Refinance

Low mortgage rates increased new orders, but fallout from the pandemic hurt investment income.

Mortgage fraud risk plummeted in the first quarter of 2020 amid historically low mortgage rates and a boom of refinances, but the coronavirus could create a new set of risks, according to CoreLogic.

Mortgage applications decreased 0.3% from one week earlier, although purchase activity was higher for the first time in six weeks, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The coronavirus outbreak, along with the shift to a lower paying refinance business, will likely limit commission earnings for the rest of 2020.

Mortgage application volume increased 7.3% over the prior week, as rates for the 30-year fixed loan reached the lowest level since the Mortgage Bankers Association started tracking this information.

Mortgage applications decreased 17.9% from one week earlier, as coronavirus-related volatility affected consumer sentiment, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Nonbank mortgage employment estimates show payrolls in February leveled off after an unusually strong winter, but anecdotal reports of selective hiring persisted through March amid a broader coronavirus-related drop in U.S. jobs.

Community banks and credit unions could carve out an opportunity by refinancing mortgages from larger institutions.

Bank employment of mortgage loan officers rose slightly last year, but that was before the coronavirus spread and resulted in social distancing measures that raised questions about broader employment prospects.

Mortgage application activity increased from the prior week, driven by strong refinance volume after a 35-basis-point drop in conforming loan interest rates, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

With interest rates at historic lows and recent increases in Tucson, Ariz., home values, many jittery homeowners impacted by the coronavirus outbreak are looking to refinance to get their hands on cash.

Mortgage technology efforts have historically been behind the curve, but some recent responses to the coronavirus highlight instances where it rises to the occasion.

Residential estate brokers and agents are scrambling to determine what Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's emergency order means for their industry.

There was a nearly 30% week-to-week decline in loan applications as Americans reacted to the uncertainty, both economic and medical, from the spread of COVID-19, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

While the mortgage market began the year healthy, lenders and borrowers need to prepare for the impacts of the coming coronavirus recession.

Refinancing activity is surging, existing borrowers are inquiring about loan modifications, loan closings are being delayed by more complex credit checks — and banks are short on people to handle it all.

It has all the trappings of a routine mortgage refinance closing. The mortgage broker, the lawyer and the homeowner, all signing off on the paperwork that will cut the interest rate on a home.

Mortgage rates rose sharply this week as originators looked to manage the overwhelming demand from consumers, according to Freddie Mac.

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.

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