by Calculated Risk on 10/06/2021 07:00:00 AM

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey

Mortgage applications decreased 6.9 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending October 1, 2021.

... The Refinance Index decreased 10 percent from the previous week and was 16 percent lower than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 2 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 2 percent compared with the previous week and was 13 percent lower than the same week one year ago.

“Mortgage applications to refinance dropped almost 10 percent last week to the lowest level in three months, as the 30-year fixed rate increased to 3.14 percent – the highest since July. Higher rates are reducing borrowers’ incentive to refinance, as declines were seen across all loan types,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting. “Purchase activity also fell, driven by a drop in conventional loan applications. Government purchase applications were up over 1 percent, but that was still not enough to bring down the average loan balance of $410,000. With home-price appreciation and sales prices remaining very elevated, applications for higher balance, conventional loans still dominate the mix of activity.”
...
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($548,250 or less) increased to 3.14 percent from 3.10 percent, with points increasing to 0.35 from 0.34 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.


The first graph shows the refinance index since 1990.

With low rates, the index remains elevated - but the recent bump in rates has slowed activity.

The second graph shows the MBA mortgage purchase index

According to the MBA, purchase activity is down 13% year-over-year unadjusted.

Note: The year ago comparisons for the unadjusted purchase index are now difficult since purchase activity was strong in the second half of 2020.

Note: Red is a four-week average (blue is weekly).

by Calculated Risk on 10/05/2021 08:11:00 PM

Wednesday:
• At 7:00 AM ET, The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) will release the results for the mortgage purchase applications index.

• At 8:15 AM, The ADP Employment Report for September. This report is for private payrolls only (no government). The consensus is for 430,000 jobs added, up from 374,000 in August.

by Calculated Risk on 10/05/2021 04:03:00 PM

Here is another monthly update on framing lumber prices.  

This graph shows CME random length framing futures through October 5th.

Lumber was at $645 per 1000 board feet this morning.  

This is down from a peak of $1,733, and up from $557 a year ago.

Click on graph for larger image in graph gallery.

Lumber price are up 15% year-over-year.

There were supply constraints over the last year, for example, sawmills cut production and inventory at the beginning of the pandemic, and the West Coast fires in 2020 damaged privately-owned timberland (and maybe again in 2021).  

The supply constraints have eased somewhat.

And there was a huge surge in demand for lumber (demand remains strong).

by Calculated Risk on 10/05/2021 03:13:00 PM

The CDC is the source for all data.

According to the CDC, on Vaccinations.  Total doses administered: 397,718,055, as of a week ago 391,152,574, or 0.94 million doses per day.

COVID Metrics
	Today	Week Ago	Goal
Percent fully Vaccinated	56.0%	55.8%	≥70.0%1
Fully Vaccinated (millions)	186.1	185.3	≥2321
New Cases per Day3	97,909	111,851	≤5,0002
Hospitalized3	66,131	76,734	≤3,0002
Deaths per Day3	1,444	1,492	≤502
1 Minimum to achieve "herd immunity" (estimated between 70% and 85%). 2my goals to stop daily posts, 37 day average for Cases, Currently Hospitalized, and Deaths 🚩 Increasing 7 day average week-over-week for Cases, Hospitalized, and Deaths ✅ Goal met.

IMPORTANT: For "herd immunity" most experts believe we need 70% to 85% of the total population fully vaccinated (or already had COVID).  

KUDOS to the residents of the 13 states and D.C. that have achieved 60% of total population fully vaccinated: Vermont at 69.8%, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, and District of Columbia at 60.5%.

The following 22 states have between 50% and 59.9% fully vaccinated: Colorado at 59.8%, California, Minnesota, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Florida, Wisconsin, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, South Dakota, Arizona, Kansas, Nevada, Alaska, Utah, Ohio and North Carolina at 50.2%.

Next up (total population, fully vaccinated according to CDC) are Montana at 48.8%, Indiana at 48.7%, Missouri at 48.3% and Oklahoma at 48.1%.

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the daily (columns) and 7 day average (line) of positive tests reported.

by Calculated Risk on 10/05/2021 12:33:00 PM

Today, in the Newsletter: On Private Lenders Raising the "Conforming Loan Limit"

Excerpt:

Some private mortgage industry participants have already increased their “conforming loan limits” in anticipation of the FHFA raising the CLL. This is NOT an official increase.
...
Note that they are only raising the “limit” from $548,250 (low cost areas) to $625,000. That is a 14% increase, and the FHFA will probably increase the limit closer to 18% (like to around $645,000 or so).

by Calculated Risk on 10/05/2021 10:05:00 AM

(Posted with permission). The September ISM® Services index was at 61.9%, up from 61.7% last month. The employment index decreased to 53.0%, from 53.7%. Note: Above 50 indicates expansion, below 50 contraction.

From the Institute for Supply Management: Services PMI® at 61.9%, September 2021 Services ISM® Report On Business®

Economic activity in the services sector grew in September for the 16th month in a row, say the nation’s purchasing and supply executives in the latest Services ISM® Report On Business®.

The report was issued today by Anthony Nieves, CPSM, C.P.M., A.P.P., CFPM, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) Services Business Survey Committee: “The Services PMI® registered 61.9 percent, 0.2 percentage point higher than the reading of 61.7 percent in August. The September reading indicates the 16th straight month of growth for the services sector, which has expanded for all but two of the last 140 months.

“The Supplier Deliveries Index registered 68.8 percent, down 0.8 percentage point from August’s reading of 69.6 percent. (Supplier Deliveries is the only ISM® Report On Business® index that is inversed; a reading of above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries, which is typical as the economy improves and customer demand increases.) The Prices Index registered 77.5 percent, up 2.1 percentage points from the August figure of 75.4 percent.”

