Mortgage refinance applications have been one of the saving graces of the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the number of refinance applications continuing to dip, they have been up well over 100 percent from the previous year. The question is: will April mortgage refinance applications hold strong?
"Now that April is underway refinances have started to see declines from one week to the next but they are still leaps and bounds ahead of where they were last year around this time," according to Forbes.
"Looking back at last week, even though they dropped 19 percent from the week before they were still 144 percent higher than the same week in 2019, according to the weekly report from the Mortgage Bankers Association."
Luckily, the industry is still seeing fluctuation in mortgage rates, with overall averages still trending on the low side. This has led to the strong number of refinance applications.
"Even though things are going to tighten up yet again as more layoffs occur, there is enough time to implement all the contingency plans to prevent a complete collapse," according to the report.
"What has saved us so far is nimble lenders that have been able to attract enough people who still have liquidity and want to take advantage of low rates and homes they don’t have to haggle over. Let’s hope they keep it going."
Pending sales fall 16.4% from a year ago despite lower home prices and mortgage payments, as sellers retreat from a weakening market
Home prices are falling. Mortgage payments are easing. Sellers are becoming more willing to negotiate. Yet the housing market keeps losing buyers.Pending home sales fell 16.4% year over year during the four weeks ending Nov. 1, reaching their lowest level in Redfin's weekly ...
LenDb.ai is making LO records available to AI assistants, offering a potential new way for borrowers to find originators
A new mortgage technology startup is betting that borrowers will increasingly turn to artificial intelligence to find a loan originator, and it wants to make sure AI knows whom to recommend.LenDb.ai, launched Thursday by venture studio Draper Goren Blockchain, has assembled ...
Rising Treasury yields and fresh inflation data complicate rate locks, borrower qualification, and lender margins as markets anticipate another hike in December
The $20 million investment from Saluda Grade will support expansion beyond 27 states and new loan products across wholesale, retail, and community channels
September’s inflation pickup puts recent rate improvements at risk, potentially eroding affordability gains from lower home prices and seller concessions
The latest deal connects borrower retention technology with Maxwell's origination platform and PLACE's real estate network, creating new opportunities for lenders
Both bureaus introduce ways to purchase credit scores separately from reports, while Equifax reports growing VantageScore adoption and extends $1 pricing through 2028