June 11, 2020
The rebound in homebuyer demand continued this week, driven by mortgage rates that hover near record lows. This turnaround in demand, particularly by those who have higher incomes than the typical household, also reflects deferred sales from the Spring.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
June 4, 2020
As the economy is slowly rebounding, all signs continue to point to a solid recovery in home sales activity heading into the summer as prospective buyers jump back into the market. Low mortgage rates are a key factor in this recovery. While homebuyer demand is up and has been broad-based across most geographies, supply has been slower to improve. In fact, the gap between supply and demand has widened even further than the large gap that existed prior to the pandemic.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
May 28, 2020
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has again hit the lowest level in our survey’s nearly 50-year history, breaking the record for the third time in just the last few months. These unprecedented rates have certainly made an impact as purchase demand rebounded from a 35 percent year-over-year decline in mid-April to an 8 percent increase as of last week—a remarkable turnaround given the sharp contraction in economic activity. Additionally, refinance activity remains elevated and low mortgage rates have been accompanied by a $70,000 decline in the average loan size of refinance borrowers this year. This means a broader base of borrowers are taking advantage of the record low rate environment, which will benefit the economy.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
May 14, 2020
Mortgage rates have stabilized at very low levels over the last few weeks as homebuyer demand slowly improves. Although purchase applications reached a new low in mid-April, today purchase demand is only down ten percent from one year ago. While demand is improving, inventory is low and declining with no signs of a turnaround yet.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
May 7, 2020
Mortgage rates stayed at or near record lows for the fifth straight week and homeowners are taking advantage with refinance activity remaining high. Although purchase demand declined thirty-five percent year-over-year in mid-April, demand has improved modestly over the last three weeks.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
April 30, 2020
The size and depth of the secondary mortgage market is helping to keep rates at record lows. These low rates are driving higher refinance activity and have modestly helped improve purchase demand from their extremely low levels in mid-April. While many people are benefitting from low mortgage rates, it’s important to remember that not all people are able to take advantage of them given the current pandemic.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
April 23, 2020
Mortgage rates have stabilized over the last few weeks as the market searches for direction in the fog of economic data. While financial markets initially rallied on the news of Federal Reserve support and are improving due to the Senate’s passage of a new small business stimulus, we continue to see a deep economic contraction amidst uncertainty about the recovery formation.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
April 16, 2020
Mortgage rates continue to hover near all-time lows for the third straight week. As a result, refinance activity remains high, but home purchase demand is weak due to economic tightening. While new monthly economic data are driving markets lower this week, they are a lagging indicator and should be priced in already. Real time daily economic activity metrics suggest that the economy will likely not decline much further. Going forward, the key question is no longer the depth of the economic contraction, but the duration.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
April 9, 2020
While mortgage rates remained flat over the last week, there is room for rates to move down. This year the 10-year Treasury market has declined by over a full percentage point, yet mortgage rates have only declined by one-third of a point. As financial markets continue to heal, we expect mortgage rates will drift lower in the second half of 2020.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.
April 2, 2020
Mortgage rates have drifted down for two weeks in a row and that drop reflects improvements in market liquidity and sentiment. While the market has stabilized relative to prior weeks, homebuyer demand has declined in response to current economic conditions. The good news is that the pending economic stimulus is on the way and will provide support for both consumers and businesses.
Information provided by Freddie Mac.