Eye On Housing
Author Archives
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Banks Report Unchanged Home Lending Standards
In the second quarter iteration of the Federal Reserve Board’s Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey (SLOOS) on Bank Lending Practices, banks reported largely unchanged lending standards across all residential real estate (RRE) loans. Major net shares of banks reported weaker demand for most RRE loans except for home equity lines of credit, for which a significant net share of banks… Read More ›
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Higher Rates Reduce Mortgage Demand
Per the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) survey through the week ending July 1, total mortgage activity decreased, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) rate reaching 5.8% on average. The latest week’s rate decreased to 5.74%, declining for the second straight week but still above pandemic levels. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased by 5.4%… Read More ›
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Metro Areas Trail Lower Density Markets for Apartment Construction Growth
In the first quarter of 2022, multifamily home building showed greater growth across all regional markets compared to the first quarter of 2021, per the NAHB’s Home Building Geography Index (HBGI). Apartment construction far outpaced single-family building in all regional geographies but especially in lower density markets1. Low rental vacancy rates and rising rents gave multifamily developers confidence to continue… Read More ›
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Household Balance Sheets in the First Quarter
The latest results from the Federal Reserve’s Z.1 Financial Accounts of the United States, i.e., the Flow of Funds, show that in the first quarter of 2022, the aggregate market value of all owner-occupied real estate in the United States showed the largest year-over-year percentage gain since 2001. Owners’ equity as a percentage of households’ real estate was the highest… Read More ›
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High Rates Suppress Refinancing
Per the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), through the week ending June 3, total mortgage activity decreased, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) rate increasing to 5.45%, on average. The latest week’s rate increased to 5.4%, after 3 consecutive weeks of declines, each by a few basis points. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased by… Read More ›
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Large Metro Suburban Single-family Construction Slows
Recent developments in the first quarter of 2022 per NAHB’s Home Building Geography Index (HBGI), indicate single-family home building slowing in suburbs, with most other regional geographies following suit. Following the aftermath of COVID-19, home buyer preferences for the suburbs have eased. Supply-chain challenges and unfavorable economic conditions have reduced the pace of single-family residential construction across all regional submarkets…. Read More ›
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Mortgage Activity Up in ARMs
Per the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest month’s surveys (the week ending May 6), the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) rate rapidly grew to 5.53%, marking the steepest interest rate increase on record. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased by 2% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier, despite a general downward trend. … Read More ›
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Banks Report Weaker Demand for Home Loans
In the first quarter of 2022, the Federal Reserve Board’s Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey (SLOOS) on Bank Lending Practices showed a significant net share of banks reporting more relaxed lending standards and weaker demand for most categories of residential real estate (RRE) loans. “Significant” net shares of banks reported weaker demand for all RRE loan categories other than subprime… Read More ›
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Consumer Credit Increases in First Quarter
In the first quarter of 2022, non-real estate secured consumer credit, per the Federal Reserve’s latest G.19 Consumer Credit report, grew at a seasonal adjusted annual rate of 9.7%, with revolving debt growing at 21.4% and nonrevolving at 6.1%. Total consumer credit currently stands at $4.5 trillion, with $1.1 trillion in revolving debt and $3.4 trillion in non-revolving debt. From… Read More ›
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Metro Area Populations Exhibit Minimal Growth From 2020
The Census Bureau recently released its 2021 Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) annual population estimates. Between 2020 and 2021, 251 (65%) of the 384 MSAs within the 50 states and the District of Columbia experienced population increases, albeit small on percentage terms. The MSAs’ combined total population increased from 286,195,308 in 2020 to 286,472,775 in 2021, approximately a 0.1% increase. Dallas-Fort… Read More ›