Housing Markets News from National Mortgage News

The drop in mortgage rates as measured by Freddie Mac, came about even as the 10-year Treasury yield used to price loans moved higher since Thanksgiving.

Of the 50 highest risk markets in the country, 16 reside in California, followed by New Jersey with nine, Attom found.

But just three of the 150 most populous ZIP codes have a mortgage debt-to-income ratio below the conforming threshold of 28%, Movingplace found.

Decision makers have voiced support for lower financing costs but researchers have said achieving it could be complicated. Part 3 in a series.

In the New Jersey case, MV Realty and its principals agreed to pay $28 million in fines and restitution for these "Homeowner Benefit Agreements."

Planet Home Lending, helped by growing recapture and distributed retail volume, did 64% more originations in the third quarter than one year prior.

Housing affordability will improve by 3% next year, according to First American's September Real House Price Index.

After three consecutive weeks of increases, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped 0.3 basis points to 6.23% this week, according to Freddie Mac.

An expanded data set based on the third quarter annual price changes is what the Federal Housing Finance Agency uses to calculate next year's conforming loan limits.

The prepayment rate grew by 37% over September as mortgage rates fell leading to higher refinancing volume in October, ICE Mortgage Technology said.

Luxury home prices rose 5.5% year over year in October to a median $1.28 million, far outgaining the 1.8% increase of nonluxury homes.

While some international purchasers are reluctant to buy in the U.S. right now, interest in investment properties still abounds, the CEO of Waltz said.

Even with this week's increase, mortgage rates have remained within a 13 basis point band since mid-September, with industry pundits saying that's where they will stay.

The national median payment applied for by purchase applicants fell to $2,039 in October from September, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Even to the detriment of greater profits, the sector is offering ultra-low terms via temporary buydowns combined with larger forward commitments.

Consecutive weeks of mortgage rate increases resulted in a 5.2% decrease in mortgage loan application volume, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

While Redfin argues the housing market is stuck and First American was cautious, Remax and Zillow had positive observations about the month's sales activity.

While Fitch and Kroll have differing views on mortgage rates next year, both are looking for mortgage delinquencies to rise in their rated portfolios.

The hidden costs of homeownership total nearly $16,000, rising 4.7% in the past year.

For the second consecutive week, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage increased as investors were still sorting through the lack of information due to the shutdown.