The national delinquency rate dropped below 4% for the first time in 18 months in September, according to Black Knight’s September 2021 “first look” report. It is a 2.3% drop from August and 41.3% lower year-over-year. And those numbers might have been even better if not for the impact on delinquencies a result of hurricanes in Louisiana, many in FEMA-declared disaster areas. Mississippi, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Alabama ranked just below Louisiana for the highest percentages of non-current loans. Foreclosure starts also fell in September, coming down 45% from August. August saw spikes in foreclosure starts in the days following the Supreme Court’s decision to end the national moratorium. However, those increases were from historic lows, meaning the raw numbers…
Good Morning! Today is Friday, October 22. The CDC endorsed a “mix and match” strategy for distributing Covid-19 vaccine boosters. President Biden said he was open to ending the filibuster in order to pass bills on the debt limit and voting rights. A woman was killed on a Western film set when Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun. And in mortgage and housing news… Black Knight: The number of loans in active forbearance fell 0.6% since last Tuesday, entering an expected, mid-month period of “lull”. “Eviction Tsunami” Still Elusive: As federal protections ended, housing activists warned a “tsunami” of evictions would follow. Where is it? Counties Face Pandemic Damage: Some housing markets at the county level are still susceptible to damage from the pandemic, according to a new report from…
As the end of the federal government’s eviction moratorium approached this summer, housing activists warned a “tsunami” of evictions and homelessness would follow. The country is on the cusp of a “tsunami of evictions,” John Parvensky of the nonprofit organization Colorado Coalition for the Homeless told NBC News. “We will likely see more people unable to pay rent and end up being evicted and turning to the streets.” But nearly two months after the Supreme Court ruled against the moratorium, the predicted avalanche of evictions has not materialized—leaving experts scrambling trying to explain why a factor of such certainty could have been so wrong. The moratorium’s legal status was always hazy: The ban on evictions was never issued through Congress…
The number of loans in active forbearance fell 0.6% since last Tuesday, entering an expected, mid-month period of “lull,” according to Black Knight’s blog, Vision. Only 7,300 homeowners exited forbearance plans this week. The slowdown is significant compared to the two weeks prior, during which forbearance rates were dropping at break-neck speed. Forbearance rates have been improving at the fastest pace since the pandemic began, with 432,000 homeowners exiting their plans in the first weeks of October alone. But Black Knight noted that the dip is unremarkable, mimicking “the same mid-month lull in removal activity that we’ve been reporting on for many months now.” Portfolio and PSLs plans rose by 6,000, lowering the average set by declines of 10,500 for…
Despite the pandemic receding and a housing market cooldown, some housing markets at the county level are still susceptible to damage from the pandemic, according to a new report from ATTOM. The Q3 2021 Special Coronavirus Report showed that New Jersey, Illinois, and Delaware had the highest concentrations of at-risk markets, totaling 26 of the 50 counties whose housing markets might be most impacted by Covid-19. To determine risk to the market, the report looked at the percentage of homes facing possible foreclosure, the portion with mortgage balances exceeding property values, and the percentage of average local wages required to pay for homeownership expenses on median-priced houses or condos. Included on the list are eight counties in the Chicago metro…
Good Morning! Today is Thursday, October 21. U.S. unemployment claims fall to a new pandemic low of 290,000. The gunman in the Parkland school shooting pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder. Donald Trump is launching a new social media platform, TRUTH Social. And in mortgage and housing news… Freddie Mac: Mortgage rates continued climbing, hitting 3.09% over the past week, Freddie Mac reported. “In Front Of Every Fight”: MBA President and CEO Bob Broeksmit said that “aggressive” federal regulation is back but that the MBA would fight tax hikes on mortgage servicing. Advocates Rally For “Robust” Spending: Housing stakeholders gathered at the capitol to call for the budget reconciliation package being negotiated in Congress to substantially represent housing. Runaway Demand: …
Mortgage rates continued their upward trajectory, hitting 3.09% over the past week, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.09%, up from last week’s 3.05%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 2.80% “Mortgage rates continued to rise this week due to the trajectory of both the economy and the pandemic,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “Even as the availability of existing homes is improving, prices remain high due to homebuyer demand and limitations on housing starts and permits resulting from the ongoing labor and material shortages. Despite these countervailing forces, we expect the housing market to remain strong as we head into the end of the…
Housing stakeholders gathered at the nation’s capitol to call for the budget reconciliation package being negotiated in Congress to substantially support housing. The group included National Association of Realtors (NAR) CEO Bob Goldberg, members of the National Housing Conference (NHC), Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), Habitat for Humanity, National Association of Homebuilders, and others. Representative Sherrod Brown (D-OH), chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, also attended. “Housing is fundamental to an economy that works for all. Democrats and President Biden understand this,” Chairman Brown said in his speech. “Robust housing investments support families and kids, improve health outcomes, and address climate change – while creating…
Good Morning! Today is Wednesday, October 20. The White House announced a plan to vaccinate 28 million children between the ages of 5 and 11. Kidnappers in Haiti are demanding $1 million per person for 17 members of a U.S.-based missionary group. Southwest Airlines has dropped its plan to put unvaccinated workers on unpaid leave starting in December. And in mortgage and housing news… Applications Down: Mortgage loan application volume fell 6.3% last week while refis hit their lowest level since July. Rocket Enhancements: Rocket Mortgage’s Rocket Pro TPO announced tech changes to help brokers grow and strengthen their businesses. Ex-UWM Exec Joins Scott Griffin: Scott Griffin Financial has announced that former UWM exec Judie Levitt has joined its senior…
In a speech to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s annual convention on Monday, President and CEO Bob Broeksmit told members that, to paraphrase former President Bill Clinton, the era of big, regulatory government is back. Broeksmit’s remarks addressed a range of issues, from the impact on the industry of the COVID-19 pandemic to minority homeownership. But his central theme for the industry is the political changes made in Washington, D.C. in 2020 are going to have an impact in 2021 — and beyond. Broeksmit said he spoke to Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and four of the other Governors of the Federal Reserve. “I always make the same points, too. The MBA supports regulation and legislation that is clear, easy to implement, and helpful…
