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Cause for concern? FHA, VA delinquencies are rising quickly

Housing Wire

New data released Thursday by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) revealed that the delinquency rate for mortgages on one- to four-unit residential properties increased to a seasonally adjusted rate of 3.98% of all loans outstanding at the end of 2024.

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Mortgage demand drops 22% during holidays as rates move higher

Housing Wire

Government lending programs saw mixed results as applications for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans fell by 60 bps to a market share of 16.6%, while applications for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans rose by 50 bps to a share of 15.7%. Rates for 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgages shed 14 bps to average 5.97%.

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Mortgage demand for new homes is down 6.9% in the past year

Housing Wire

The average loan size decreased, signaling that first-time homebuyers remain active in the market, Kan said. Census Bureau ‘s new residential sales report hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 634,000 units in February, up 2.9% By loan type, conventional mortgages made up 56.7% from Januarys pace of 616,000.

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Mortgage delinquencies rise slightly in Q1

Housing Wire

residential mortgages rose slightly in the first quarter of 2025. This was partially driven by an uptick in conventional loan delinquencies and rising foreclosure inventory , particularly among loans backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). VA loans saw the sharpest gain in foreclosure activity.

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March new home mortgage applications increased 5.5%

Housing Wire

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. from the February pace of 634,000 units.

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Looking backward to look forward: Kevin Sears discusses NAR’s vision for 2025

Housing Wire

Sears cited the trade group’s efforts in advocating for changes in VA loan procedures. Department of Veterans Affairs can still use their loan benefit when working with a buyer’s agent regardless of how their agent is being compensated. “So, as I look to 2025 and where we want to go, it is to stick to the basics.

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Real estate newsletters: The ultimate playbook (+ 49 topic ideas & subject lines)

Housing Wire

Evergreen topics might include: how to prepare to list your house, everything your client needs to know about VA loans; or which home improvements yield the best financial return in a home sale. Youll want some evergreen content you can pull from for your real estate newsletters.