Mortgage Delinquencies Creep Up Again

Daily Real Estate News | Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Reports are surfacing again of more home owners falling behind on their mortgage payments, a reversal from the dropping numbers seen over the last several quarters. Delinquency rates are also on the rise for credit card and auto loan borrowers, according to the Experian-Oliver Wyman Market Intelligence Reports.

More mortgages were 30 to 59 days past due in the fourth quarter of 2013, rising to 2.13 percent from 2.05 percent at the end of 2012, according to the report.

A new survey by FICO reports that nearly half of bank-risk professionals expect delinquency rates on all consumer loans to reach their highest levels this year since late 2011.

"We've seen concerns about delinquencies creeping up for a few quarters," says Andrew Jennings, FICO's chief analytics officer. "These numbers mean more people are gaining access to credit, but we need to keep a close eye on the risk levels of these new loans. If delinquencies reach an uncomfortable level, we may see lenders pull back again."

Source: “Missed Mortgage Payments Are Back on the Rise,” Credit.com (April 14, 2014)

Sunnier Days Ahead in Housing, Freddie Says

Daily Real Estate News | Friday, April 11, 2014

The housing market is stronger today than at any point since the Great Recession and has made progress in several key areas after hitting bottom in 2009, Freddie Mac reports in a blog post looking at the state of the housing market heading into spring.

Home sales are up 13 percent since their low point, Freddie Mac reports. Frank Notaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, predicts that home sales will rise about 3 percent in 2014.

Also, the agency reports that housing starts are up 50 percent since hitting bottom. Freddie Mac is predicting a nearly 20 percent increase in new-housing starts in 2014, “which will begin to help ease tight inventories in many markets.”

Housing prices have also been on the upswing, about 16 percent higher than their bottom in 2009, Freddie Mac reports. They expect home values to continue to rise this year, but at a more moderate 5 percent pace. Also, researchers say many markets are still posting housing values that are below their 2006 peaks.

Freddie Mac is forecasting mortgage rates to remain near their historic lows this year, but rates are expected to rise about a half-percentage point during the year to around a 5 percent average by the end of the year.

Source: “After Winter Chill, Time to Spring Forward,” Freddie Mac (April 10, 2014)