Mortgage rates

Mortgage application volume decreased 8.4% compared with one week earlier as lenders managed activity by raising rates even as 10-year Treasury yields fell below 1%, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Ramifications of a global pandemic are starting to ripple through the Southern California housing market as virtual home tours replace in-person showings and homeowners cancel open houses to avoid coming face-to-face with potentially infected home shoppers.

Mortgage applications to purchase new homes took a small step back in February from record levels during the previous month, but further positive momentum could be blunted by the coronavirus.

With small businesses feeling the financial scourge of the coronavirus, bridge loans could be the direction they turn to keep things afloat.

The Federal Reserve's most recent economic-stimulus effort could reduce disparities between a rally in Treasurys and a relative slump in mortgage-backed securities that contributed to higher average home-lending rates last week.

The Federal Housing Administration is making coronavirus adjustments while warning of possible delays as the industry anticipates a new wave of borrowing due to the Federal Reserve's latest short-term rate cut.

Sports leagues have suspended their seasons. Organizers have canceled conferences. The coronavirus is starting to inflict economic damage as Americans hunker down to stop its spread.

Coronavirus is spreading in New York City. But when it comes to real estate, fear of contagion only slightly trumps fear of missing out on a deal.

Impac Mortgage Holdings decided a year ago to emphasize its non-qualified mortgage lending operations and placed the company in position to succeed when the housing market returns to normal.

Increased refinancing volume led Fannie Mae to raise its 2020 estimate by $300 billion and 2021 projection by $280 billion.

Not so long after Treasury bond yields experienced an unprecedented drop, the average 30-year mortgage rate rose, reflecting volatility related to the coronavirus as well as capacity issues on multiple levels.

Companies in the mortgage business were already focused on processing a lot of loans and generating efficiencies before the latest uptick in business hit.

Houston-area home sales experienced another double-digit gain in February as buyers came out in droves to take advantage of low mortgage rates.

Paradoxically, mortgage rates actually increased this past week, even as the 10-year Treasury yield plumbed new depths, likely because lenders are too busy to handle the influx of applications.

With the return of volume and profitability to mortgage lending, it is no surprise that commercial banks are coming back to the market.

Buying a home became slightly more attractive compared to renting in the fourth quarter, as the likelihood of another huge value drop decreased, an index from two Florida universities found.

While clients are uneasy about the spread of coronavirus, Kelly King touted the added volume his company has seen from lower rates.

Mortgage credit availability dropped slightly in February, making three consecutive months of tightening, but that streak will likely end with falling interest rates, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Mortgage companies that borrow heavily to keep their operations running may face financial pressure from coronavirus-related market volatility as it affects the valuations of collateral securing their financing.

Consumer sentiment for home buying stayed near its record high behind low mortgage rates and a strong job market, though the declining stock markets and COVID-19 concerns may change that soon, according to Fannie Mae.