Forbearance Exits Drop Below 2%

The number of loans in forbearance dropped below 2% for the first time since early in the pandemic, according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. November brought a surge of forbearance exits, with the number of loans in active forbearance falling by over 100,000 week-over-week, 10.8%. Bank portfolio and PLS loans had the strongest results, down by 15.9% or 59,000. FHA/VA plans saw a decrease of 11.3% (48,000) and GSE loans by 4.8% (16,000). Almost 300,000 borrowers left their plans over the last two weeks. Of all active mortgages, forborne loans now account for 1.9%, including 1.2% of GSE, 3.1% of FHA/VA, and 2.4% of portfolio/PLS loans. November’s numbers so far mimic October’s, which also saw a huge jump in exits…

Delinquencies Dropped To 4.88% In Q3

Delinquencies dropped for mortgages on one-to-four-unit residential properties in Q3 2021, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) National Delinquency Survey. The seasonally adjusted rate fell to 4.88% of all outstanding loans, down 59 basis points for Q2 and 277 basis points year-over-year (YOY). The survey asked servicers to report loans in forbearance as delinquent if the payment was not made based on the original terms of the mortgage. “For the fifth consecutive quarter, the mortgage delinquency rate declined, commensurate with a decline in the U.S. unemployment rate over the same time period,” said Marina Walsh, CMB, MBA’s Vice President of Industry Analysis. “The improvement was driven entirely by a decline in later-stage delinquent loans – those loans that are…

Nicole Beattie Named Amrock CEO

Amrock, a title insurance and property valuations provider, announced its CEO Brian Hughes will retire at the end of this month. Nicole Beattie, Executive VP of Mortgage Servicing at Rocket Mortgage will assume the role on November 19. “I would like to congratulate Brian on Amrock’s success. His leadership has solidified the company’s position at the top of the industry and paved a clear path of innovation for years to come,” said Beattie.  “I’m excited to build on the company’s momentum, continuing to create technology solutions that improve the mortgage closing experience for our lender partners and the clients they serve.” Beattie spent 18 years with Rocket Companies, the last four as EVP of Rocket Mortgage’s servicing team, managing a…

Mortgage Industry Steps Up for Vets

By Kimberley Haas Veterans throughout the country are being gifted homes or renovations to their existing houses as lenders and other business leaders come together to honor the service and sacrifices of the men and women who served in the U.S. military. On Wednesday, Veterans United Home Loans in Columbia, Mo., announced they are giving away 11 homes to 11 veterans to celebrate Veterans Day. Actor, comedian, and retired United States Marine Officer Rob Riggle has teamed up with Veterans United to be part of the project. “These veterans have continued to live the military value of ‘selfless service’ even after they’ve hung up their uniforms,” Riggle said in a statement. Veterans United is surprising 10 veterans with new houses…

Morning Roundup (11/10/2021)– Mortgage Credit Remains Tight, Application Volume Up

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…

Loan Applications Increase Due To Interest Rate Drops

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…

Mortgage Credit Access Remained Tight In October

Mortgage credit availability rose only slightly in October, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI). The index analyzes data from Ellie Mae’s AllRegs Market Clarity business information tool. The MCAI rose to 125.7 by only 0.1, showing credit loosened just a little. The Conventional MCAI increased 0.1%, while the Government MCAI was unchanged. The Jumbo MCAI increased by 4.1%, and the Conforming MCAI fell by 6%. While any increase in credit availability is good, overall credit availability remains low. “Credit availability inched forward in October, but the overall index was 30 percent lower than February 2020 and close to the lowest supply of mortgage credit since 2014,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Associate Vice President of…

Morning Roundup (11/9/2021)– HPSI Flat, Forbearances Drop

Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, November 9. Four SpaceX astronauts returned to Earth after 200 days in orbit. The Justice Department charged a Russian man with conducting cyberattacks and recovered $6 million in ransom. A missing girl was recovered after a motorist noticed her using an emergency hand signal that has gained attention on TikTok. And in mortgage and housing news… HPSI Stays Flat: Consumers have mixed feelings about the housing market and are slightly more pessimistic about the economy overall, especially when it comes to their personal finances. Forbearances Improve Again: The number of loans in forbearance dropped to 1 million as homeowners exited their plans, most entering modifications. Inflation Fears Climb: Inflation fears rose for the 12th consecutive…

Most Consumers Don’t Think The Economy Is On The “Right Track”

Consumers continued to feel pessimistic about the housing market in October, reporting mixed feelings about buying and selling homes and worries over the economy overall. Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index stayed relatively flat, rising only one point in October to 75.5. The index’s six components increased month-over-month (MOM) but are down 6.2 points year-over-year (YOY.)  A somewhat larger group of consumers from last month said it’s a good time to buy a home (30%, +2%) or sell a home (77%, +3%), and report they expect mortgages will increase over the next 12 months. The net share of respondents who say it’s a good time to buy a home rose 3% MOM. The share of respondents who expect home prices…

MBA: Number Of Forborne Loans Drops To 1 Million

Forbearances fell for another week, but that does not mean homeowners have completely recovered from their economic losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of forborne loans is down to 2.06% of servicers’ portfolio volume, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest survey. The estimated number of homeowners in forbearance plans dropped to around 1 million. “More borrowers who exited forbearance the last week of October went into modifications, a sign that they have not yet regained their pre-pandemic level of income,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s Senior Vice President and Chief Economist.  The national median household income has fallen 2.9% from 2019 to 2020, and is now $67,521. It is the first decline since 2011, and early…