HousingWire Daily

In today’s HousingWire Daily episode, John Pataky, TIAA Bank’s executive vice president, discusses the nation’s lack of housing inventory and how it’s impacting homebuyer demand and home prices.For some background on the interview, here’s a brief summary of HousingWire’s coverage on the latest housing starts report:Single-family housing starts gained for the sixth consecutive month in October on an annualized pace not seen since April 2007, a Census Bureau report revealed.Housing starts overall rose 4.9% in October compared to September’s pace and to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 1.53 million starts – the highest since this February. That growth was mostly driven by single-family housing starts, which increased by 6.4% month-over-month – up 1.18 million annualized units. Multifamily starts were virtually unchanged from September’s revised number.“We expect the paths of single-family and multifamily starts to continue to diverge in the coming months,” said Doug Duncan, Chief Economist at Fannie Mae. “Low-interest rates, a tight supply of existing homes for sale, and a trend towards purchasing homes in suburban areas have contributed to strong demand for new single-family homes. In contrast, we believe a suburban shift and other COVID-19-related dynamics are putting downward pressure on multifamily demand in many urban areas.”Duncan noted the pace of new home sales over the past six months has accelerated more quickly than the construction pace, suggesting home builders will have to play catch up relative to sales going forward.HousingWire Daily examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.HousingWire articles covered in this episode:Increase in housing starts has construction playing catch-up

Today’s HousingWire Daily features an exclusive interview with Forbes reporters David Jeans and Noah Kirsch. The pair join Mortgage Editor James Kleimann to discuss their recent article published at the end of November, titled “Mortgages, Fraud Claims and ‘Dumb Dolphins.’” The article dives into Better.com CEO Vishal Garg’s controversial workplace culture and how he leads the $4 billion fintech startup that’s preparing for IPO in 2021.Here is a snippet that sums of the interview with Jeans and Kirsch. The transcript below has been lightly edited for length and clarity:Noah Kirsch: I think it's important for readers or listeners to understand that our story really is two-pronged. One is that on the top layer, you have a really successful CEO leading a really successful company who's gotten a ton of positive press. And then our story is really about what's happening beneath the surface. And part of it is about the tangle of lawsuits from many different high-profile parties that have followed Vishal for a long time. The other element is what is it actually like to work for [Vishal]. In some cases, some say that it's worth it, and in some cases, some say that it was a pretty horrifying place to work. I think that's the summary.For background on Better.com, it was founded in 2016 and is a digital homeownership company whose services included mortgage, real estate, title and homeowners insurance. To date, Better.com has funded $25 in home loans and provided over $7 in cumulative coverage through Better Cover and Better Settlement Services.The HousingWire Daily examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.HousingWire articles covered in this episode:Better.com, valued at $4B, prepares for IPO in 2021

Today’s HousingWire Daily episode features an interview with HousingWire Lead Analyst Logan Mohtashami. In this episode, Mohtashami discusses his recent article that focuses on rapid home-price growth in the 2020 housing market and delves into factors that he believes could be driving home prices up. For some background on the story and how COVID-19 has impacted the housing market, here’s a snippet of the article: Demand for housing was strong in early 2020, before the COVID-19 crisis hit. Mandated shut-down measures and the fear of what COVID would do to our economy temporarily immobilized the housing market, evinced by nine weeks of declines in the weekly purchase applications data on a year-over-year basis. Then it was as if the Housing Demographic God exerted her chronokinetic powers to snap demand back to pre-COVID levels of growth. The frozen market thawed and resumed its steady pace of growth, even making up for lost time. Instead of a housing crash, as many others predicted would be the lasting consequence of shut-down policies and massive job losses across the nation, the opposite happened as the 2020 U.S. housing market has been the most out-performing economic sector in the world.However, we now have another issue to worry about — that home prices will accelerate too quickly, unrestrained by an increase in mortgage rates. HousingWire Daily examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.HousingWire articles covered in this episode: The downside of the hot 2020 housing market: rapid home-price growth The housing market is hot, but not in a bubble

In today’s HousingWire Daily episode HW+ Managing Editor Brena Nath joins HousingWire Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler to discuss the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Brena and Sarah review the announcement that conforming loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now expected to rise, and examine what record low mortgage rates and recent forbearance numbers could mean for the housing market.For more background on what is discussed, here is a preview of today’s interview. The transcript below has been lightly edited for length:Q: What other pieces of news should we be watching out for right now?Sarah Wheeler: Even though it was a holiday, Black Knight put out their recent forbearance numbers on Friday and notably, the Mortgage Bankers Association is expected to do the same soon. Black Knight's recent numbers do show a small uptick, but just week over week and  the forbearance numbers we can see right now are still really good. That's great news for all of us. Nobody wants to see a big uptick in forbearances, but also, it just feels like a lot of the people who are in forbearance now have extensions. Those are some things that we're looking at. We're also looking at delinquencies and seeing how its progressing. It's worth mentioning, we have seen an uptick in the amount of interest in distressed properties, which are vacant properties that were probably foreclosed on before COVID-19. We're discovering some really interesting things on that, but forbearance is something we're going to be examining from here until this time next year or longer. Currently, HousingWire has a forbearance FAQ that we've done in coordination with Freddie Mac. It's just to give our industry and consumers information because we still see people coming out of forbearance who have never talked to their servicer. I mean, there's just no reason for that, and that may not be the best move. I think forbearance is always going to be something we're looking at.The HousingWire Daily examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.HousingWire articles covered in this episode: Fannie, Freddie conforming loan limits increase for 2021 Demand for distressed housing returning What is mortgage forbearance? Here's everything you need to know

