Home Purchases

A new report released today from ServiceLink revealed that Gen Z remains eager and ready to buy a home this year. But high interest rates and home prices could deter them from crossing the finish line as their tolerance is waning. The annual survey analyzes generational trends among recent and prospective homebuyers, revealing their sentiment about the current housing market and their intentions to purchase, refinance or leverage home equity this year.

ATTOM released its fourth-quarter 2024 U.S. Residential Property Mortgage Origination Report, which shows that 1.64 million mortgages secured by residential property (1 to 4 units) were issued in the United States during the fourth quarter. That was down 3 percent quarterly but up 14 percent from a year earlier.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Builder Application Survey (BAS) data for October 2024 shows mortgage applications for new home purchases increased 8.2 percent compared from a year ago. Compared to September 2024, applications increased by 3 percent. This change does not include any adjustment for typical seasonal patterns.

LenderLogix, a provider of mortgage point-of-sale and automation software for banks, credit unions, independent mortgage banks, and brokers, released the Homebuyer Intelligence Report, a quarterly summary of insights into borrower behavior during the home-buying process based on data collected by the LenderLogix suite of tools. The latest report covers data collected during the pre-approval and borrower application process in the third quarter (Q3) of 2024. Here’s what the report said:

Calque, a fintech company specializing in innovative solutions for established lenders, has launched its newest ‘buy before you sell’ program, the Contingency Buster. The Contingency Buster is designed for homeowners who want to quickly remove home sale contingencies and debt-to-income constraints at any point in the home-buying process.

LenderLogix, a provider of mortgage point-of-sale and automation software for banks, credit unions, independent mortgage banks, and brokers, released the latest Homebuyer Intelligence Report, a quarterly summary of insights into borrower behavior during the home buying process based on data collected by the LenderLogix suite of tools. The latest report covers data collected during the pre-approval and borrower application process during the second quarter (Q2) of 2024. Here’s what they found:

Optimal Blue released its June 2024 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which revealed a stagnant late-spring housing market as home prices dropped for the first time in 2024 and purchase lock counts fell 8% over the previous year. All mortgage lock figures in this news release have been controlled for fewer market days in June.

The ABA Foundation launched a new campaign, Unlocking Homeownership, which seeks to respond to the nation’s housing challenges by making it even easier for banks of all sizes to promote homeownership education and counseling. The campaign is part of the ABA Foundation’s celebration of June as American Housing Month.

ATTOM released its first-quarter 2024 U.S. Residential Property Mortgage Origination Report, which shows that 1.28 million mortgages secured by residential property (1 to 4 units) were issued in the United States during the first quarter, representing a 6.8 percent decline from the previous quarter. The drop-off marked the 11th in the last 12 quarters, to the lowest level since 2000.

As with many economic indicators, the road to normalizing housing markets remains bumpy. While home sales and inventories are improving from last year’s bottom, higher mortgage rates continue to challenge affordability and keep many potential buyers on the sidelines. Despite new listings jumping by double digits in many markets, pending home sales activity is tracking about 5% to 7% higher through March compared with last year.