, there is still uncertainty about how the latest Labor Statistics Report will impact the housing market. The latest jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows payroll employment growth as 467,000 in January and an increase of job growth at 1.8 million in the last three months of 2021. The report also shows an income increase of 5.7% since this time last year. In short, more people have jobs and nearly everyone is at least making a little more money. Elizabeth Rose is a Financial Planner and Lender with Mortgage 300 based in Dallas, Texas. She says the numbers show a lot of positive growth, but maybe not…
Good Morning! Today is Wednesday, February 9. New York State will drop its indoor mask mandate this week. Mitch McConnell denounced the RNC’s characterization of Jan. 6 as “legitimate political discourse.” The House passed a bipartisan bill to keep the Postal Service solvent and to reduce mail delays. The Mortgage Note Reports Gearing Up For The Big Game: Leaders at Rocket are inviting people to take a peek at the homes they could buy if they win the world’s largest official game of Super Bowl Squares and they have revealed which stars will appear in their ad. 2022 Expectations: Home price appreciation and stock shortages are likely to continue through the first few months of 2022, as December saw price growth pick back up…
Mortgage loan application volume fell 8.1% last week, down after jumping 12% the week prior, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly survey shows. The adjusted Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, dropped 8.1%. The adjusted purchase index fell 10%, while the unadjusted purchase index fell 3% and was 12% lower YOY. The refinance index fell 7% and was down 52% YOY. Refinances made up 56.2% of total applications. “Purchase activity slowed after the previous week’s gain. Both conventional and FHA purchase applications saw proportional declines, resulting in purchase activity overall dropping 10 percent,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting. “The average loan size again hit another record high at $446,000.…
Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, February 8. The Supreme Court reinstated Alabama’s congressional map, which a lower court had said hurts Black voters. Vladimir Putin met with President Emmanuel Macron of France but did not rule out a Ukraine invasion. The budget airlines Frontier and Spirit plan to merge. The Mortgage Note Reports UWM Sues Brokerage in Effort to Enforce its ‘Anti-American’ Restrictions on Lenders. UWM’s Mat Ishbia is defending his company’s decision to slap America’s Moneyline with a $2.8 million lawsuit over its decision to violate UWM’s restrictions on working with Rocket and Fairway Independent. AML’s Shawn Nevin calls it ‘anti-American.’ $53 Million Agreement With Fannie Mae To Help Rebuild Communities Of Color In Metro Areas: Fair housing organizations throughout the…
Good Morning! Today is Monday, February 7. The White House said a Ukraine invasion could come “any day now.” The Dutch speedskater Ireen Wüst became the first person to win individual golds at five Olympics. New Jersey’s Democratic governor will lift the state’s school mask mandate. The Mortgage Note Reports CA Broker Calls Out UWM: Jason Vondrak of Prospect Home Finance announced he has laid off 50 employees and blamed UWM and its CEO, Mat Ishbia. loanDepot CEO Remains Focused On Long-Term Strategy After Mixed 2021 Results: The CEO of loanDepot says they will continue to focus on their long-term strategy to become the most trusted homeowner fulfillment company in the world after the company released their results for 2021,…
Good Morning! Today is Friday, February 4. Islamic State’s leader died during a nighttime raid by U.S. special forces in northwestern Syria. The US is short on blood due to below-average donations amid Covid-19. The House is set to approve a $350 billion initiative to boost U.S. competitiveness with China and others, but the Senate may fight it. The Mortgage Note Reports Standing Up For Independent Mortgage Bankers In 2022 And Beyond:The executive director of Community Home Lenders Association is working to educate policymakers in Washington, D.C., while articulating the perspective of independent mortgage bankers. Forbearances Drop: Active forbearance plans fell by 45,000 plans (-5%) last week, according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. More than 90% of homeowners who entered Covid-related forbearance…
Mortgage rates stayed the same last week, once again averaging 3.55%, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.55%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 2.73%. “The economy lost some momentum in January, leaving mortgage rates unchanged from last week and relatively flat for the third consecutive week. This stagnation reflects the economic impact of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, which we believe will subside in the coming months,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “As economic recovery continues going into the spring and summer, mortgage rates are expected to resume their upward trajectory. In the meantime, recent data suggests that homebuyer demand continues…
Good Morning! Today is February 3, 2022. The U.S. is deploying 3,000 more troops to Eastern Europe. The Army said it would immediately discharge unvaccinated soldiers. Jeff Zucker resigned as the president of CNN over a romantic relationship with an executive. The Mortgage Note Reports Millennial Domination: Despite challenging conditions for first-time homebuyers, Millennials make up a majority of homebuyers in most of the US’s largest metros, especially Denver, Seattle, and Boston. Home Value Record: December 2021 saw a record annual surge in U.S. home value led by Austin, TX, which saw total home values equivalent to the 2020 GDP of Ecuador. And in other mortgage and housing news… Love In The Air: A survey from Zillow found 34% of…
Good Morning! Today is February 2, 2022. It’s official: Tom Brady is retiring. The U.S. national debt topped $30 trillion, a record. ABC suspended Whoopi Goldberg for two weeks after she said that the Holocaust was not about race. She later apologized. The Mortgage Note Reports Guaranteed Rate No. 8 To Debut In NASCAR Race:Race car driver Tyler Reddick will debut the new Guaranteed Rate No. 8 Chevrolet at the first-ever Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum this Sunday. Application Volume Back Up: Mortgage loan application volume rose 12% after falling 7.1% last week, MBA reports. CoreLogic HPI: Home prices rose by 18.5% across the nation in December 2021, but are expected to moderate in the next twelve months. Panorama CEO: Panorama Mortgage Group named…
Mortgage loan application volume continues its rollercoaster trend of rising one week and falling the next, up 12% after falling 7.1% last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly survey shows. The adjusted Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 12%. The adjusted purchase index rose 4%, while the unadjusted purchase index rose 12% and was 7% lower YOY. The refinance index jumped 18% and was down 50% YOY. Refinances made up 57.3% of total applications. Mortgage rates continue to climb, with the 30-year fixed-rate reaching its highest level since March 2020 at 3.78%. “Despite the increase in rates, refinance applications were up 18%, driven mainly by a 22% jump in conventional applications. There has likely…