Today’s HousingWire Daily features an interview with Zillow Economist Matthew Speakman. In this episode, Speakman discusses Zillow’s recent report that indicates strong homebuyer demand drove home sales in October.Here is a small preview of today’s interview with Speakman. The transcript below has been lightly edited for length and clarity:Q: I want to start by discussing Zillow’s recent report that states existing home sales continued to surge in October on the strength of buyer demand. The report, which uses data from the National Association of Realtors, indicates existing home sales rose to 6.85 million in October, climbing 4.3% from September and 26.6% from a year ago. What does this tell us about the current state of the housing market?Matthew Speakman: It's pretty remarkable. It's another strong stretch of reports on the housing market. The report says it's the strongest annual growth in more than a decade and the best pace in overall existing sales since before the Great Recession. Again, it's a reiteration that housing market activity is really strong and healthy. There is elevated buyer demand and market competition for the few homes listed on the market. Mortgage rates and other factors have enabled some people to take the leap into the housing market and offered more attractive buying conditions. Overall, it's just an emphasis that the housing market has fared really well throughout the pandemic, and that continues into the fall.The HousingWire Daily examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.HousingWire articles covered in this episode: Mortgage rates break record again, down to 2.72% Existing home sales increase for the fifth month in a row

In today’s HousingWire Daily episode, Mike Fratantoni, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s chief economist, discusses the MBAs Mortgage Forecast, which includes revised estimates for the third and fourth quarter of 2020, as well as predictions for next year’s purchase market.For some background on the interview, here’s a brief summary of HousingWire’s coverage on MBA’s predictions:The Mortgage Bankers Association on Tuesday released revised estimates for the third and fourth quarter of 2020 and predicted record purchase volume for 2021. Although the MBA expects decreased refinancings in 2021 and a decline in overall origination to around $2.56 trillion, that would still be the second-highest origination total in the last 15 years.The rebounding economy is likely to mean higher mortgage rates, with the MBA forecasting 2.9% by the end of 2020, rising to 3.3% by Q4 2021.The MBA is forecasting a rise in purchase originations to $1.59 trillion, which would break the previous record of $1.51 trillion set in 2005. However, the MBA sees refinances decreasing to $971 billion.“The housing market has seen a meaningful rebound since the onset of the pandemic,” said Mike Fratantoni, MBA chief economist. “Record-low mortgage rates have led to a surge in orrower demand for refinances and home purchases.”For 2020, the MBA is estimating $3.39 trillion in mortgage originations – the highest since 2003 and a 50% increase from 2019.HousingWire Daily examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.HousingWire articles covered in this episode: MBA predicts record purchase mortgage volume in 2021 Mortgage forbearance rate falls 20 basis points to 5.47%

In today’s HousingWire Daily episode Digital Producer Alcynna Lloyd joins HousingWire Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler to discuss David Stevens' recent article that examines what the housing market could look like in a Biden administration. The pair also review the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Final Capital Rule and explore what it means for the GSEs.For some background on the interview, here’s a brief summary of Stevens’ recent article that addresses who Biden is likely to appoint for key positions:We are now under 60 days remaining until we have President Biden and Vice President Harris leading a new administration in D.C. Beyond any political views of the election and the ensuing drama, industry is asking: What will a Biden regime mean to housing and mortgages? How should we think about regulation, the GSEs, HUD and more?Here are a few thoughts to consider as to what the next four years may look like.In a general sense, Democratic regimes tend to be more bullish for government support to housing, while Republican ones are more bullish for lowering the aggressiveness of regulators and oversight. While not a universal truth, we can all remember the eight years under President Obama and the impact of a new, aggressive, regulator tasked under congressional legal mandate to implement the required rules set forth in Dodd Frank.Those were challenging years, and while the implementation was hard and every rule has imperfections, today we are past those statutory obligations as all the rules required are now in place. For that reason, I do not expect the aggressive regulatory posture overseeing mortgage lenders to be like it was under Obama.The HousingWire Daily examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.HousingWire articles covered in this episode: Here's what to expect from a Biden administration regarding housing FHFA issues Final Capital Rule for Fannie, Freddie What a Biden victory would mean for housing

