Origination

A new LendingTree analysis of the 2020 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act found that the share of Black homebuyers who have their mortgage requests denied is notably higher than any other ethnicity. Click here to see the largest spread between mortgage denial rates for Black borrowers and the remainder of the borrower populace.

For buyers, the early 2022 rush to lock in low mortgage rates before they rose even higher has since been replaced by the reality that sub-3% rates are a thing of the past,” said George Ratiu, Senior Economist & Manager of Economic Research for Realtor.com.

Rent is growing faster in urban areas than in suburbia, reflecting a reversal of the earlier pandemic-induced trend. Reports indicate a shift toward a more sustainable balance of rental supply and demand, while national rents reached a new high for the 17th month in a row in July.

Despite overall mortgage application volume dipping 1.2% week-over-week, the MBA reports government mortgage apps rose 4% over last week, as a slight decline in rates may be enticing to first-time buyers.

Rising inventory is now being driven by homes lingering on the market and new listings trailing pre-pandemic levels. Rent appreciation is also slowing, but the growth rate overall remains much higher than pre-pandemic levels.

While more housing inventory is becoming available, home prices and mortgage rates hikes are still limiting many homebuyers from purchasing. A new study reveals that 55% of homeowners reported renovating in the past year rather than continuing their new home search.

Despite mortgage rates pulling back over the past month, numbers are down 59 basis points from the recent peak of 5.22% according to the latest Fannie Mae survey, they continue to anticipate a slowdown in home sales activity.

The MBA reports July purchase mortgage applications for new homes dipped 16.1% year-over-year, as high prices and economic instability continue to force the nation’s home buyers to reconsider their options.

The latest RE/MAX Housing Report for July revealed the median sales price of $415,000 was down 2.9% from June, the lowest reading since April.

More and more buyer home-purchase agreements were cancelled in July to the highest mortgage rates seen in two years. Click through to see how many took advantage of their newfound negotiating power.