While saving for a down payment continues to be one of the most challenging barriers to homeownership for many, Freddie Mac’s latest multipronged action removes industry-wide barriers to down payment assistance (DPA) programs, helping provide mortgage loans and financial assistance to lower-income homebuyers across the nation.
Read More »Purchase-Mortgage Apps Dropped Below Pre-Pandemic Levels in October
As housing affordability and demand continue to worsen for Americans nationwide, the latest ICE Mortgage Monitor Report revealed that purchase-mortgage applications fell nearly 50% below pre-pandemic levels in October, representing the weakest numbers recorded since rates began to rise.
Read More »AI to Support Lenders During the Mortgage Automation Process
"New AI-powered technologies are allowing lenders to complete their work without having to maintain today’s high staffing levels," said Argun Kilic, CEO of Areal. "Even better, these new tools work with their legacy technologies."
Read More »Lenders Adopting AI and Machine Learning to Improve Efficiency
Businesses are increasingly leveraging digital technologies to reduce errors and costs, speed up transactions, and drive enhanced and better customer service, according to Peter Ghavami, the VP of Modeling and Data Sciences for Fannie Mae.
Read More »Affordability Challenges Hindering Prospective Homebuyers
Two new studies from the National Association of Realtors show that elevated home prices and limited housing supply are continuous homebuying barriers cited across different races and ethnicities, hampering home sales and affecting prospective buyers nationwide.
Read More »Mortgage Credit Availability Rebounds
The MBA's Mortgage Credit Availability Index revealed that August's share of mortgage credit availability was on the upswing after a decrease in July, which resulted in the lowest level of credit availability recorded since 2013.
Read More »U.S. Home Mortgage Lending Recovers in Q2
A new mortgage report from ATTOM revealed U.S. lenders issued approximately $494 billion worth of residential mortgages in Q2 of 2023, while total activity rose after eight straight quarterly declines to 21%.
Read More »Mortgage Rate Increase Slows HELOC Activity in First Half of 2023
While HELOC activity surged in 2022, a new report from CoreLogic showed that demand slowed significantly in the first half of this year as Freddie Mac revealed the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage reached its highest level in over two decades.
Read More »Home Purchase Mortgage Applications Remained Resilient in July
“Applications for purchase loans on newly constructed homes remained strong in July, up 36% annually, as new homes continued to account for a growing share of homes available for sale,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s VP and Deputy Chief Economist.
Read More »Has the Gap in Appraisal Valuations Decreased?
Appraisal valuation gaps may persist between white and minority population tracts, but new research from the FHFA has found a reduction in that gap following actions by stakeholders and federal, state, and local agencies.
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