Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is increasing the “floor” and “ceiling” FHA loan limits in 2025 to $524,225 and $1,209,750, respectively, the agency announced Tuesday. The new FHA loan limits apply to forward mortgages for a one-unit property and take effect on Jan.

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FHA loan Loans Finance Lending 370

Housing Wire

APRIL 8, 2025

A strong wave of refinance activity and renewed buyer interest lifted mortgage rate lock volumes in March, according to Optimal Blues latest Market Advantage report. The pull-through rate for refinance loans rose to 63.3%, indicating stronger borrower commitment compared to earlier months. of total lock volume. after a February rally.

Loans 301

Loans Debt-to-income ratio VA loan FHA loan 301

Housing Wire

MARCH 13, 2025

The share of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan applications hit a record high for the survey, accounting for nearly one-third of all applications. The average loan size decreased, signaling that first-time homebuyers remain active in the market, Kan said. By loan type, conventional mortgages made up 56.7%

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FHA loan VA loan Mortgages Loans 358

Housing Wire

MAY 28, 2025

The 5/1 option provides a fixed interest rate for the first five years, after which the rate adjusts annually based on market conditions. ARMs typically gain market share when rates are elevated, as borrowers can access lower initial rates compared to traditional fixed-rate mortgages. FHA loan rates averaged 6.68%.

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 20, 2024

House of Representatives proposes to relieve Federal Housing Administration (FHA) borrowers of mortgage insurance premiums (MIPs) once they reach a certain level of home equity , aligning FHA policies with those of conventional loans. Mortgage insurance exists as protection from foreclosure on low equity loans.

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FHA loan Mortgages Equity Loans 397

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 6, 2023

CBC Mortgage Agency – a federally chartered housing finance agency – will offer two temporary rate buydown features for its down payment assistance (DPA) program for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. The agency is the first to provide either a 2-1 rate buydown or a 1-0 rate buydown on a DPA program.

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Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 4, 2024

The third party origination (TPO) division of Rocket Mortgage on Monday announced the rollout of its latest product, 24 Takeoff, which allows mortgage broker partners to receive a 24 basis point credit on all eligible loans until Nov. 15 at 2 pm EST. Rocket’s new offering debuts roughly one a week ahead of its Nov.

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Housing Wire

MARCH 5, 2025

According to the MBA, rates for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans dipped to 6.42%, while refinance activity posted its fastest pace since October 2024. The move in government refinances was driven by a 75% increase in VA loans, which have been prone to large changes in recent months. More renovations?

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Housing Wire

JANUARY 14, 2025

A report released Tuesday by Optimal Blue found that the conforming loan share sank to historic lows in December. Optimal Blue’s December 2024 Market Advantage report is a monthly study that analyzes key indicators to provide insights into U.S. mortgage market trends. ” The conforming loan share dropped by 1.5%

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Keeping Current Matters

JUNE 9, 2025

If you’re a first-time homebuyer, you might feel like the odds are stacked against you in today’s market. But there are resources and programs out there that can help – if you know where to look.

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Housing Wire

MAY 19, 2025

With rates in the high-6% range on 30-year fixed products, borrowers are increasingly turning to 7/1 ARM products , said Mike Fratantoni , chief economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association , during the trade group’s Secondary & Capital Markets Conference on Monday in New York City. It was a more affordable mortgage.”

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Loans Mortgages Banks Finance 323

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

22, driven by a 12% increase in demand for purchase loans, according to data released Wednesday by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). With the growth in for-sale inventory and signs that the economy remains strong, buyers have remained in the market even though rates have increased recently. Mortgage applications rose 6.3%

Mortgages 370

Mortgages VA loan FHA loan Fixed-rate mortgage 370

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 18, 2024

Market data at HousingWire ‘s Mortgage Rates Center showed an average fixed rate of 6.87% for 30-year conforming loans on Wednesday, a slight increase from the week ending on Dec. Meanwhile, government loan activity increased across all loan types, excluding U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans.

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Housing Wire

JUNE 10, 2025

Amid expectations that interest rate declines may reignite refinance activity , Optimal Blue on Monday launched a new tool that automatically analyzes loan officer portfolios each month to identify recapture opportunities. The tool is designed to ensure loan officers are ready when refinance volume picks up.

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Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 13, 2025

Loan locks for refinances rose more than 20% year over year while purchase lock counts saw a 6% decrease, according to Optimal Blue ‘s January 2025 Market Advantage mortgage data report released Thursday. of all locked loans in January. The average loan amount there was $576,385. It was followed by Dallas (3.4%

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 2, 2020

Given massive year-over-year gains in home prices , the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is increasing its 2021 loan limit in most of the U.S. to $356,362, an increase of nearly $25,000 over 2020’s loan limit of $331,760. LOs are only human — Tech is necessary to keep up with max loan volumes.

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Housing Wire

MAY 1, 2025

Industry debate around off-market listings or pocket listings has become increasingly heated. For Willoughby, founder of The Jaymes Willoughby Team with Keller Williams Realty , off-market listings are a gamble that rarely pays off for sellers. Some agents use off-market listings as a way to double-dip commissions, Willoughby said.

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Housing Wire

MARCH 24, 2025

“A loan-to-value ratio that is too high, either because of a limited down payment or an appraisal of the home that resets the value used to calculate this ratio, can also be a factor,” she said. The type of mortgage also plays a role, with jumbo and nonconventional loans facing higher rejection rates.

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Housing Wire

MAY 5, 2025

ICE attributes this to a higher interest rate environment that continued to dampen repeat buyer participation in the market. Gen Z was responsible for one in four loans issued to first-time homebuyers. Gen Z participation is higher in lower-cost markets as market affordability challenges price them out of coastal areas.

