Tag Archives: LendingTree

Although the majority of Americans consider themselves bargain hunters when shopping for various items or services, less than one-third of these consumers do not shop around for better prices when searching for a mortgage loan.

The time to purchase a home is now, as lenders are loosening mortgage guidelines and the average down payment decreases. According to a report released today by LendingTree, an online loan marketplace, down payment percentages for conventional 30-year fixed rate purchase mortgages dropped from 17.59 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014 to an average of 16.98 percent for the first quarter of 2015.

According to the company's most recent data, the average down payment on conventional, 30-year fixed-rate loan offers made to LendingTree borrowers last quarter was 17.59 percent, up from 16.01 percent in the final months of 2013.

A new report by LendingTree finds that for the first time in a more than a year, the amount homebuyers are spending on down payments for their properties is on the rise. According to a report released Wednesday, down payment percentages for conventional 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose a little more than 1.5 percentage points to an average of 17.28 percent from the first to the second quarter.

In its most recent quarterly report, LendingTree recorded a Borrower Health Score of 77.7 in the year's opening months, a decline of 4.5 points from the prior quarter. While the latest drop illustrates Americans still have some ground to make up from the financial crash, Q1's score is still 1.3 points above where it was a year ago, implying "a broader trend of improving borrower qualification levels," the company says.

Average down payments for mortgages are on the decline, lending a little bit of relief for affordability-challenged homebuyers around the country. According to a report released this week by LendingTree, down payment percentages for 30-year fixed-rate purchase loans fell in the first quarter to an average of 15.78 percent, down from just higher than 16 percent in the last quarter of 2013.

LendingTree released recently the results of an online survey conducted near the end of the last year. According to the findings, more than two-thirds--69 percent--of respondents have a positive outlook on housing this year, and 63 percent hold a similar view for the economy at large. With hopes this high, 71 percent of respondents said they are considering selling their home in 2014. Out of that group, the majority said they would have to see their home's value increase before acting.

The third-quarter average is down 2.74 percent from the previous quarter, according to LendingTree, which suggested in a press release that the drop is due to a slight loosening of standards by lenders across the nation. The lowest average down payment percentage in the third quarter took place in Nebraska, where down payments averaged 12.5 percent of loan values. South Dakota (12.8 percent), Arkansas (12.9 percent), and Alabama (12.9 percent), followed, all with averages under 13 percent for the quarter.

LendingTree released on Tuesday its rankings for the top 10 customer-rated lenders in its network for Q3, showing a number of new names and a shift among those who appeared in the second quarter's rankings. The rankings are based on a weighted average of the ratings and volume of reviews, with customers judging the companies on mortgage rates, fees and closing costs, responsiveness, customer service, and their overall experience. California's Pacific Beneficial Mortgage Company took the No. 1 spot.

Recent findings released by online lender exchange LendingTree reveal that the financial health of prospective borrowers dipped in this year's third quarter after seeing a sizable improvement in the second. The company attributed the slight decline in borrower health to rising home prices, which boosted loan-to-value ratios across the country to a national average of 89.8 percent and put more financial pressure on potential borrowers. National health also experienced a slight drag from a dip in the average credit score of borrowers.