Category Archives: Mortgages

Will it?

Posted on January 9, 2026 by grim

From CBS News: Trump says he wants government to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds in a push to bring down mortgage rates President Trump said on social media Thursday that he is directing the federal government to buy $200 billion in … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Mortgages, National Real Estate, Politics | 218 Comments

Not by enough to signal a meaningful turnaround

Posted on December 20, 2025 by grim

From Reuters: US existing home sales edge up in November as mortgage rates ease U.S. existing home sales increased modestly in November amid an easing in mortgage rates, but economic uncertainty is keeping potential buyers on the sidelines. The report … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing Bubble, Mortgages, National Real Estate | 93 Comments

No Doc is BACK baby!

Posted on December 4, 2025 by grim

From Business Insider: The wannabe real estate moguls going bust Applying for a home loan is a pain. You have to produce a heap of documents — bank statements, tax returns, employment records, tallies of investment accounts — to prove … Continue reading →

Posted in Crisis, Housing Bubble, Mortgages, National Real Estate, Risky Lending | 76 Comments

We’ve got a loan for that

Posted on November 28, 2025 by grim

From Mortgage News Daily: Conforming Loan Limit Rises to $832,750 Amid Lowest Home Price Growth Since 2012 The FHFA announced that the 2026 baseline conforming loan limit for one-unit properties is $832,750, an increase of $26,250 from 2025. High-cost areas will … Continue reading →

Posted in Mortgages, National Real Estate, Risky Lending | 57 Comments

The 50y mortgage in one chart

Posted on November 17, 2025 by grim

From Sherwood, hat tip Ritholtz:

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Housing Bubble, Mortgages, Risky Lending | 47 Comments

A little bit of fraud makes the market go round

Posted on November 15, 2025 by grim

From National Mortgage Professional: As Home Prices Slip, Mortgage Fraud Risk Intensifies As rates ease and overall mortgage applications have risen 8% from Q2 2025 to Q3 2025, Cotality took a deeper look at mortgage fraud risk instances nationwide in Q3 in … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing Bubble, Mortgages, Risky Lending | 88 Comments

No problems, nothing to see here

Posted on November 14, 2025 by grim

From Mortgage Orb: Foreclosure Starts, REOs Continued to Rise in October There were 25,129 foreclosure starts nationwide in October, an increase of 6% compared with September and up 20% compared with October 2024, according to ATTOM’s U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. States … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Employment, Foreclosures, Mortgages, National Real Estate | 81 Comments

Game Changer

Posted on November 9, 2025 by grim

From the Washington Examiner: Trump administration ‘working on’ 50-year mortgage to boost housing affordability Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte announced on Saturday that his agency is actively working to introduce a 50-year mortgage term, a move that comes … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing Bubble, Mortgages, Risky Lending | 35 Comments

Hollowing Out

Posted on November 4, 2025 by grim

From Fortune: Both subprime and super prime loans are on the rise, signs of a K-shaped economy that is a ‘prescription for real trouble’ The share of consumers taking out the riskiest form of loans has reached its highest peak … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Employment, Housing Bubble, Mortgages, National Real Estate, Risky Lending | 131 Comments

Home Thieves

Posted on November 1, 2025 by grim

From nj.com: Realty company to pay $2.8 million settlement over predatory homeowner agreements A Florida-based company agreed to pay $2.8 million to settle allegations it preyed on more than 1,200 struggling New Jersey homeowners, forcing them into “unconscionable” financial agreements, … Continue reading →

Posted in Mortgages, New Jersey Real Estate, Risky Lending, Unrest | 27 Comments

Top?

Posted on October 29, 2025 by grim

From Tap: Are We Nearing the Top of Home Prices in Northern New Jersey? In August, the data showed more homes for sale in Northern New Jersey than we had in both 2023 and 2024. The trend was following the … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Housing Bubble, Mortgages, New Jersey Real Estate | 105 Comments

Everyone’s a builder now

Posted on October 27, 2025 by grim

From Politico: Homebuilders push new frontier for Fannie and Freddie: Construction loans Homebuilders are using President Donald Trump’s growing calls for government-controlled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to get house construction “going” to push a controversial proposal: getting the mortgage … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing Bubble, Mortgages, National Real Estate, New Development, Politics | 84 Comments

September home sales tick up

Posted on October 24, 2025 by grim

From Reuters: US existing home sales hit 7-month high; affordability remains a challenge U.S. existing home sales increased to a seven-month high in September, but economic uncertainty and a stalled labor market could limit an anticipated boost from easing mortgage … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing Bubble, Mortgages, National Real Estate | 68 Comments

Unaffordable at any rate

Posted on September 20, 2025 by grim

From WaPo: The cities where buying a house is most and least affordable as mortgage rates change When mortgage rates dropped to historic lows in 2021, below 3 percent, Britt Vaughan met with a real estate agent and tried to … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Economics, Employment, Housing Bubble, Mortgages | 63 Comments

Don’t expect cuts to save housing..

Posted on September 18, 2025 by grim

From Mortgage News Daily: Mortgage Rates HIGHER (Not Lower) After Fed Rate Cut Several things happen on Fed Day–especially on the 4 out of 8 examples with updated rate forecasts from Fed members.  The official announcement of a rate cut … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing Bubble, Mortgages, National Real Estate | 148 Comments