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Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

Meanwhile, the median loan application amount grew from $319,000 in December to $324,800 in January. Higher payments across loan types Borrowers across different mortgage programs also saw their payments rise. Higher payments across loan types Borrowers across different mortgage programs also saw their payments rise.

Mortgages 345

Mortgages FHA loan Loans As-is 345

Housing Wire

MARCH 25, 2021

If you’re a first-time homebuyer (or you already own a home), you’ve heard of mortgage loans. You have your conventional loans, FHA loans, VA loans, USDA loans and so on. But there’s another type of loan, not too many people are familiar with that can make the home buying process much easier.

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Loans VA loan FHA loan Finance 542

Housing Wire

JANUARY 22, 2025

Mortgage escrow accounts are an important, yet widely misunderstood asset in the housing market. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan borrowers must maintain escrow accounts for the entire loan cycle, regardless of equity. And those who don’t understand are paying dearly.

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FHA loan Fixed-rate mortgage Equity Mortgages 384

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 4, 2023

In an environment where 30-year fixed mortgage rates are racing towards 8%, loan officer pipelines are thinning dramatically. But LOs who cater to first-time homebuyers’ needs – offering FHA loans and down payment assistance loans — are faring better, Michael Ullmann, producing branch leader at Movement Mortgage , explained. “So

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FHA loan Loans Loan Officer Mortgages 441

Housing Wire

MARCH 27, 2025

Mortgage affordability remained flat in February as the national median monthly payment for purchase loan applicants remained unchanged at $2,205. By product type, the median mortgage payment for conventional loan applicants was $2,226, up from $2,225 in January and up from $2,194 in February 2024. The national PAPI increased 0.1%

Mortgages 324

Mortgages FHA loan Loans As-is 324

Housing Wire

JUNE 3, 2022

Lakeview Loan Servicing unveiled a rare private-label securities offering this past March involving a pool of mostly delinquent mortgages serviced by the company. The loans in the offering were all originated through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and later securitized through Ginnie Mae. In total, 99.3%

Loans 397

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Housing Wire

AUGUST 12, 2024

The share of piggybacked Federal Housing Administration (FHA) home purchase loans rose by more than seven percentage points from June 2022 to June 2024, going from 10.8% for conventional purchase loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The calculations were based on the number of purchase loans in CoreLogic public records.

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Loans FHA loan Equity Closing costs 450

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 9, 2024

After a year filled with rate swings, unpredictable markets and a bit of drama (thank you, inflation), the real estate world is ready for a fresh start. Whether youre looking to buy your first home, upgrade or simply gain clarity on the current market , this guide is your insiders playbook to tackle 2025 with confidence.

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Housing Wire

JANUARY 15, 2025

While the market composite index increased over 33% on a seasonally adjusted basis, the index increased 52% on an unadjusted basis during the same time period. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loans decreased. This week’s reading, for the week ending Jan. The V A share shrunk to 15.7% from 16.2% from last week’s 0.6%.

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Fixed-rate mortgage Mortgages FHA loan Loans 370

Housing Wire

JULY 21, 2023

These loans would still have access to all the features of the FHA streamline refinance program, allowing borrowers to reduce their payments if they stay on their new mortgage. Since lender grants have limited funding, the programs could be restricted to specific income levels and priority markets, the paper noted.

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 28, 2023

In his 20 years in mortgage banking, no year has compared to 2023 in terms of difficulty, said Ben Cohen, Guaranteed Rate ’s managing director and a top-producing loan officer. It was another brutal year, pushing loan originators to work longer hours, close loans faster while diversifying their mortgage product offerings.

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Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

Adrian Gastelum, a vice president and branch manager at Nova Home Loans, recently had a prospective borrower apply for a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage. FHA guidelines require a two-year work history and allow for a gap of one month or longer in employment with a letter of explanation.

Loan Officer 397

Loan Officer FHA loan Loans Mortgages 397

Housing Wire

MARCH 20, 2025

Conversely, a handful of smaller markets saw an uptick in flipping activity. Additionally, the share of flipped homes sold to buyers using Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans remained steady at 10.7%. The top market for FHA buyer activity was Merced, California, where 38.3%

FHA loan 309

FHA loan Investor Finance Renovation 309

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 6, 2023

Total home loan applications increased 2.8% Slower inflation and the confidence financial markets have that we are nearing the end of the Fed ’s hiking cycle has brought mortgage rates to the lowest level since August. The share of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan activity increased to 15%, down from 13.5%

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VA loan Mortgages FHA loan Fixed-rate mortgage 515

Housing Wire

JANUARY 17, 2024

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Marcia Fudge suggested to a congressional committee that the department could consider eliminating life-of-loan premium requirements for mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), but did not offer any indication about the issue’s priority level at HUD.

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Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 5, 2024

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is calling for policy changes that would help alleviate the difficulties for homebuyers using Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans when competing in tight markets. mortgage market in 2023, up from 14.3% of the U.S. in 2022, according to HUD.

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Housing Wire

MAY 12, 2021

Since the client began the search for her dream home earlier this year, her Veterans Affairs mortgage loan offers have been rejected over a dozen times. Williams, the broker-owner of We Save Loans , said her client has all but given up on buying an existing home with VA financing. Lucie, Florida. Join today with an HW+ Membership !

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Housing Wire

APRIL 18, 2025

By product type, conventional loans composed 49.0% of loan applications, FHA loans composed 37.0%, RHS/ USDA loans composed 0.9% and VA loans composed 13%. The average loan size for new homes decreased from $397,516 in February to $381,921 in March. compared to a year ago.

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