Tag: mortgage

Mortgage Rates Hit Record Lows but Applications Fell Flat

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The volume of mortgage
applications dipped slightly last week. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)
said its Market Composite Index, a measure of that volume, was down 0.7 percent
on a seasonally adjusted basis during the week ended October 9 and was 1
percent lower on an unadjusted basis.

The Refinance
Index slipped 0.3 percent from the previous week and was 44 percent higher than
the same week one year ago. The refinance share of mortgage activity increased
to 65.6 percent of total applications from 65.4 percent the previous week.

The seasonally
adjusted Purchase Index decreased 2 percent from one week earlier and 1 percent
unadjusted. The Index was 24 percent higher than the same week one year ago,
continuing a string of year-over-year gains that started during the week ended
May 22.

 

Refi Index vs 30yr Fixed

 

Purchase Index vs 30yr Fixed

 

 

“Mortgage
applications for refinances and home purchases both

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home improvement loans

Will Lower Mortgage Rates Aid NVR to Post Higher Q3 Earnings?

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NVR, Inc.’s NVR third-quarter 2020 earnings and revenues are expected to have registered an improvement on a year-over-year basis.

In the last reported quarter, the company’s earnings and revenues missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.3% and 3.5%, respectively. On a year-over-year basis, earnings and revenues decreased 19.9% and 10%, respectively, as the COVID-19 outbreak had a significant impact on all facets of its busines.

Nonetheless, the company has a strong earnings surprise history, having surpassed analysts’ expectations in 12 of the trailing 14 quarters.

Trend in Estimate Revision

For the quarter to be reported, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings per share has increased 1.3% to $62.01 over the past seven days. The estimated figure indicates an increase of 10.5% from the year-ago quarter. The consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $2 billion, suggesting a 7% increase from the year-ago reported figure of $1.87 billion.

NVR, Inc.

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home improvement loans

How to land an ultra-low 15-year mortgage rate for your refinance

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Thanks to this year’s historically low mortgage rates, refinancing remains a popular activity among homeowners — and it has taken on more urgency as a new refi fee threatens to push rates higher this fall.

A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage might be a borrower’s automatic first choice for a refi loan. But if you’ve been in your house a few years, refinancing to a 15-year mortgage can keep you from dragging out the debt and piling up massive interest costs.

The monthly payments on a 15-year home loan can be steeper, but the interest rates are lower: currently near an all-time low at an average 2.37%, which is one-half of 1 percentage point (0.50) below the typical 30-year mortgage rate, according to mortgage company Freddie Mac.

Some borrowers in 2020 have been able to score 15-year rates in the low 2s or even under 2%.

Could you? Here are four tips

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home improvement loans

How you can buy a home with a low-down-payment FHA mortgage

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Many people consider homeownership part of the American dream — but can’t dream of landing a traditional mortgage. That’s why FHA loans exist.

These loans that are backed by the Federal Housing Administration are popular with first-time buyers and those with lower incomes. While you might need a credit score of 620 for a conventional loan, you could be approved for an FHA loan with a score of 500. And you could be eligible for a down payment of only 3.5%.

They’re not just for new buyers, either. You can use your FHA loan to refinance your mortgage or even repair an older home.

Sound appealing? FHA loans do offer some attractive features, but they may not be right for everyone.

How do FHA loans work?

Jirapong Manustrong / Shutterstock

Congress established the Federal Housing Administration in 1934 to help borrowers get a mortgage, especially those who would otherwise

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home improvement loans

Coronavirus mortgage bailouts fall below 3 million in pandemic’s sharpest decline

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  • The number of mortgages in active pandemic-related bailouts plunged as the first wave of forbearance plans hit the end of their six-month term.
  • Over the past week, active forbearances dropped by 649,000, or 18%, according to Black Knight, a mortgage technology and data analytics firm.
  • That brings the total number of plans below 3 million for the first time since April.
  • As of Oct. 6, 2.97 million homeowners remain in pandemic-related forbearance plans, or 5.6% of all active mortgages, down from 6.8% the previous week.



a large brick building with grass in front of a house: Prospective home buyers arrive with a realtor to a house for sale in Dunlap, Illinois.

