Lending and Originations

The unemployment rate nationwide held at 3.7% in December, with the number of unemployed persons remaining at 6.3 million as residential building employment surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

In the quest to expand housing options nationwide, the Five Star Institute, in partnership with Xome, held a recent webinar focused on key strategies and initiatives to help provide access to affordable housing.

Monthly mortgage prices have dropped by a few hundred dollars since October, reaching their lowest level in nearly a year.

Freddie Mac reports a slight one basis-point rise in the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage to begin 2024, with rates moving sideways as the market digests incoming economic data for the new year. Here’s what they expect for the months ahead.

Despite mortgage rates steadily falling over the last month of 2023, overall mortgage application volume slipped nearly 10% over a two-week span to close out the rollercoaster ride that was the housing market of 2023.

For the first time, Spokane is a migration hotspot for people still chasing affordability as the pandemic boom of people moving may be at its end according to Redfin.

Bringing 25-plus years of experience to his new role, David Sparks will help in identifying and growing strategic relationships with affordable housing assistance providers to offer new programs for Waterstone Mortgage customers.

Southern states populations soared in 2023, accounting for much of the domestic migration in 2023 with Florida, North Carolina, and Texas being key hotspots.

A double-digit increase in new listings is helping bring house hunters off the sidelines, as Redfin reports new life in the marketplace to close out 2023.

Pending home sales in November remained the same as October 2023's report, however NAR expects that to change as the downward trend in mortgage rates is expected to shift home sales upward to close out 2023.