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Inflation (Finally) Dips, Housing Still a Concern

It’s still not good, but “better” is great news right now. That appears to be the consensus from economists after the latest inflation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed prices are finally starting to come down, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) reading 8.5%—lower than expected, and a significant improvement over last… […]

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Delinquencies Still Double Pre-Pandemic Rate

Freddie Mac reported this week that its total mortgage portfolio increased at an annualized rate of 15.7 percent in October compared to a 17.4 percent gain in September. The portfolio balance at the end of the period was $ 3.179 trillion compared to $ 3.137 trillion the prior month and $ 2.669 trillion a year […]

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Still Cheaper to Own; Forbearance Improvement Slows; No More Record Low Rates?

In most parts of the country owning a home is more affordable than renting one according to ATTOM Data Solutions’ 2021 Rental Affordability Report . The company looked at the median price of a three-bedroom home in 915 U.S. counties and the rent for a comparable home and found owning more affordable 572 or 63 […]

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Home Prices Still Soaring; Rates Closing Out 2020 at Record Lows

For all practical purposes, the year is over when it comes to mortgage rate volatility. True, there is some small chance that political developments conspire to push rates just a bit higher in the next two days, but the damage would be insignificant in the bigger picture. In other words, we’re looking at “all-time low […]

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First-time Buyer Share Declines to 31% in September 2020 But Still Hits 2 Million

Amid more intense buyer competition, rising prices, and higher credit qualifications, the share of first-time buyers continued to decline to 31% in September. www.nar.realtor – Research

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Forbearances Ending at a Faster Pace; Rates Drift Lower; Refi Market Still Hot

Black Knight said its weekly forbearance survey found the number of mortgages in active forbearance decreasing at an accelerated rate. Those mortgages fell by 2.6 percent or 95,000 loans over the last week, bring the decline over the last month to 357,000 loans. It was the fifth straight week of improvement and Black Knight noted […]

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Still Reeling From Last Week, Mortgage Rates Tiptoe Lower

Mortgage rates managed to improve modestly for the average lender today, but they remain significantly higher than they were before last week’s regulatory drama . By the time we consider the size, scope, and the precipitous imposition of the new refi fee, we’ve never seen anything remotely similar. Lenders were definitely taken by surprise and […]

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