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FBaggins

(26,731 posts)
Wed May 27, 2020, 09:22 AM May 2020

Mortgage demand from homebuyers shows unexpectedly strong and quick recovery...

...as applications spike 9% from a year ago.

It’s not as if the coronavirus pandemic has gone away, but after a sharp pullback, homebuyers are now piling back into the housing market much faster than expected.

Mortgage applications to purchase a home rose 9% last week from the previous week and from a year earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. It was the sixth straight week of gains and a 54% recovery since early April.

“The home purchase market continued its path to recovery as various states reopen, leading to more buyers resuming their home search,” said Joel Kan, an MBA economist. “Additionally, the purchase loan amount has increased steadily in recent weeks and is now at its highest level since mid-March.”

The gain mirrors an unexpectedly strong sales pace just reported for newly built homes in April. They were forecast to fall 22% but instead rose nearly 1% for the month, according to the U.S. Census. Buyers are rushing into the new home market, as the supply of existing homes keeps falling to new record lows. Some analysts also believe there is now a flight from urban downtowns, where people have been sheltered in small apartments, to suburban markets, where they can find more space, especially backyards and home offices.


https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/27/mortgage-demand-from-homebuyers-shows-strong-and-quick-recovery.html



Refinance volume is not as strong. Banks currently have a much higher rate for refinance applications than purchase-money applications.
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Mortgage demand from homebuyers shows unexpectedly strong and quick recovery... (Original Post) FBaggins May 2020 OP
This is good news. jimfields33 May 2020 #1
The 'permanent plateau of prosperity' - appears to be 'best for everyone'. empedocles May 2020 #2
Unnnnn, I wouldn't call this buying a broad market or worker class indicator. Strange data uponit7771 May 2020 #3
Seems that, some still don't 'get' Covid [no mask], some don't 'get' the current economy [job empedocles May 2020 #7
My nephew is buying a house 2naSalit May 2020 #4
Interest rates are 3 something. Now is a great time leftyladyfrommo May 2020 #5
I'm waiting a bit to refinance. FBaggins May 2020 #6

empedocles

(15,751 posts)
2. The 'permanent plateau of prosperity' - appears to be 'best for everyone'.
Wed May 27, 2020, 11:24 AM
May 2020

However, it was totally debunked 90 years ago.

uponit7771

(90,335 posts)
3. Unnnnn, I wouldn't call this buying a broad market or worker class indicator. Strange data
Wed May 27, 2020, 11:31 AM
May 2020

... on buying and mortgages for may, if it stays in Jun July they have something.

empedocles

(15,751 posts)
7. Seems that, some still don't 'get' Covid [no mask], some don't 'get' the current economy [job
Wed May 27, 2020, 05:29 PM
May 2020

losses, so many worse off than they were 4 years ago, etc.].

2naSalit

(86,579 posts)
4. My nephew is buying a house
Wed May 27, 2020, 11:39 AM
May 2020

after years of looking for something acceptable. I hope it all works out for him and his spouse, they are hard workers and have a good track record. I hope the same for anyone making a home purchase right now.

FBaggins

(26,731 posts)
6. I'm waiting a bit to refinance.
Wed May 27, 2020, 04:17 PM
May 2020

refi rates have seen an unusually large gap in pricing compared to purchase-money rates. This is because banks are beyond their capacity right now (with people working from home and resources diverted to government programs and other COVID responses)... so they're using pricing to control volume.

If capacity increases or volume eases a tad... we could see refi rates awfully close to that 3% figure.

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