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Purchase mortgages cross dreaded 5% threshold Combined with inflation and high home prices, it's the "most expensive" market in a generation

Didier Malagies • Apr 18, 2022


The 5% threshold has been crossed, and given all the headwinds in the U.S. economy, it doesn’t appear that mortgage rates will be dropping below that mark anytime soon.


Purchase mortgages this week averaged 5%, up 28 basis points from 4.72% a week ago, according to the latest Freddie Mac PMMS. A year ago at this time, rates were at 3.13%. The GSE’s index accounts for just purchase mortgages reported by lenders over the past three days.


“This week mortgage rates averaged 5% for the first time in over a decade,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “As Americans contend with historically high inflation, the combination of rising mortgage rates, elevated home prices and tight inventory are making the pursuit of homeownership the most expensive in a generation.”


The gulf between the average 30-year-fixed rate conforming mortgage and a 30-year jumbo, a product for wealthier borrowers, widened to 42 basis points, according to Black Knight‘s Optimal Blue OBMMI pricing engine, which considers refinancings and additional data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Jumbos on Wednesday were locked at 4.69%.


Rates on conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgages overall averaged 5.12% on Wednesday, according to Black Knight, with LOs telling HousingWire that clients had locked loans in the low 5% range this week.

On Thursday, New York Fed Chair John Williams said that a 50 basis point interest rate hike in May is a “reasonable option” to help control inflation.


HousingWire recently spoke with David Peskin, president of Reverse Mortgage Funding, who said entering the reverse mortgage business could allow originators to break into a growing market with significant demand that is largely untapped.


The central bank has signaled that it will raise rates another six times in 2022, and likely several more times in 2023, which will likely trigger a corresponding rise in mortgage rates. The Fed since early March has been letting its purchases of mortgage-backed securities run off. There is consensus from the Fed governors to stop replacing up to $35 billion of maturing MBS assets each month.


The Fed’s agency MBS holdings currently total about $2.7 trillion and, so far, it is continuing to replace maturing assets in that portfolio as they run off the books. 


Cutting another $35 billion from the Fed’s monthly MBS purchase tally will create a lot of new supply in the market, which will likely further increase pressure on interest rates, which could be amplified by other potential world events, Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, recently told HousingWire.


“Directionally, it means higher mortgage rates,” Yun said. “… If China reduces its holdings of U.S. government bonds or GSE-related [government-sponsored enterprise] securities, then interest rates will rise even further. 


“The soaring federal deficit requires even more buyers of bonds, and some government bond sales may make it more difficult to issue MBS securities, unless with higher interest rates.” 


The 15-year fixed-rate purchase mortgage averaged 4.17% with an average of 0.9 points, up from 3.91% the week prior, according to Freddie Mac. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.35% last year. The 5-year ARM averaged 3.69% with buyers on average paying for 0.3 points, up from last week’s average of 3.56%. The product averaged 2.80% a year ago.


Mortgage applications dropped 1.3% from the past week, and refi applications were down 62% from a year ago. Less than 5% of homeowners can save on a refinancing these days.



And despite incredible gains in equity owing to soaring home prices, inflation — which touched 8.5% in March — has sapped strength from the renovation market. The lumber futures fell to $870 per 1,000 board feet in Chicago on Monday, a 30% decline from the start of March, according to Bloomberg.



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By Didier Malagies 06 May, 2024
1. Regular FHA where you can put down 3.5% have lower credit scores, higher income debt ratios 2. FHA203k - Mortgage you can do with an added feature of having Home improvements where you buy a home and get things done like a new roof, air conditioning, etc ., and have it all in one. 3. I am going to catch you on this one, did you know that Reverse Mortgage is an FHA? So really 3 different types of vehicles that can get you into a home or get home improvements included in the financing or a Reverse Mortgage for the elderly that has no mortgage payment and help subsidize your retirement. The Government did an incredible job looking at the various ways to help buyers get into a home. tune in and learn https://www.ddamortgage.com/blog Didier Malagies nmls#212566 DDA Mortgage nmls#324329
By Didier Malagies 02 May, 2024
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By Didier Malagies 29 Apr, 2024
Depending on where you live there is an opportunity in certain areas that you can get $2,500 towards the closing costs. You also get a lower rate and monthly PMI. Programs open up to you where there is down payment assistance and also the 1% down program available. The Gov't is printing 1 trillion every 100 days, and the costs of everything are out of control. The time will come when they will be printing a trillion every 30 days. Credit cards, car loans, and student loans are at unprecedented levels is it time to refinance your home to save money and then do another refinance as a rate term when the pivot happens at some point in the future the cost of everything is going up and not stopping and you will see inflation continue to gain ground once again. Time to put the house in order with a refinance to consolidate debt. A phone call or an email away to go over your present situation and see what makes sense with the present home values tune in and learn https://www.ddamortgage.com/blog didier malagies nmls#212566 dda mortgage nmls#324329
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