Today's HousingWire Daily features an exclusive interview with Bankrate's Senior Vice president and Chief Financial Analyst Greg McBride. In this episode, McBride discusses Bankrate's recent survey on refinancing appetite and explains why many homeowners have not considered refinancing their homes. Here is a small preview of today's interview with McBride. The transcript below has been lightly edited for length and clarity:Q: According to the survey, 52% of homeowners have not considered refinancing their homes. That's a pretty high percentage. Can you explain some of the top reasons they haven't?Greg McBride: That's a very high percentage considering this has been a year of record-low mortgage rates. There are really three reasons that people point to; one is they feel it's not going to save them enough money, second, is they say that the fees or closing costs are too high and the third most common is paperwork. They say there is too much paperwork and hassle involved in the refinancing process.Q: Let's discuss the recently introduced refi fee that will be implemented on December 1. Bankrate's survey determined this fee is now impacting whether or not homeowners are choosing to refinance. Can you expand on this for our listeners?Greg McBride: There's definitely a big outrage factor as far as this fee is concerned. We found that 57% of those who haven't refinanced this year claimed the fee is why they would not refinance, including 42% who said they're much less likely to refinance as a result of the fee. We've seen most lenders reflect this in pricing by tacking on about an eighth of a percentage point to the rate. It's not something that's necessarily going to have to be paid out of pocket via a fee, it's already reflected in pricing. And that pricing is such that we're still seeing record low rates. Yes, it's out there, but it doesn't dilute the benefit of refinancing, given how low rates are today.HousingWire Daily examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.HousingWire articles covered in this episode: FHFA delays refinance fee start date to Dec. 1 Mortgage rates break record again, down to 2.72%

In today’s HousingWire Daily interview, features Tendayi Kapfidze, LendingTree’s chief economist, discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the nation’s home buying trends.Here is a small preview of the interview with Kapfidze. The transcript below has been lightly edited for length and clarity.Q: The COVID-19 pandemic has left millions of Americans financially strained as unemployment rates have climbed and job markets have shrunken. What are some impacts you’ve been following?Tendayi Kapfidze: Around 40 million or so Americans lost their jobs or had a negative shock to their income, and as of the most recent data, there are around 20 million Americans who are still receiving some form of income support in terms of the various unemployment benefits that are out there. So, a lot of Americans are really under a significant financial strain. And, for many who had hoped their jobs would be coming back after a few months, that's not turning out to be the case. A lot of the job losses that we saw in March, April and May, are what are called temporary job losses, which means that the person who loses their job expects to get their job back within, say, six months or so. Now, even though we're seeing fewer job losses, a lot of those original jobs didn't come back and people that are losing jobs now are enduring what is called permanent job losses. So, we've seen a transition from temporary to permanent job losses. And that means a weak economy, going forward.Q: According to LendingTree, 46% of those who responded to its survey indicated they were thinking about relocating within the next year. Of this total, 27% said they wanted to move to a new place in their current market, while 12% said they wanted to move to another city and 8% said they wanted to move to a new state entirely. Why are some homebuyers either choosing to remain at home or relocate to a different market?Tendayi Kapfidze: There are a variety of reasons. For some, it’s now realizing that maybe they need more space at home, especially if they’re working from home and their kids are in remote school. The home may not offer enough space for everybody to do their work without interruptions from the rest of the family.A lot of home buyers or home seekers, even people who are renting are looking for more space for activities they’re not doing at home. I think even after this health crisis is over, a lot of these work from home policies are going to remain. So, you know, it's a long-run view that people are probably going to need more space at home.The Daily Download examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham. 

Today’s HousingWire Daily episode features an interview with HousingWire Lead Analyst Logan Mohtashami. In this episode, Mohtashami discusses his recent article that examines how the recent surge in Coronavirus cases could impact the housing market this winter. In addition to sharing his thoughts on his article, Mohtashami also gives a refresher on the five indicators that show when the housing market is rebounding from COVID-19 and where they stand now.For some background on the story and how COVID-19 has impacted the housing market, here’s a snippet of the article:With COVID infection rates exploding and hospitalization rates rising as we go into the cold winter months, the risk this poses to our recovering housing market is a question that should be addressed. In a previous article, I identified infection rates during the winter months as one of the economy’s high-risk variables.Before COVID-19 hit our shores, we were trending at 10% growth, working at cycle highs in demand. The housing heat months for the MBA purchase application data are from the second week of January to May’s first week. Typically, after May, total volumes fall as seasonality kicks in. We had double-digit growth until March 18.Then COVID-19 hit and we had nine consecutive weeks of year-over-year declines. The fear of the virus, the stay-at-home orders, a collapsing stock market and a rising financial stress index all played a part in the market’s rapid decimation. Four weeks into the decline, the market stabilized, and the rate of decline stopped, then began to recover over the next five weeks.We eventually turned positive on a year-over-year basis and got a true V-shape recovery, despite all the Housing Bubble Boys’ protestations calling for a crash. You may have heard whispers about a “W-shape market,” meaning a decline after the recovery. But instead, we have had 25 straight weeks of year-over-year growth, averaging over 20%.The HousingWire Daily examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.HousingWire articles covered in this episode: What the surge in COVID cases means for the housing market this winter 5 indicators that will show when the housing market is rebounding from COVID-19