It is well known that home sales and mortgage loan statistics have reached and surpassed historic performance. With a variety of sources for how these statistics are tracked, it can become confusing to understand.
Understanding Home Sales Statistics
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Adverse Market Fee is Being Eliminated
The Adverse Market Fee is defined as a 0.5% fee added in 2020 to refinanced mortgage loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (about 70% of all home loans). It was charged to lenders and usually passed on to homeowners through closing costs, as an addition to their loan amount or by a raised interest rate.
High Demand and Low Inventory equals Increased Prices, Resulting in Reduced Home Sales
Mortgage loan applications for new home purchases dropped 9 percent in April 2021, and it was the third straight month of reduced application volume.
California’s Hot Real Estate Market Continues to Rise
Sale of residential properties in California continue to perform at the hottest pace in history, resulting in a 65% increase in number of sales over the same period last year. The number of homes sold above asking price, the price per square foot, and the sales-to-list price records are all at industry highs.
Fed Bank President Comments on Future of Interest Rates
In a recent article on Reuters.com they report that “Fed officials agreed last month to leave interest rates near zero and to keep purchasing $120 billion a month in bonds until the U.S. economy makes substantial further progress toward the Fed’s goals for inflation and maximum employment” They further inform us that “Fed Bank President Robert Kaplan said on Monday that he still thinks it is possible the U.S. central bank could raise interest rates before the end of 2022, reaffirming the projection he made during the March policy-setting meeting.“
Mortgage Rates Drop to Near Lowest Levels in the Past Month
After seeing mortgage rates increase in the first quarter of 2021, homeowners and buyers that are in the process of seeking mortgage loans were excited to see mortgage rates drop to the lowest levels seen in the past month.
Millennials Are Largest Segment of Home Buyers for 8th Consecutive Year
According to reports from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), millennials represent 37 percent of all homebuyers this past year, and have made up the largest share of homebuyers for 8 consecutive years. Another interesting fact from the NAR is that many of the homes being purchased are considered multigenerational homes that will house adult siblings, adult children, parents, or grandparents.
Mortgage Refinance Activity In February Breaks 9 Year Record
Homeowners took advantage of February’s mortgage refinance interest rates below 3% with a resyktubg 68% of all mortgage loans being refinance loans. Although rates have slowly increased in March, the refinance activity is still very high.
Mortgage Refinance Loan Volume drops in Mid January 2021
Mortgage interest rates have begun to rise, and as a result January saw the first decrease in mortgage refinance volume since November 2020. The long running record of historically low rates may be news of the past after several weeks of rising rates.
Home Purchase Mortgage Applications up 42% in December 2020 compared to Prior Year
Home sales were strong throughout 2020, with purchase applications up 42% in December 2020 compared to same period in 2019. These results are much better than many projected in early 2020, when the Covid Pandemic brought our nation to a standstill for months. The historically low mortgage interest rates in 2020 is the clear reason for the stellar home sales market performance.