Smart Borrower Blog

Archive for the ‘Federal Loans’ Category

FHA Cracks Down on Riskier Loans

After noticing worrisome trends in its loan portfolio, the Federal Housing Administration is tightening requirements on its mortgage loans. Starting with loans assigned a case number as of March 18, the FHA will start flagging high-risk loan applications and put them through a manual underwriting process. The rest of its applications will continue to be […]

Mortgage Credit Availability Rises in February

Lenders made mortgage credit slightly easier to obtain in February, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, being led by a loosening of jumbo loan standards. The MBA’s Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI) inched to 180.1, up 0.6% from January. Increases in the index indicate loosening of mortgage standards while decreases signal tighter underwriting. The MCAI […]

Mortgage Applications Fall Despite Interest Rate Drop

Mortgage application volume fell for the third consecutive week, even as interest rates took a dive, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The MBA’s seasonally adjusted index saw mortgage application requests fall by 2.5% in the latest week and almost 10% from the previous year. Most of that decrease came from a 5% drop in […]

Falling Interest Rates Spur Mortgage Application Rebound

The number of U.S. mortgage applications soared in the latest week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, a result of a sharp drop in long-term interest rates. The MBA’s Market Composite Index – a measure of mortgage application volume – rose 23.5% on an unadjusted basis during the week ended Jan. 4, 2019. “Mortgage rates […]

Mortgage Loan Limits Raised for 2019

In response to the rise in home prices this year, the Federal Housing Finance Agency is increasing loan limits on conforming mortgage loans for 2019. The new maximum conforming loan limit will be $484,350, a 6.9% jump from 2018’s limit of $453,100. The increase roughly matches the rate of home price inflation – according to […]

Refinance Volume Falls to 18-Year Low

Fewer Americans applied for refinance loans in the latest week, as U.S. mortgage interest rates rose to a 5-week high, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. In fact, that jump in rates was enough to push refinance application volume to its lowest point in 18 years. “As mortgage rates increased to a five-week high, the […]

Mortgage Credit Loosens But Confidence Falls

Rising home prices and mortgage interest rates have prompted lenders to loosen their credit standards, but those same factors have caused Americans to feel less confident that now is a good time to buy a home. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s Mortgage Credit Availability Index rose to 184.1% in July, up 1.7% from June. An increase in […]

Mortgage Applications Jump as Home-buyers Seize their Opportunity

As mortgage interest rates fell and real estate inventory declines slowed, more potential home-buyers applied for home loans this week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The MBA’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey found that home purchase mortgage requests jumped by 7% in the latest week, bring total application volume up for the first time in […]

Refinance Applications Fall to 20-year Low

Even though mortgage interest rates dropped in the latest week, home loan requests also decreased, with refinance applications dropping to one of their lowest readings in 20 years, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. “Financial market volatility in response to continued worries about trade resulted in both lower mortgage rates and a drop in applications […]

Refinance Applications Plummet to 17-Year Low

A year of steadily rising mortgage interest rates has kept many borrowers from refinancing, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), with applications for refinance loans falling to the lowest in over 17 years. During its latest weekly survey, the MBA’ Market Composite Index, a measure of total refinance and home purchase application volume, declined […]