Good Morning! Today is Monday, November 29. The new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, may be more contagious among vaccinated people but less deadly overall. Japan, Israel, and Morocco have closed their borders to foreign travelers. Mark Esper is suing the DOD for not clearing his book manuscript for publication due to sections detailing his time working under Donald Trump. And in mortgage and housing news… Build Back Better’s Implications On Housing Prices: The House version of President Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan includes about $170 billion for affordable housing and people are asking what that means. CRA Changes: As the Fed weighs making the Community Reinvestment Act race-specific, what do the data say about CRA loans? Not much. Forbearance Starts Jump: …
Mortgage loan application volume rose 1.8% last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly survey reports. The seasonally adjusted Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 1.8%. The seasonally adjusted purchase index rose 5%, while the unadjusted purchase index dropped 0.4% and was 4% lower YOY. The report noted that though rates were volatile last week, the net trend is upward, with the 30-year fixed rate rising to 3.24%. “Despite the increase in rates, refinance applications rose slightly, driven by a 2% gain in conventional refinances. Borrowers continue to lock in mortgages in anticipation of higher rates in the future. Refinance applications were still more than 30% below a year ago when the 30-year fixed rate…
Mortgage loan application volume fell 2.8% last week, driven again by low refinance applications, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly survey reported. The Market Composite Index, which measures application volume, fell 2.8% on an adjusted basis. The Refinance Index dropped 5% and was 31% lower than a year ago, rebounding from last week’s drop to its lowest level since July 2021. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index rose 2%, while the unadjusted Purchase Index fell 2% compared to the week before, down 6% from the previous year. “Refinance applications decreased for the seventh time in eight weeks, as mortgage rates moved higher after two weeks of declines,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting. But the…
Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, November 16. President Biden signed the $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law. Steve Bannon turned himself in after defying a subpoena from the congressional investigation into the Capitol riot. The jury in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial will begin deliberations today. And in mortgage and housing news… Why Wait Until Spring To Sell Your Home?: People are typically reluctant to put their homes on the market during the holiday season, but sellers can expect plenty of buyers this winter. Mortgage Applications Up: Mortgage applications for new home purchases fell 15.2% year-over-year in October but increased 6% month-over-month, setting their fastest pace since January 2021. Investors Break Records: Investors bought a record 90,000 homes in Q3 2021,…
Mortgage applications for new home purchases fell 15.2% year-over-year (YOY) in October but increased 6% month-over-month (MOM), according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest Builder Application Survey. The increase from September puts MBA’s estimate of new home sales at its strongest pace since January 2021. “Purchase activity continues to be dominated by higher loan balance transactions, which pushed the average new home loan size up to over $412,000, another new record in the survey,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting. “Recent U.S. Census data show an increasing share of new sales are for homes yet to be built or still under construction, and a shrinking share of completed homes. Housing demand remains strong,…
Good Morning! Today is Wednesday, November 10. Moderna is locked in a patent dispute after excluding three government researchers who worked on the vaccine from its application. General Electric will split into three companies focused on aviation, energy, and healthcare. A federal court denied Donald Trump’s attempt to withhold records from the committee investigating the January 6 riot. And in mortgage and housing news… HUD Awards $36M For Affordable Housing: HUD announced $36 million in “capacity-building” grants to boost affordable housing programs across 250 communities. Mortgage Credit Up: Mortgage credit availability rose slightly in October but remains tight overall, posing “significant” problems for first-time buyers. Applications Rise Alongside Rate Drop: Mortgage loan application volume rose 5.5% last week, responding to…
Mortgage loan application volume rose 5.5% last week, responding to interest rate dips, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly survey reported. The Market Composite Index, which measures application volume, fell 5.5% on an adjusted basis. The Refinance Index jumped 7% and was 28% lower than a year ago, rebounding from last week’s drop to its lowest level since July 2021. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index rose 3%, while the unadjusted Purchase Index rose .1% compared to the week before, down 4% from the previous year. Interest rates fell to 3.09% after several weeks on the rise, with the 30-year fixed rate falling 14 basis points over the last two weeks. Applications, especially for refinancing, dropped alongside them. “Although overall activity…
Loan officer commission dropped 17% year-over-year (YOY) in Q3 2021, according to SimpleNexus’ Q3 mortgage loan compensation report. The report cites declining loan volume as the main factor in commission declines, while a roughly 15% rise in loan officer staffing contributed to a ⅓ drop in individual processor incentive compensation. Per-loan commission rates have started falling as well, dropping 2.44% YOY from 102.88 to 100.37 basis points. Declining refinance activity had the biggest impact. Monthly refi commission dropped 37%. Refis have been falling steadily as rates tick up, resulting in the slowest weekly pace of refinancing since January 2020. Interest rates reached 3.14% last week. “We continue to expect weakening refinance activity as rates move higher and borrowers see less…
Good Morning! Today is Wednesday, November 3. Republican Glenn Youngkin won the Virginia Governor race, while New Jersey’s is too close to call. The Federal Reserve is likely to announce that it will begin steadily reducing its bond-buying program. The Atlanta Braves won the World Series. And in mortgage and housing news… Mortgage Applications Down: Mortgage applications dropped 3.3% last week, according to MBA’s weekly survey. Zillow iBuying Up In Smoke: Zillow is giving up its iBuying arm, Zillow Offers, after losing $381 million last quarter and will be laying off 25% of its staff. October Home Prices Up: Clear Capital’s October 2021 Home Data Index found home price growth was up 5.3% from last quarter, and up nearly 20%…
Good Morning! Today is Friday, October 29. Congressional Democrats failed to get enough votes to pass the basic infrastructure bill on Thursday as President Biden requested. Andrew Cuomo was charged with a misdemeanor sex crime, forcible touching. Facebook changed its corporate name to Meta, a reference to the online “metaverse.” And in mortgage and housing news… Black Knight: The number of loans in forbearance rose marginally this week, while forbearance starts ticked up. “They’re Coming To Get You, Barbara”: A new report from ATTOM shows a drop in the number of vacant “zombie” properties, but suggests increases to come. Pending Home Sales Down: Pending home sales fell in September, down in every region both year-over-year and month-over-month. Americans Priced Out: …
