Mortgages

Mortgage rates declined this past week, further continuing to help attract previously reluctant buyers back into the purchase market, according to Freddie Mac.

Sales of previously owned homes fell in April by the most since mid-2010 as the coronavirus hollowed out demand across the country at the start of the key spring selling season.

It's the surprise of a spring selling season that's been anything but normal: Buyers returning to the housing market have been battling over the few available properties.

Sales of new homes in the Houston area flattened in April as the coronavirus caused a pause in activity, according to a new homes sales report from HomesUSA.com.

From the Midwest to mid-Atlantic, here's a look at 12 housing markets where first-time homebuyers find the most affordability, according to NerdWallet.

The much-anticipated proposal, which would not go into effect until after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are privatized, reflects Director Mark Calabria’s aggressive efforts to get the companies on a strong financial footing.

The lenders also are receiving warrants to purchase New Residential stock.

The MBA also said it has been lobbying for a measure that would enable cash-out refinances in forbearance to be sold to the GSEs.

Austin-area home sales declined sharply in April as the fuller impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and local shelter-in-place orders left their mark on the housing market, new figures from the Austin Board of Realtors show.

Mortgage applications decreased 2.6% from one week earlier, as tighter underwriting drove the refinance index to its lowest level since March, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's forecast anticipates tremendous coronavirus stimulus-related debt coming on to the market.

Illustrating the chilling effects the coronavirus crisis has had on the housing market, Southern California home sales fell 26.6% in April compared with a month earlier, while year-over-year sales were down 31.5%.

To deal with the crunch, servicers should combine cloud and digital workflow automation technologies.

Director Mark Calabria, who abandoned the Fannie and Freddie capital proposal written by his predecessor, said he expects a revised framework to be ready “very soon.”

Other safety measures taken to protect settlement agents and consumers include drive-up closings and overnight mail.

The sale completes First Choice affiliate Berkshire Hills Bancorp's exit from the mortgage origination business.

The coronavirus pandemic took a toll on the Baton Rouge, La., area housing market in April, with sales dropping 12.6% compared to last year, but prices are holding up.

Ohio's homeownership rate rose in the first quarter of this year to the highest level since 2011, suggesting a robust housing market and growing economic stability.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency clarified that borrowers with Fannie Mae- or Freddie Mac-backed mortgages who have entered into forbearance plans can be eligible for a refi or new purchase once they are considered “current” on their mortgage.

Home construction starts plunged in April by the most in records back to 1959, as the nationwide lockdown to control the spread of the coronavirus hammered the housing market and broader economy.