Tag Archives: Refinance

Home loan applications for mortgage refinancing increased for the first time since late August, as borrowers sought to take advantage of the lowest market interest rates in more than 50 years. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported Wednesday that its measurement of refinance applications jumped 21 percent for the week ending October 8, 2010. Refinance volumes are now close to their highest level of the year.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) index of loan applications for home purchases jumped 9.3 percent last week as mortgage interest rates dropped again. It's the highest reading for purchase activity since the expiration of the homebuyer tax credit, and could signal a rebound in home sales ahead. The increase was led by a 17.2 percent upsurge in Federal Housing Administration (FHA) applications, as borrowers sought to beat the agency's October 4th effective date for higher credit score and down payment requirements.

The volume of mortgage loan applications last week declined 0.8 percent, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported Wednesday. The drop was manufactured by a falloff in consumer demand for mortgage refinancing, despite the fact that interest rates again declined to new record-lows. For the week ending September 24, MBA's refinance index decreased 1.6 percent. The purchase index rose 2.4 percent.

Legislation to stabilize the foreclosure crisis through the federal government's conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday. The Housing Opportunity and Mortgage Equity (HOME) Act would require Fannie and Freddie to allow borrowers to refinance their mortgages by locking in today's record-low interest rates for longer fixed-term loans. The legislation would affect up to 30 million mortgages held or backed by the two GSEs.

The August Mortgage Monitor report released Friday by Lender Processing Services shows that foreclosure starts are continuing to accelerate, with the GSEs displaying more aggressive timelines on early stage delinquencies. Last month, the company tracked 282,528 newly initiated foreclosures. That's 20 percent above a year ago and the highest level recorded by LPS since January of this year, when there were 287,865. As of August month end, there had been more than 2 million foreclosure starts so far this year.

The volume of home loan applications submitted to lenders last week fell 1.4 percent compared to the week prior, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Overall mortgage activity was marred by a drop in both refinance requests and home purchase applications despite the fact that interest rates headed lower.

Mortgage application volume has fallen for the second straight week, led by a steep drop in home loan refinances even as mortgage interest rates edged downward again. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday that its measure of new mortgage applications decreased 8.9 percent for the week ending September 10, 2010. That follows a 1.5 percent drop in home loan applications the week prior.

Independent mortgage bankers and subsidiaries made an average profit of $917 on each loan they originated in the second quarter of 2010, up from $606 per loan in the first quarter of 2010, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported Tuesday. The increase was driven by a rise in the average production volume for each firm, as more loans for home purchases were written thanks to the federal government's tax credit incentive.

Nearly 31,000 borrowers with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans forfeited their homes through a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure during the second quarter of this year. The figure represents a 27 percent increase over the previous three-month period. The GSEs also reported that their volume of permanent modifications under the administration's Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) increased 65 percent, but at the same time, foreclosure starts and foreclosure sales were also up by double digits.

Economic growth is still grinding along, but has slowed considerably since earlier in the year, according to the Federal Reserve's popular Beige Book report released Wednesday. Reports from the 12 Fed districts on their local economies painted a picture of ""widespread signs of a deceleration."" Real estate remains a drag on economic growth in regions across the country, with major trouble spots identified in poor home sales and weak demand for commercial space.