Tag Archives: Refinance

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported Wednesday that its index of home purchase applications jumped 6.3 percent for the week ending September 3, 2010, reaching its highest level since the end of May. Purchase activity, though, is still nearly 40 percent below what it was this time last year. Refinance applications, on the other hand, fell 3.1 percent as interest rates edged up slightly - their first drop in six weeks.

Tuesday marked the start of a new government housing program designed to help the millions of Americans who owe more on the mortgage than their home is worth. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is now offering certain non-FHA borrowers with negative equity the chance to refinance into a new FHA-insured loan, as long as existing lien holders will write off at least 10 percent of the unpaid principal balance. Officials suggest the program will provide 500,000 to 1.5 million underwater borrowers with new mortgages, but analysts say the number is closer to 250,000.

Rock-bottom interest rates and less-than-encouraging economic data have kept mortgage-backed securities (MBS) investors worried about what the government could do next to prop up the ailing housing market, with the latest concern stemming from a recent announcement by Freddie Mac, according to Barclays Capital. The GSE has issued a new servicing guide detailing an ""easy refinance"" option with loan-to-value ratios up to 95 percent and $2,000 cash back to the borrower. Barclays says the program ""is everything but new.""

According to a report from the American Land Title Association (ALTA), title insurance premiums written during the second quarter of 2010 decreased 8.5 percent to an industry total of $2.3 billion. That's down from $2.5 billion in Q2 2009. The industry reported $4.4 billion in title insurance in the first half of 2010, a decline of 2.9 percent from the period a year prior. ALTA says the numbers reflect an on-going recession in the housing market with further downward pressure on home prices.

Mortgage interest rates have dropped to their lowest level in decades, and even with tight credit conditions, more borrowers are beginning to take advantage. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported Wednesday that its index measuring mortgage loan application volume increased 2.7 percent for the week ending August 27, 2010, after interest rates dropped yet again. Refinance activity was up 2.8 percent, while home purchase applications rose 1.8 percent.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported Wednesday that its index of mortgage application volume climbed 4.9 percent for the week ending August 20. Refinance activity was the driving force behind the increase. Record-low interest rates are prompting existing homeowners to take out new loans and lower their monthly mortgage payments.

Mortgage interest rates have been hovering at their lowest levels in decades, but that's done little to sway consumers to buy a home or refinance their mortgage to take advantage of the interest savings. The economists at Freddie Mac point to several reasons for the ""missing"" originations, which they trace back to deteriorating home values. Many borrowers' home equity is so badly eroded that they don't qualify for a refinance, and potential buyers remain nervous about investing in a home absent big incentives.

Nearly a quarter of U.S. homeowners with a mortgage owe more on the loan than their home is worth, and home prices are threatening to fall further. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), though, is throwing out a lifeline. Starting September 7, the federal agency will offer new FHA-insured mortgages to certain underwater, non-FHA borrowers who are current on their mortgage payments and whose lenders agree to write off at least 10 percent of the unpaid principal balance.

Rumors of a new government-led mortgage refinancing program have begun to surface. DS News has received word from sources inside the administration and from high-ranking executives at some of the largest banks, confirming that the White House is indeed considering a refi push that would allow homeowners to lower their monthly mortgage obligations by locking in today's rock-bottom interest rates. Some industry insiders are viewing the move as a concession by the federal government that its existing housing programs aren't doing enough.

Even with record-low mortgage rates, many refinancing borrowers are choosing to pay down their loan balances rather than borrow more money. According to a recent report by Freddie Mac, cash-in borrowers - those who reduced their principal balance by paying in additional money at the closing table - represented 22 percent of all borrowers who refinanced during the second quarter, up from 19 percent the previous quarter. This, Freddie said, tied the record for the third highest cash-in share since the GSE began keeping records on refinancing patterns in 1985.