Lending
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The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) rose seven points to 44, its second monthly increase in a row.
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Realtor Terry Day realized last year that he needed to figure out a way to help his clients navigate a market full of high interest rates. Enter the assumable mortgage, a type of mortgage where the buyer takes over the seller’s mortgage payments — and their rate.
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A 15% rise in applications for adjustable-rate mortgages drove overall mortgage applications higher in the most recent weekly survey.
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MBA states that the mortgage delinquency rate has fallen to the lowest rate since it started tracking this metric in 1979.
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National Association of REALTORS® Chief Economist Lawrence Yun took issue with the increase, saying the central bank has created “a rare and very tight monetary policy condition.”
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The mortgage industry decried the proposed loan-level pricing adjustment for borrowers with higher debt-to-income ratios.
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Interest rates on mortgages of all types declined last week, spurring an uptick in borrowing, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.
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As affordability remains a concern, some buyers are purchasing mortgage points.
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This was the fourth week in a row of declines, leaving prospective buyers hopeful for sustained low rates throughout spring homebuying season.
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The Mortgage Bankers Association noted the increase in borrowing activity came despite the 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbing to its highest level since November 2022.
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Mortgage insurance premiums on loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration will drop from 0.85% to 0.55% beginning March 20.
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The former Keller Williams lending unit will operate alongside Mutual of Omaha Mortgage’s existing mortgage divisions.
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The pace of mortgage applications fell 7.7% in the week ended Feb. 10, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.
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The 30-year fixed rate fell for the fifth week in a row, giving a lift to lending activity, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.
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The 30-year fixed-rate inched to 6.42%, which is still close to the lowest rate in a month, the group said.
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The pace of new single-family home sales, meanwhile, fell 6.1% from September to 598,000.