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Mortgage Rate Locks Are Down a Whopping 57 Percent From a Year Ago

Black Knight Mortgage Monitor

Please consider the Black Knight Mortgage Monitor August 2022 Review.

Key Details 

  • Volumes continued to fall across the board as the originations market adjusted to renewed interest rate pressures and continuing affordability challenges.
  • Overall, locks were down 57.1% year over year. 
  • Purchase locks, which now account for 82% of volume, were down 8.7% in August (28.2% year over year).
  • Purchase locks were down 30.2% over the last three months. 
  • Rate/term locks decreased 13.9% in August, cashouts, which had been somewhat insulated early in the rate cycle, fell 8.9%. 

Mortgage Origination by Loan Product

US taxpayers are increasingly on the hook housing loans.

Refinance and Purchase Locks Increasingly Fail 

Life-Style Maintenance Desperation Sets In 

Overall, 18 percent of operations are refis. I have some question in to Black Knight but I fail to see how any of these refi operations can be at a lower rate. 

The numbers vary by city. 

Refis account for 23% of the volume in Los Angeles CA, 22% in Phoenix AZ, 24% in Atlanta GA, 25% in Riverside CA, and 21% in Tampa FL.

Anyone doing refis at rates close to 6% from rates of under 3% in 2020 has serious issues somewhere!

Existing-Home Sales Fall 5.9 Percent, Down Sixth Consecutive Month

None of the above data should be surprising.

On August 18, I noted Existing-Home Sales Fall 5.9 Percent, Down Sixth Consecutive Month

The housing slump accelerates with another 5.9 percent decline in July, down 20.2 percent from a year ago, and 25.9% since January.

Spotlight on Fed Silliness

The Fed has blown three consecutive bubbles trying to produce two percent consumer inflation while openly promoting raging bubbles in assets especially housing.

Payback has arrived. Expect very weak growth for years to come as the Fed struggles with inflation and the end of globalization.

Looking ahead, housing rates to be miserable and durable goods (appliances, furniture, cabinets, etc.) miserable along with housing.

By the way, when is the last time existing home sales collapsed 25.9 percent in six months with the economy not in recession?

Housing Bust and Cyclicals the Recession Key

Existing home sales have fallen six consecutive months and 25.9 percent since January. There is no instance where that has happened and the economy was not in recession.

In case you missed it, please see Cyclical Components of GDP, the Most Important Chart in Macro

Also see A Big Housing Bust is the Key to Understanding This Recession

If the data follows the path I expect, we will have a third quarter of negative GDP with real final sales falling since May.

Don’t Count on GDI Either

For discussion of GDI vs GDP, please see On an Income Basis the Economy is Humming, GDP says No, Which is Believable?

This post originated on MishTalk.Com.

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29 Comments
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Hansa Junchun
Hansa Junchun
3 years ago

MISH: Looking ahead, housing rates to be miserable and durable goods (appliances, furniture, cabinets, etc.) miserable along with housing.

Hey, right on target!

“..Swedish appliance maker Electrolux AB announced a cost reduction program after reporting a plunge in demand for its home appliances across Europe and the US.

“The world’s second-largest home appliances manufacturer after Whirlpool said, “market demand for core appliances in Europe and the US so far in the third quarter is estimated to have decreased at a significantly accelerated pace compared with the second quarter, driven by the impact of high inflation on consumer durables purchases and low consumer confidence.”

Six000mileyear
Six000mileyear
3 years ago
One glaring stat overlooked is the 66% drop in all activity since the July 2020 peak.
That’s not just a bear market. It’s undeniably a crash.
prumbly
prumbly
3 years ago
All this is massively deflationary. How long until we are all talking about deflation and low rates again? All it will take will be for energy prices to come off the boil, as they are the real cause of inflation. Demand destruction plus increased supplies (yes, supplies ARE increasing) will make this happen.
PapaDave
PapaDave
3 years ago
Reply to  prumbly
Oil is indeed a big part of the inflation picture, though not the only contributor.
Supply “has” been increasing this year.
There has been “some” demand destruction from higher prices.
But:

Oil inventories have been falling for two years and are “still” falling. Which means that while both supply and demand are increasing, demand continues to exceed supply.

Now, about that increasing supply:

The 1 mbpd supply coming from the SPR is going to end this fall.
OPEC+ has been increasing their supply (or at least trying to) by 400 kbpd every month for a year now and have told us that they are now tapped out. They have reached the point where their supply may be reduced to build up a little spare capacity again.
US production increased in the first half of the year, then levelled off and even dropped a bit now. Rig counts are also flat or dropping. This indicates that there was only a tiny response from US oil companies to $120 prices and now that prices are back below $100, production will remain flat.
The whole Russia situation (no matter how you view it) is reducing supply going forward, whether it is one side refusing to buy or the other side refusing to sell. More sanctions hit in December.
There is also a lot of price volatility caused by the financial markets for oil being 50x the physical market.
But in the long run, what matters is the physical market. As long as inventories continue to decline, there will be long term upward pressure on oil prices. And since there does not appear to be much more easily available supply going forward, prices will have to rise again to cause enough demand destruction to reach a balance. I suspect that price will be over $100 again. Look for prices over $100 in 2023.
JeffD
JeffD
3 years ago
“Refis account for 23% of the volume in Los Angeles CA, 22% in Phoenix AZ, 24% in Atlanta GA, 25% in Riverside CA, and 21% in Tampa FL.”
Well, now we all know where not to buy! Thanks!
JackWebb
JackWebb
3 years ago
Anyone doing refis at rates close to 6% from rates of under 3% in 2020 has serious issues somewhere!

