Mortgages

Higher costs than expected, not just for the mortgage but for repairs and more, have recent buyers' regretting their purchase, Clever RE and Redfin found in separate reports.

Affordability challenges also have some aspiring homeowners taking second jobs or looking to draw from retirement savings, according to Redfin.

The lender recorded a $59 million net loss in the fourth quarter, an 83% improvement from its third quarter performance.

Initial analyses of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data show UWM ahead in 2023 loan numbers and dollar volume, but Rocket's market share still looks competitive.

The pending end of the program comes as over half of U.S. states have already ceased accepting new applicants for federal aid aimed to help struggling households with mortgage payments.

But the 30-year fixed rate mortgage is still near 7%, and that remains the overhang on the housing market, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage payments rose 10% year-over-year to an all-time high for March, Redfin said.

The Midwest was the main driver of the increase in pending sales, with a 10.6% jump, while contract signings in the South edged up 1.1%.

In an interview, Candor Technology's Sara Knochel recounts how she applies her childhood interest in languages and numbers to crucial home lending issues.

State and local governments borrowed nearly $9 billion for affordable housing so far this year — the most for the period in at least a decade.