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More homebuyers seek government-backed loans as an affordability lifeline

Housing Wire

Chris Porter, a senior vice president at the firm and the author of the latest outlook, said this correlates with buyers dedicating more of their income to housing and seeking accessible financing options. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans, which made up 10%, according to purchase loan lock data from Optimal Blue.

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Rocket completes Redfin deal, announces Rocket Preferred Pricing

Housing Wire

A press release from Rocket also announced Rocket Preferred Pricing, which allows homebuyers who use Rocket Mortgage for financing and either purchase a Redfin-listed home or work with a Redfin agent to receive a one-percentage-point interest rate reduction for the first year of their loan or a lender credit of up to $6,000 at closing.

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Mortgage demand falls for the first time in five weeks as interest rates increase

Housing Wire

Meanwhile, government loan activity increased across all loan types, excluding U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans. VA loan activity fell 100 bps to 15.3% including a large decrease in VA refi application volume. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loans increased 10 bps to 0.5%.

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NAR: Homebuyers still have down payment misconceptions

Housing Wire

Despite growing attention around all-cash transactions, most Americans — especially first-time buyers — continue to finance their home purchases, according to new data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Among primary residence buyers, 74% financed their home purchase in 2024. Another 9% used U.S.

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Down payments drop for the first time in nearly 2 years

Real Estate News

Dave Gallagher June 16, 2025 3 mins Homebuyer down payments have started to dip, a sign that those who are using loans to help finance their purchases are shifting their focus to less expensive homes. There has also been an uptick in buyers using FHA and VA loans, which require lower down payments. a year ago.

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Optimal Blue: Mortgage refinances jump despite higher rates

Housing Wire

January lock data shows two important ways constrained affordability is impacting the housing finance market, Brennan OConnell , director of data solutions at Optimal Blue, said in a statement. Jumbo mortgage rates were up 2 bps, VA loan rates were up 4 bps and FHA loan rates remained unchanged.

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Mortgage demand is up 5.4% as interest rates ramp down

Housing Wire

Government loan activity saw a slight jump. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans followed suit, jumping 270 bps to 16.3% Department of Agriculture (USDA) loans were flat at 0.4%. MBA’s report also examined the average contract interest rates for several loan types. of all applications.