Mortgage Applications Fall

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.…

Morning Roundup (2/8/2022)– UWM Lawsuit, HPSI

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…

Morning Roundup (2/7/2022)– CA Broker Calls Out UWM, loanDepot’s Long-Term Strategy

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,…

Morning Roundup (2/4/2022)– Forbearances Drop, Rates Stay The Same

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 Unchanged

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…

Morning Roundup (2/3/2022)– Millennial Domination, Home Values Record

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…

Morning Roundup (2/2/2022)– Applications Up, Home Prices Expected To Moderate

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…

Application Volume Up Again Despite Rising Rates

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…

Home Prices Grew 18.5% In 2021, Should Cool In 2022

Home prices rose year-over-year (YOY) by 18.5% across the nation in December 2021, and by 1.3% from November, CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index reported. Home price growth averaged 15% for 2021, which saw one of the hottest housing markets in decades. Q1 2021 started off with 10% appreciation but continued to grow, reaching 18% in Q4. By comparison, price appreciation for the full year of 2020 averaged only 6%. The states with the highest increases YOY were Arizona (28.4%), Florida (27.1%), and Utah (25.2%). The cities with the biggest gains were Phoenix (30.2%), Las Vegas (24.4%), and San Diego (22.4%). CoreLogic predicts that home prices will remain flat this month and rise by only 3.5% by next December. Comparing annual…

Morning Roundup (2/1/2022)– Crowded Out Of The Market, New Home Record

Good Morning! Today is February 1, 2022. Moderna’s Spikevax won full FDA approval for adults 18 and up, making it the second fully approved Covid-19 vaccine. Pfizer is planning to ask the FDA to authorize its vaccine for children under 5. A prosecutor dropped the last criminal inquiry into sexual misconduct allegations against Andrew Cuomo. The Mortgage Note Reports Getting Pushed Out Of The Housing Market? You’re Not Alone: Low-income and minority buyers will continue to be crowded out of the housing market in 2022, according to the director of research at the AEI Housing Center. Home Showings Skyrocket: Showing traffic rose 11.5% YOY in December 2021 as buyers continued scouring the market for a new home. New Construction Record: …