Tag Archives: Ellie Mae

The percentage of purchase loans finally eclipsed the share of refinances in July, according to Ellie Mae's Origination Insight Report for the month. The data sampled shows the mix of purchase loans to refinances was 53 percent versus 47 percent in July--the largest percentage of purchase loans since Ellie Mae began tracking in August 2011 and also the first time purchase share has crossed the 50 percent threshold in at least two years. Also notable was an increase in the share of adjustable-rate mortgage loans as fixed rates climb.

The originations market has been dominated by refinances for some time, but purchases are beginning to make a comeback, according to Ellie Mae's latest Origination Insight Report. Refinances made up just over half the market in June, with 51 percent of loan applicants seeking refinances. This is down from 58 percent in May and 54 percent in June of last year. Purchases closed one day faster than refinances in June (46 days compared to 47), though both categories took longer to close in June than they did in May, according to the report.

Ellie Mae announced that Veterans United has selected Encompass360 as its mortgage management solution.

According to Ellie Mae's findings, purchase loans made up 42 percent of loans closed in April, up from 38 percent in March, while refinances represented 58 percent. According to Ellie Mae president and COO Jonathan Corr, the last time purchase loans broke the 40 percent mark was July 2012. Among purchase loans, the closing rate was about 58.2 percent, while the rate for refinances was 50.5 percent. The overall closing rate for loans analyzed in the sample was 53.2 percent, a pull back from March.

In a recent "US Housing Market Update," Capital Economics points to Federal Reserve's latest Senior Loan Officer Survey (SLOS), which showed a net balance of 8 percent of banks loosening mortgage credit conditions in the three months to April. While that may seem a small share, Capital Economics notes conditions have now either loosened or held constant in eight of the past nine quarters. In addition, a net balance of 27 percent of banks intend to increase their residential mortgage assets over the next year.

Ellie Mae has a new SVP of software development. The California-based automated solutions provider announced Vivian Wong has joined the company.

Purchase loan share picked up more ground in March as mortgage rates climbed further, according to the latest Origination Insight Report from Ellie Mae.

With origination costs on the rise (Ellie Mae cited data from the Mortgage Bankers Association showing the average cost of origination climbing from $2,291 in 2008 to $3,353 in Q3 2012) and more than 350 federal, state, and local laws governing loans, the cost of doing business the right way is a major concern for those companies trying to turn a profit. However, while many of those costs can be measured and predicted, Ellie Mae points to a number of factors that some firms may not have thought about.

Ellie Mae released its Origination Insight Report for February, revealing that the closing rate for loan applications initiated 90 days prior--in November--was 56.8 percent.

Refinance loan share jumped to its highest level in at least a year and a half, according to Ellie Mae's Origination Insight Report for January 2013. According to the report, refinances made up 73 percent of loans closed in January--the highest level recorded since Ellie Mae began tracking the data in August 2011. January's refinance figure is 4 percentage points higher than December's. Despite the rise in refinance share, the time it took to close a refinance loan declined in January, falling to 54 days.