Harder for Borrowers to Secure a Loan in February, Credit Availability Hits record low

Harder for Borrowers to Secure a Loan in February, Credit Availability Hits record low

As a private lender, my call volume and closings the first quarter have been off the charts as borrowers fall out of more conventional products.  This trend is now playing out with the Mortgage Credit Availability Index showing substantial tightening of credit for all...
Blowout jobs report; mortgage rates to jump again; Is 8% on the horizon?

Blowout jobs report; mortgage rates to jump again; Is 8% on the horizon?

Wow, a few weeks ago rates had fallen from a peak of over 7% to almost 6%. Unfortunately the party was short lived as rates are now heading much higher.  The recent jobs report was another blow out upping the odds of another half point increase at the next Fed...
2 banks implode, largest since 2008, is this a trend, impact on real estate

2 banks implode, largest since 2008, is this a trend, impact on real estate

  Over 48 hours two banks failed for very different reasons. There is a saying in banking that when rates rise and easy money runs out, we will find the skeletons that have been lurking in plain sight.    Are we in for a 2008 rerun?  What caused the sudden...
Soft landing, brace for a much better spring real estate market  

Soft landing, brace for a much better spring real estate market  

In only a couple of months, the world has changed substantially.  In December, inflation was supposedly decreasing rapidly and the odds of a soft landing were non existent.  Fast forward a few months and inflation is running hot, consumers are spending like crazy,...
Big changes to Freddie seasoning requirements: how will this impact the housing market

Big changes to Freddie seasoning requirements: how will this impact the housing market

Beginning in March of 2023, Freddie Mac, the largest buyer of mortgages is drastically changing the seasoning requirements for any loans it purchases which basically means any new conventional conforming loan will have to follow the new rules.  What big changes are...
60k laid off, The middle is squeezed how will this impact Real estate and the recovery

60k laid off, The middle is squeezed how will this impact Real estate and the recovery

Purchasing power from paychecks fell 2.9% for middle-income households in 2022 compared with 2021, while rising 1.5% for the bottom fifth of households and 1.1% for the top, according to the Congressional Budget Office study.  Furthermore, nearly 40 percent of...