Purchase

Rising cases and vaccine issues caused bond yields to fall, but inflationary pressures will likely reverse that course.

With independent title companies scoring the largest market share gain last year, the sector saw a 22% increase in premiums overall, the American Land Title Association said.

More lenders are willing to take on borrowers who are lower on the qualification spectrum as the economy rebounds.

Vaccinations and a third round of stimulus payments are boosting consumers views on the housing market, according to Fannie Mae.

Mortgage rates that are rising in tandem with a recovering economy dampened borrower activity, even with prime homebuying season underway.

That means depreciation is a risk that could creep back into some regions, potentially requiring lenders and government-related agencies to consider it when setting down payment requirements or managing loan workouts once forbearance ends.

Increasingly extreme weather patterns and natural disasters weigh heavy on the majority of borrowers looking to buy a house, while half will move because of it, according to Redfin.

After two straight months on an upward trajectory, rising interest rates pushed homebuyer demand down to a third of where it stood at the start of 2021, according to Freddie Mac.

Ballooned home prices and a dearth of options deterred February 2021 sales, according to the National Association of Realtors

While there were fewer new mortgages sought on a week-to-week basis, the index was higher than it has been during the same week in the last two years.

Point of sales providers are bringing improvements to their systems as loan officers look for ways to keep their pipelines active.

As home values surged at record highs, the latest month-to-month movements indicate price growth could start returning to a pre-pandemic pace, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

But the 10-year Treasury yield began backing down after the weekend as investors reacted to turmoil in Europe.

Despite a 3% increase in new mortgages, overall applications dropped 2% on a consecutive-week basis due to a 5% decline in refis, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

These trends, in addition to the increase in appraisal contingency waivers, could add risk to mortgage lender businesses.

Also: How 9.3 million renters could enter the purchase market, lessons from Flagstar’s data breach and a possible 15-year plan for Fannie and Freddie.

Household formations, looser credit and an improved economy will overcome higher rates — and even the inventory shortage.

While the economic recovery and stimulus checks drove upward movement in purchases, it wasn’t enough to offset tumbling refinance activity.

Apart from saving more money, millennials prefer to spend their savings on a home down payment, Zonda economist Ali Wolf said.

“Builders continue to be confronted with rising input costs and a lack of available lots, causing them to slow production,” MBA’s Joel Kan said.