By SCOTT KIMBLER Potential buyers are starting to wonder if moving out of urban areas continues to remain a good idea. In 2020, as housing costs were already skyrocketing, the Covid-19 pandemic hit. The combination of the two made migrating further out of large cities appealing to a lot of people, especially young people who were looking to buy a home and start a family. Fast forward to now and many of those factors have changed. As a result, some popular hotspots are starting to see a decline in frenzied buyers putting in multiple bids. Roy Black, an Economics Professor at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, says although some areas are seeing a shift people will always be attracted to…
By ISAIAS PACHECO The home purchase settlement index decreased by two points in July, according to Fannie Mae. This is the lowest level since 2011, and the HSPI has been declining steadily which is making consumers concerned. They are not buying or selling, experts say. Doug Duncan, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, said in a statement that unfavorable rates have been increasingly cited by consumers as the top reason behind the growing perception that it is a bad time to buy and sell. It is expected that the market will cool and there will be moderate home sales over the coming year. Thousands of people in the industry may be let go as a result. Email story ideas to…
By TYRONE TOWNSEND In the upcoming months, mortgage lenders, refinancing businesses, and real estate agencies may fire thousands of people as the housing market cools. Many millennials had started looking for new houses because of low-interest rates, stimulus payments, and the ability to work from home during the coronavirus epidemic, which fueled a booming U.S. housing market. But now the pandemic is no longer driving workers out of metro markets. Peak prices hit in June and potential buyers are pulling out of the market. According to experts, mortgage origination is expected to fall 35 to 50 percent this year. The drop in refinancing is also playing a key role in changes to the mortgage industry. The Mortgage Bankers Association attributes…
Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, August 9. Donald Trump said the F.B.I. raided his Mar-a-Lago home and opened a safe. China announced plans for more drills in the waters around Taiwan. Olivia Newton-John died at 73. The Mortgage Note Reports Cenlar Appointments: Cenlar FSB has appointed Dave Applegate as Chairman of the Board of Directors, while Robert Lux and Dr. James Dara will take over as co-CEOs. Inventory Growth: Active listings rose by 30.7% YOY in July, a record-high growth rate, but remain below their pre-pandemic and even early-pandemic levels. View Post And in other mortgage and housing news… Delinquencies Fall Again: Delinquencies accounted for 2.7% of all mortgages in May, down 2% month-over-month to another new low. Bad Times: Consumer sentiment towards housing fell to its lowest level since…
Active listings posted a record-high growth rate in July, an indication that balance is returning to the housing market, Realtor.com reported. July’s Monthly Housing Trends Report found that the national inventory of active listings rose by 30.7% YOY, while the total inventory of unsold homes, including pending listings, increased for the first time since September 2019. This means there were 176,000 more homes actively for sale on a typical day in July than at the same time last year. However, the bump in total unsold inventory amounted to only a modest 3.5% due to a dip in pending inventory. And listings are still far behind their pre-pandemic and even early pandemic levels. Active listings were 15.7% below 2020 and 45.4%…
Loan subservicer and wholesale bank Cenlar FSB has appointed Dave Applegate as Chairman of the Board of Directors, the company announced in a press release. He is replacing former Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO Greg Tornquist, who is retiring. At the same time, EVP and COO Robert Lux has been named co-CEO with Dr. James Daras, who will also serve as president. Applegate has been a board member since 2020 and brings three decades of experience in real estate, mortgage banking, and housing finance to the role of Chairman. His past experience includes CEO of Common Securitization Solutions, LLC, a joint venture of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; Homeward Residential, Radian Mortgage Insurance, and GMAC Mortgage and Bank.…
Home price appreciation is leveling out on a national level, but zooming in on price points and regions reveals a more complex picture, according to new data from the AEI Housing Center. The center looked at how home price appreciation is changing, first by price tier and then by specific metros and geography. While June home price appreciation dropped to nearly zero month-over-month nationally, the story is completely different when analyzing these two metrics. In the first, the Center divided home sales into four price tiers based on their access to leverage. Doing so revealed that appreciation is slowing across all tiers, especially when it comes to the highest level. High-price tier homes were the first to show a negative…
Good Morning! Today is Friday, August 5. The Biden administration declared the monkeypox outbreak a national health emergency, releasing extra funds. Senator Kyrsten Sinema agreed to advance a modified version of the Democrats’ climate and tax bill. A Russian judge sentenced Brittney Griner to nine years in a penal colony on drug charges. The Mortgage Note Reports Rates Sink: Mortgage rates nosedived by 31 basis points last week to an average 4.99%, dropping below 5% for the first time since April. Zillow, Opendoor Shake Hands: Zillow is partnering with once-rival Opendoor in a multi-year deal that allows Zillow users to request an Opendoor offer on their home. And in other mortgage and housing news… Jobs Report: U.S. employers added 528,000 jobs in July, again besting expectations and bringing the total…
Zillow is partnering with once-rival Opendoor in a multi-year deal, the company announced in a press release. Home sellers using Zillow will be able to request an Opendoor offer to sell their home while on the platform. Customers will be able to use it by itself or package it with other Zillow services such as financing, closing, and agent selection. Zillow will get a referral fee when a customer accepts an offer from Opendoor. “Zillow is the most visited brand in online real estate. As we bring the housing super app to life, we’re empowering our millions of visitors to understand all their options and transact in the way that best meets their housing needs,” said Zillow Chief Operating Officer,…
Mortgage rates nosedived by 31 basis points last week, dropping below 5% for the first time since April, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.99%. Last week it averaged 5.30%, and a year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 2.77%. “Mortgage rates remained volatile due to the tug of war between inflationary pressures and a clear slowdown in economic growth,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “The high uncertainty surrounding inflation and other factors will likely cause rates to remain variable, especially as the Federal Reserve attempts to navigate the current economic environment.” Recession fears are adding to a dip in homebuyer demand spurned on…
