Housing Wire

JANUARY 14, 2025

At the tail end of 2024, mortgage borrowers shifted their attention away from conforming mortgages and toward refinance opportunities. A report released Tuesday by Optimal Blue found that the conforming loan share sank to historic lows in December. mortgage market trends. mortgage market trends.

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Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

Homebuyers faced worsening affordability conditions in January as the median monthly mortgage payment for purchase applicants increased to $2,205, a 3.7% jump from Decembers $2,127, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). FHA loan applicants faced a median monthly payment of $1,934, up from $1,866 in December.

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 18, 2024

Mortgage applications declined 0.7% 13, driven by slight decline in refinance activity, according to data released Wednesday by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The decline in applications broke a five-week streak of increases in mortgage demand. Adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) activity remained steady at 5.3%

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Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is increasing the “floor” and “ceiling” FHA loan limits in 2024 to $498,257 and $1,149,825, respectively, the FHA 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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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

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

The combined cost of mortgages, taxes and insurance now takes up a larger share of household income than it has since the early 1980s, according to an affordability index from John Burns Research & Consulting. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans, which made up 10%, according to purchase loan lock data from Optimal Blue.

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 1, 2023

. “With the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announcement, he could qualify for a conforming loan paying a 5% down payment of roughly $40,000 rather than $80,000 – which could have put him on the sideline. For high-cost areas, the loan limit is $1.149 million.

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Housing Wire

OCTOBER 9, 2024

Mortgage tech firm Candor Technology has expanded its Loan Engineering System (LES) to include Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. The company now fully automates underwriting decisions for FHA loans — minus collateral – and also offers a warranty on income calculations and cleared conditions for funded FHA loans.

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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. Rate-and-term refis dipped 20% from December due to a less friendly mortgage rate environment.

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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. in February.

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Housing Wire

MARCH 24, 2025

Mortgage denial rates vary significantly across the U.S., Three Southern states recorded the nations highest mortgage denial rates in 2023, the trade group reported in its Snapshot of Race and Home Buying in America. Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale explained that a range of financial factors contribute to mortgage denials.

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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 second mortgage requires a monthly payment.

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Housing Wire

JANUARY 15, 2025

With an adjustment for the New Year’s holiday, mortgage applications increased 33.3% from one week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey, released today. The share of refinance mortgage activity increased to 42.7% Bond yields in the U.S. from 16.2%

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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. There are some exceptions.

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Housing Wire

JANUARY 22, 2025

Mortgage escrow accounts are an important, yet widely misunderstood asset in the housing market. Although 80% of mortgage holders have escrow accounts, only 60% fully understand them, up from 52% in early 2024. Almost half (44%) of respondents also said they would experience hardship if their mortgage payments increased.

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Housing Wire

MAY 14, 2025

Mortgage applications increased 1.1% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 9, 2025. The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 36.4% The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity decreased to 7.4%

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Housing Wire

MARCH 19, 2025

Mortgage applications decreased 6.2% That’s according to the latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending March 14, 2025. The Market Composite Index, which measures mortgage loan application volume, decreased 6.2% the previous week.

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Housing Wire

MAY 5, 2025

Intercontinental Exchange ‘s May 2025 Mortgage Monitor Report, released Monday, found that first-time homebuyers accounted for a record share of agency purchase lending (58%) in the first quarter 2025. ICE attributes this to a higher interest rate environment that continued to dampen repeat buyer participation in the market.

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Housing Wire

MAY 28, 2025

lender United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) will begin offering fixed interest rates for the first five years on Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) adjustable-rate mortgages ( ARMs ). FHA loan rates averaged 6.68%. of all mortgage applications for the week ending May 23.

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 6, 2023

Falling mortgage rates last week brought increased demand. Total home loan applications increased 2.8% 1 compared to the previous week , according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.17% last week. for the week ending Dec. of total applications, down from 8.1%

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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

Adjustable-rate mortgages ( ARMs ) have grown in popularity in recent months as borrowers search for affordability relief anywhere they can find it. More than 7% of all mortgage applications last week were for ARM products far above the normal baseline of 3% to 5%, Fratantoni said. It was a more affordable mortgage.”

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Housing Wire

APRIL 18, 2025

The Mortgage Bankers Association ‘s (MBA) Builder Application Survey (BAS) data for March 2025 revealed that mortgage applications for new home purchases increased 5.5% By product type, conventional loans composed 49.0% of loan applications, FHA loans composed 37.0%, RHS/ USDA loans composed 0.9%

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Housing Wire

JUNE 10, 2025

Rising mortgage rates are squeezing borrower affordability, while tighter spreads are putting pressure on lenders in the secondary market,” said Brennan O’Connell , director of data solutions at Optimal Blue. The product comes as total lock volume declined 5.9% month over month in May and 5.3% year over year.

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Housing Wire

MARCH 25, 2021

Private mortgage insurance helped over 2 million low downpayment borrowers secure mortgage financing in 2020, a 53% increase from 2019, according to data from the government sponsored entities. The private mortgage insurance industry also supported $600 billion in mortgage originations. Mortgage Insurers.

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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. While total mortgage volume remains down 2% compared to the same time last year, purchase lock activity also saw a 21% monthly increase. of total lock volume.

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Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

With mortgage rates continuing to hover near record lows, mortgage applications jumped 3.8% last week according to a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Mortgage rates continue to hover at record lows this fall. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate remained essentially unchanged at 3.01 from 11.7%.

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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.

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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%

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Housing Wire

JANUARY 10, 2024

Despite an uptick in mortgage rates at the beginning of 2024, mortgage demand surged after adjusting for the holiday. Mortgage applications increased 9.9% 5 compared to one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 6.62% as of Jan.

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Housing Wire

MARCH 5, 2025

The newest weekly mortgage applications survey data, released Wednesday by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) included the lowest mortgage rates in months, which created a stir in the number of applications. On-the-ground observations Loan officers say they’re seeing an increase in government loan demand.

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 20, 2023

Mortgage demand fell for the first time since November as mortgage rates reached their lowest level since June 2023. Total home loan applications decreased by 1.5% 15 compared to the previous week, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). for the week ending Dec. the week prior.

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Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

Redfin classified purchases as all-cash when transactions had no mortgage loan information on the deed. High mortgage rates are exacerbating inequality between people who own homes and people who don’t,” Redfin Senior Economist Sheharyar Bokhari said. mortgaged home sales, up from 14% a year earlier but down from 16.3%

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 22, 2021

Mortgage applications fell 0.6% 17, with fewer borrowers looking for purchases in the lower end of the market, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) survey published on Wednesday. Compared to a year ago, mortgage applications declined across the board. The overall market composite index dipped 31.9%

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Housing Wire

APRIL 7, 2025

That’s according to the latest Mortgage Monitor report from ICE Mortgage Technology. An early look at March data from the enhanced ICE Home Price Index (HPI) shows that home prices are softening across the country, which ICE says is largely driven by stabilized mortgage rates , which have been holding around 6.6%-6.7%

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Housing Wire

DECEMBER 3, 2020

mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed loan fell one basis point this week to 2.71%, Freddie Mac said in a report on Thursday – the lowest rate in the survey’s near 50-year history. The average fixed rate for a 15-year mortgage also fell last week to 2.26% from 2.28%. on FHA loans through its Conquest Program.

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Housing Wire

OCTOBER 4, 2023

Mortgage applications ground to a halt for the week ending Sept. 29, falling 6% from the week prior as mortgage rates jumped to a 23-year high of 7.53%, according to new weekly data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mortgage application activity is now at its lowest level since 1996, the MBA reported. from 14.1%

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