Resources

Approximately 13% of all purchase mortgage applications — a total of nearly 650,000 — were denied in 2020, according to Housing Mortgage Disclosure Act data. Although the housing finance industry may understand the basic denial causes, discovering how applicants respond after a denial can inspire potential solutions to increase the pool of approved applications going forward. Learn more from a new survey conducted by the Freddie Mac's Market Insights team.

Millennials have surged into rental markets recently, but many high earners in this demographic are more prepared for homeownership than they realize. When they learn about the array of flexible mortgages out there — in particular, the affordable loans with extremely low down payment options available to them — they can often realize their dreams much faster.

A deep dive session on current homebuyer attitudes, motivations, and behavior as well as mortgage lending 'trends' that are quickly becoming table stakes.

Potential first-time homebuyers continue to look for ways to achieve affordable homeownership, particularly as house prices rise. Housing finance agencies (HFAs) can be a powerful resource for lenders serving very low-, low- and moderate-income aspiring homebuyers, including first-time homebuyers. Learn about the HFA Advantage mortgage, created specifically for HFAs, and its new features and expanded eligibilities.

When severe weather events occur, they may be powerful enough to destabilize infrastructure or destroy homes. People are resilient, but severe weather can place financial and emotional strain on homeowners. If the frequency and severity of these events continue, it may cause many homeowners to reconsider their housing situation entirely. Get additional insights from a recent Freddie Mac survey.

Helping first-time homebuyers is an increasing conundrum in a housing landscape fraught with frustration. One way some have approached homebuying is to pool financial resources and purchase a house with a group of friends or family members. Mortgage professionals working with buyers considering this scenario should be mindful of sharing both the benefits and the potential pitfalls of this creative arrangement. Learn more.

As home prices have increased in recent years, homebuying has remained relatively affordable due to historically low mortgage interest rates. However, in early 2022, home prices continued to surge as mortgage interest rates also increased, cutting into buyer affordability.

Although the real estate market showed signs of receding in Q4 2021, investors resumed their buying spree in early 2022, accounting for 28.1% of all single-family purchases in February — a record high according to CoreLogic's data that goes back to 2011.

Internal migration plays an important role in understanding the ways population shifts are shaping the nation. Which metro areas are the gainers and which are the losers? Will growing markets face high costs, limited space and reverse migration faced by gateway markets? Freddie Mac’s automated underwriting system offers a real-time view into the residential mobility of American homebuyers. Access the research.

Two years of significant home price appreciation has resulted in national concerns about housing affordability. However, in new research by Freddie Mac, 6-in-10 individuals say they would consider purchasing the type of dwelling that has become the largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing in the United States: manufactured housing. Get specifics on who is most likely to purchase a manufactured home and why.