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Prospective home buyers arrive with a realtor to a house for sale in Dunlap, Illinois.

The number of mortgages in active pandemic-related bailouts plunged in the past week as the first wave of forbearance plans hit the end of their six-month term.

It was the largest decline since the crisis began.

Over the past week, active forbearances dropped by 649,000, or

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home improvement loans

Coronavirus mortgage bailouts fall below 3 million

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Prospective home buyers arrive with a realtor to a house for sale in Dunlap, Illinois.

Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The number of mortgages in active pandemic-related bailouts plunged in the past week as the first wave of forbearance plans hit the end of their six-month term.

It was the largest decline since the crisis began.

Over the past week, active forbearances dropped by 649,000, or 18%, according to Black Knight, a mortgage technology and data analytics firm. That brings the total number of plans, both government and private sector, below 3 million for the first time since April. In addition, the decline was noticeably larger than the drop of 435,000 when the first wave of forbearances hit the three-month mark in early July.

As of Oct. 6, 2.97 million homeowners remain in pandemic-related forbearance plans, or 5.6% of all active mortgages, down from 6.8% the previous week.

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home improvement loans

Australia should brace for a wave of business failures and growing mortgage stress, the RBA warns, as support measures fall away

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Australia’s central bank expects the number of small business failures will “rise substantially” as income and loan pressure builds.

With income support measures and more than $200 billion in loan deferrals set to expire, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) says between 10% and 15% of businesses in hard-hit sectors won’t make it as they run out of cash.

“These businesses are in a tenuous position and are particularly vulnerable to a further deterioration in trading conditions or the removal of support measures,” the RBA wrote in its Financial Stability Review published on Friday.

“Survey evidence indicates that about one-quarter of small businesses currently receiving income support would close if the support measures were removed now, before an improvement in trading conditions.”

While the RBA acknowledged there was “a high degree of uncertainty about the magnitude and timing” of those failures, the prognosis doesn’t look good.

For one, the number

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home improvement loans

Mortgage rates set another record low, sparking refinances

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An ‘Open House’ sign is displayed as potential home buyers arrive at a property for sale in Columbus, Ohio.

Ty Wright | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Mortgage rates moved even lower last week after setting multiple record lows in recent months, spurring more borrowers to call their lenders and apply for a refinance, but homebuyers were quite as motivated. 

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances of up to $510,400 slipped to 3.01% from 3.05%, while points decreased to 0.37 from 0.52 for loans with a 20% down payment. 

In response, refinance application volume, which is most sensitive to weekly rate moves, rose 8% for the week and was 50% higher than a year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. That is the highest refinance volume since mid-August.

Applications for a mortgage to purchase a home fell 2% for the

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home improvement loans

What is a reverse mortgage, and how does it work?

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Personal Finance Insider writes about products, strategies, and tips to help you make smart decisions with your money. We may receive a small commission from our partners, like American Express, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

A reverse mortgage is a type of home loan for people age 62 or older. It’s for people who have gained equity in their home since originally buying it, and likely have paid off their mortgage already.

A forward mortgage — which you probably think of as a regular mortgage — is a type of loan you’d use to buy a home. You make monthly payments to the lender until the home is paid off, and over time, your debt decreases.

A reverse mortgage, on the other hand, is used after you’ve already bought the home. The lender pays you, and the money comes out of the equity you’ve

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home repair

Considering a home purchase in retirement? Here’s how to get a mortgage

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  • While home prices continue to climb upward, the average interest rate on a 30-year mortgage is low by historical standards: just below 3%.
  • If your tax returns don’t show enough income to qualify for a mortgage, you might be able to temporarily tap your retirement account to prove you can afford the loan.
  • Another option may be to qualify based on assets in that account, or explore “pledging assets” to make the purchase.



a man standing in front of a building

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If you’re retired and are thinking about downsizing or relocating, and it involves buying a home, you might want to look into how you would finance it.

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You may discover that qualifying for a mortgage is different from the last time you bought a house. Not only have lenders tightened credit during the coronavirus pandemic, retirees generally have left a steady paycheck behind.

It can be tricky for retirees to get

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