Better.com is losing another C-suite executive in the wake of its controversial layoffs. Chief Technology Officer Diane Yu is stepping back into an advisory role, TechCrunch reported after obtaining an internal memo circulated at the company. The memo states that the move gives Yu “more flexibility to spend more time with her family and additional time in Hong Kong.” It is signed by Better’s infamous CEO Vishal Garg. Better.com has seen rapid turnover of execs after firing 900 employees on a Zoom call last December. Garg told the employees that they were “part of the unlucky group that is being laid off,” and that their employment was “terminated effective immediately.” The employees were then locked out of their work computers.…
Second-home demand fell for a second straight month as rising rates and increased fees deter buyers, Redfin reported. Mortgage-rate locks for second homes dropped to their lowest level since May 2020 in March, though still remained 13% above pre-pandemic levels. “The pandemic-driven surge in sales of vacation homes is coming to an end as mortgage rates rise at their fastest pace in history, causing some second-home buyers to back off,” said Redfin Deputy Chief Economist Taylor Marr. “When rates and prices shoot up so much that a vacation home starts to look more like a burden than a good investment and a fun place to bring your family on the weekends, a lot of prospective buyers have second thoughts.” A…
Good Morning! Today is Friday, April 8. The Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. She will be the 116th justice and first Black woman on the Court. The New York attorney general asked a judge to hold Trump in contempt for not turning over documents in an investigation. The Mortgage Note Reports Mortgage Rates Up Again: Mortgage rates rose to an average of 4.72%, up from last week’s 4.67%, continuing their climb towards 5%. Forbearance Improvements: Early April exits offset two weeks of rising forbearance starts and re-starts, resulting in plan volumes dropping below 700,000 for the first time since the pandemic began. And in other mortgage and housing news… Credit Availability Down: Mortgage credit availability…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS New data shows that 79% of Americans would rather renovate their current home than move to a different one and with $420 billion spent on remodeling projects in 2020 those in the mortgage, real estate, and building industries are taking notice. Discover Home Loans commissioned a national survey of 1,531 homeowners. The independent survey research firm Dynata fielded the first of the online surveys in January and found that nearly four in five people would rather make improvements on their homes than move in the current housing market. The maximum margin of sampling error was +/-3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. The top five reasons given for why homeowners would rather renovate are:…
Early April exits offset two weeks of rising forbearance starts and re-starts, resulting in plan volumes dropping below 700,000 for the first time since the pandemic began, according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. Overall, forbearances fell by 63,200 plans last week. GSE plans fell by 24,500 (-11%), followed by FHA/VA (-21,800, -8.1%) and loans held by portfolios and PSLs (-17,000, -16.7%). New plan starts still rose slightly, up to 10,300 (+200). However, last week they dropped to their lowest level in four months, so the uptick may not be cause for concern. Restarts also rose by 1,400 to 21,600. Plan volume is down 66,200 (-8.8%) month-over-month. Forbearance volumes have ticked up some after long periods of decline, but are generally…
Mortgage rates rose to an average of 4.72%, up from last week’s 4.67%, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.72%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.13%. “Mortgage rates have increased 1.5 percentage points over the last three months alone, the fastest three-month rise since May of 1994,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “The increase in mortgage rates has softened purchase activity such that the monthly payment for those looking to buy a home has risen by at least 20 percent from a year ago.” The daily fixed rate crossed 5% this week for the first time since 2011, save two days…
Good Morning! Today is Thursday, April 7. More than 2,000 Ukrainians have made their way to the U.S. border from Mexico. Some Biden administration officials tested positive after attending a black-tie event in Washington. The Supreme Court reinstated a Trump administration rule limiting states’ power to enforce the Clean Water Act. The Mortgage Note Reports Love It Or List It? Americans Are Renovating Rather Than Moving: New data shows that 79% of Americans would rather renovate their current home than move to a different one and with $420 billion spent on remodeling projects in 2020 those in the mortgage, real estate, and building industries are taking notice. Editor Kimberley Haas reports. Housing Market Pessimism: Consumer sentiment towards home buying fell…
Homeowners facing foreclosure can now stall proceedings while waiting to receive federal aid. The Federal Housing Agency (FHA) announced that Freddie Mac and Fannie will require servicers to suspend foreclosure activities for up to 60 days if the servicer has been informed that the borrower applied for assistance through the Homeowner Assistance Fund. “FHFA is committed to sustainable homeownership. Today’s action will provide borrowers who need temporary mortgage assistance with additional time to be evaluated for relief through their state’s approved Homeownership Assistance Fund,” said FHFA Acting Director Sandra L. Thompson. The move is meant to help homeowners on the brink of foreclosure who may still be struggling to make on-time payments. The HAF provides up to $9.96 billion for…
Consumer sentiment towards home buying fell in March, pushed down by rising interest rates and difficult conditions generally, according to Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index. The HPSI decreased by 2.1 points to 73.2, with four of its six components down month-over-month. The full index is down 8.5 points YOY. In March, 69% of respondents said they expect mortgage rates to keep rising, a survey-high. At the same time, the “Good Time To Buy” component tanked to a survey low, with 73% saying it’s a bad time to buy. “This month, we also saw a survey-high share of consumers expecting their financial situations to worsen over the next year; this was especially true among current homeowners,” said Mark Palim, Fannie…
Good Morning! Today is Wednesday, April 6. U.S. stock indexes dropped Tuesday over worries about the Federal Reserve’s plans to curb inflation. The European Commission proposed to ban Russian coal. Oklahoma lawmakers approved a near-total ban on abortion. The Mortgage Note Reports U.S. Mortgage Markets Heat Up As Interest Rates and Prices Rise: Writer Scott Kimbler reports that potential homebuyers are rushing to mortgage offices to make sure they get a loan before prices and interest rates go even higher. Funding Available To Combat COVID-19 Housing Discrimination: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development officials are making an additional $3,285,353 in American Rescue Plan funding available to help fight housing discrimination related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Loan Applications Sink Further: …
