Origination

Homebuilder confidence jumped in November, hitting another record high as buyers swarmed sales offices to take advantage of the lowest mortgage rates in history.

Rates could be 50 basis points steeper than the MBA’s current projections, which anticipate the 30-year mortgage will average 3.3% next year, up from nearly 3% this year.

The coronavirus pandemic has made for a rough year for a number of industries in Central Texas, but the home construction sector hasn't been one of them.

The number of bidding wars increased for the sixth consecutive month, as Salt Lake City remained the most competitive housing market, according to Redfin.

Lenders also increased jumbo product availability as well as rolling out new SOFR-indexed ARMs.

Facing a slim inventory of existing homes for sale, Denver buyers are snapping up new homes at the fastest pace in the country, a rebound so strong that it has caught local builders off guard.

There have been several extensions of the policy since it was put into place as a way to sustain originations amid a wave of forbearance allocated to borrowers with government-related loans.

The Federal Housing Administration said in its annual actuarial report that the capital reserve ratio on its mutual mortgage insurance fund increased to 6.10% in fiscal year 2020, up from 4.84% a year earlier.

The teams include people who previously worked for the Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency as well as HUD.

With the coronavirus cutting employment or wages in 32% of households, the number of potential homebuyers could shrink and cause home price growth to hit its inflection point, analysts say.