Nieves continues, “According to the Services PMI®, 17 services industries reported growth. The composite index indicated growth for the 16th consecutive month after a two-month contraction in April and May 2020. The slight uptick in the rate of expansion in the month of September continued the current period of strong growth for the services sector. However, ongoing challenges with labor resources, logistics, and materials are affecting the continuity of supply.”
emphasis added

This was above the consensus forecast,  however the employment index decreased slightly to 53.0%, from 53.7% the previous month. 

by Calculated Risk on 10/05/2021 08:40:00 AM

From the Department of Commerce reported:

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $73.3 billion in August, up $2.9 billion from $70.3 billion in July, revised.

August exports were $213.7 billion, $1.0 billion more than July exports. August imports were $287.0 billion, $4.0 billion more than July imports.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

Exports increased and imports increased in August.

Exports are up 23% compared to August 2020; imports are up 21% compared to August 2020.

Both imports and exports decreased sharply due to COVID-19, and have now bounced back (imports  more than exports),

The second graph shows the U.S. trade deficit, with and without petroleum.

The blue line is the total deficit, and the black line is the petroleum deficit, and the red line is the trade deficit ex-petroleum products.

Note that net, imports and exports of petroleum products are close to zero.

by Calculated Risk on 10/05/2021 08:00:00 AM

Notes: This CoreLogic House Price Index report is for August. The recent Case-Shiller index release was for July. The CoreLogic HPI is a three month weighted average and is not seasonally adjusted (NSA).

From CoreLogic: Record-High Repeat: U.S. Annual Home Price Growth Reaches a New All-Time High in August, CoreLogic Reports

CoreLogic® ... released the CoreLogic Home Price Index (HPI™) and HPI Forecast™ for August 2021.

Home prices rose to a fever pitch this summer, with annual price gains reaching another all-time high in August at 18.1%. Ongoing affordability challenges within the supply-constricted market have also been exacerbated by an influx in homebuying activity from investors. As the home purchase market continues to boom and buoy the post-pandemic economy, these market factors are unevenly affecting access for some buyers. This is reflected in a recent CoreLogic consumer survey, where 59% of consumers looking to purchase a home reported combined household earnings of at least six figures, compared to the 10% of consumers looking to purchase earning less than $50,000.

“Home prices continue to escalate at a torrid pace as a broad spectrum of buyers drive demand for a limited supply of homes,” said Frank Martell, president and CEO of CoreLogic. “We expect to see the trend of strong price gains continue indefinitely with large amounts of capital chasing too few assets.”
...
Nationally, home prices increased 18.1% in August 2021, compared to August 2020. This is the largest 12-month growth in the U.S. index since the series began (January 1976 – January 1977). On a month-over-month basis, home prices increased by 1.3% compared to July 2021.
...
“Single-family detached homes continue to be in high demand,” said Dr. Frank Nothaft, chief economist at CoreLogic. “These properties offer more living space and distance from neighboring homes than that of attached properties. On average, detached homes have 28% more inside space compared to single-family attached properties and about twice as much space as apartments in multifamily structures.”
emphasis added

by Calculated Risk on 10/04/2021 08:00:00 PM

From Matthew Graham at Mortgage News Daily: Mortgage Rates Fairly Flat Despite Mixed Signals From Bond Market

Mortgage rates are unchanged to a hair lower compared to last Friday, depending on the lender. While that's welcome news given some of the big jumps in rates seen in the past 2 weeks, the underlying bond market suggests we're still in the middle of a waiting game. [30 year fixed 3.09%]
emphasis added

Tuesday:
• At 8:00 AM ET, Corelogic House Price index for August

• At 8:30 AM, Trade Balance report for August from the Census Bureau.  The consensus is for the deficit to be $70.5 billion in August, from $70.1 billion in July.

• At 10:00 AM, the ISM Services Index for September.

by Calculated Risk on 10/04/2021 06:15:00 PM

Data released on Monday is always low and is revised up.

The CDC is the source for all data.

According to the CDC, on Vaccinations.  Total doses administered: 396,919,564, as of a week ago 390,664,923, or 1.04 million doses per day.

COVID Metrics
	Today	Week Ago	Goal
Percent fully Vaccinated	56.0%	55.4%	≥70.0%1
Fully Vaccinated (millions)	185.8	183.9	≥2321
New Cases per Day3	86,801	112,311	≤5,0002
Hospitalized3	64,217	77,983	≤3,0002
Deaths per Day3	1,327	1,502	≤502
1 Minimum to achieve "herd immunity" (estimated between 70% and 85%). 2my goals to stop daily posts, 37 day average for Cases, Currently Hospitalized, and Deaths 🚩 Increasing 7 day average week-over-week for Cases, Hospitalized, and Deaths ✅ Goal met.

IMPORTANT: For "herd immunity" most experts believe we need 70% to 85% of the total population fully vaccinated (or already had COVID).  

KUDOS to the residents of the 13 states and D.C. that have achieved 60% of total population fully vaccinated: Vermont at 69.7%, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, and District of Columbia at 60.4%.

The following 22 states have between 50% and 59.9% fully vaccinated: Colorado at 59.7%, California, Minnesota, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Florida, Wisconsin, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, South Dakota, Arizona, Kansas, Nevada, Alaska, Utah, Ohio and North Carolina at 50.1%.

Next up (total population, fully vaccinated according to CDC) are Montana at 48.8%, Indiana at 48.7% and Missouri at 48.3% .

Click on graph for larger image.

This graph shows the daily (columns) and 7 day average (line) of positive tests reported.