We are about to learn just how close to the edge a whole lot of people are, including many who were considered by themselves and others as upper middle class and higher.

StukiMoi
StukiMoi
3 years ago
Reply to  JackWebb
The US today, differs very little from Argentina in 2001.
The indoctrinati suffer the same blind, childish faith in whatever made up, so called “economic”, “measures” supposedly assures them they are somehow “different” than the “less” “advanced” people surrounding them. That they are more “edumecated”, have more “skillzzz”, and “more European” what-have-you. While “the economy” has, by officially sanctioned theft, been left almost entirely inverted, wrt those who nominally “own” hence control resources, vs those who produce them. It’s idiots all the way up, being fed by theft from an ever dwindling share of still productives who still bother.
The big wakeup will come, once home invasions, and then express kidnappings, starts becoming common enough to move to the top of everyone’s mind and concern. Those are the last remaining differentiators between life in the US and the rest of the Americas.
Of course, Argentina wasn’t any different in 1991. So the US may not get the wakeup call immediately. But there’s nothing fundamental preventing it anymore. Just like it wasn’t in Argentina. Hence, it’s only a matter of time.
Lisa_Hooker
Lisa_Hooker
3 years ago
Reply to  StukiMoi
Lots more private firearms in America than Argentina. Much more dangerous for invaders and kidnappers.
JackWebb
JackWebb
3 years ago
Five years ago, I sold my Seattle bungalow for $1.15 million. This kinda sorta blew my mind, because I am old enough to remember when a million-dollar house was more than a well-maintained, renovated house on a side street in a 75th percentile neighborhood. In July, they stuck it on the market at $1.9 million. Nope. Then they cut it to $1.75 million. Nope. Now it’s at $1.6 million. Sorry, yuppies. Too little, too late.

That much said, as bungalows go this is a nice joint. Even now, I have a bit of house proud. But $1.6MM? Nope.

MPO45
MPO45
3 years ago
As counter-intuitive as this sounds, the best time to take out a loan for a mortgage is when interest rates are high because you’ll get the lowest cost for a property. You can always refinance later. This is usually what I have done in past and as a bonus, you can refinance and take out some equity because the property will appreciate as rates go down. As soon as the Fed says “done raising”, wait and see for the first indication of a drop and it’s off to the races. Housing still has another 18 months to crash and bottom and interest rates are still climbing so it is wait and see.
Another point, everyone is assuming the Fed will stop at 4% but it could go higher if inflation remains out of control. Mortgage rates were 12% in the 80s so it’s not out of the question.
Again, be greedy when everyone is fearful and be fearful when everyone is greedy.
Zardoz
Zardoz
3 years ago
Reply to  MPO45
Been waiting for this scenario for 5 years, and am glad to see it happening… and speedily at that.
JackWebb
JackWebb
3 years ago
Reply to  MPO45
It’s amusing to think that anyone regards 4% as high.
Northeaster
Northeaster
3 years ago
Most of us locked in at 2.5%, so there’s that.
JackWebb
JackWebb
3 years ago
Reply to  Northeaster
I’m locked in at 0%. LOL
Christoball
Christoball
3 years ago
Reply to  JackWebb
Me too
8dots
8dots
3 years ago
FEDRATE : 2.33. SOFR : 2.28. FEDRATE minus SOFR = 0.05. Panic might start if SPX inverse H+S plunge.
dtj
dtj
3 years ago
Some people think the worst time to buy a house is when there are frenzied buyers bidding up every house for sale. That’s not the worst.
The worst time to buy a house is when interest rates have doubled and all the bidding wars are over, but the price level is still at the top of the market.
Mish
Mish
3 years ago
Reply to  dtj
accurate assessment
JackWebb
JackWebb
3 years ago
Reply to  dtj
14 years ago, I had to move to Boston (work), and found a house. Shook hands with the owner, but had left my checkbook in the hotel an hour and a half a way. Retrieved it, met the agent. She said the owner had another offer, and $5,000 more would seal it. I looked at her and said (and I quote): “This might be how you do things in the East, but there was a handshake.” I then turned on my heel, quite literally. She RAN down the sidewalk after me. Got the house.

Christoball
Christoball
3 years ago
Reply to  JackWebb
The Easterner never ceases to amaze me.
Northeaster
Northeaster
3 years ago
Reply to  Christoball
Massachusetts is particularly special.
JackWebb
JackWebb
3 years ago
Reply to  Northeaster
No kidding. I lived for a while in a subdivision whose land was the subject of one of the very first laws passed by the Continental Congress prior to independence, but they were still arguing over square feet. LOL
Lisa_Hooker
Lisa_Hooker
3 years ago
Reply to  JackWebb
Had exactly that happen with a collectable Patek Philippe watch, except it was Dallas (surprised me!) not Boston and it wasn’t only $5000. Got the watch.
SleemoG
SleemoG
3 years ago
Reply to  dtj
Lawrence Yun disagrees lol!
Casual_Observer2020
Casual_Observer2020
3 years ago
There is a floor on housing that was mainly driven by foreign “investment” aka money laundering. But I suspect that is also slowing down as random houses owned by oligarchs get seized. There were a couple near me recently that are still on the market after getting poached by real estate investors who thought they would make a quick buck after getting them from the government at 500k below market value. The realtor is trying to flip them on her own but no takers yet.
JackWebb
JackWebb
3 years ago
Watch me be wrong, but I can’t agree. I think the lowest interest rates in history convinced a lot of people that they were wealthier than they really were.
vanderlyn
vanderlyn
3 years ago
great analysis. thanks.
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
3 years ago
“Overall, 18 percent of operations are refis. I have some question in to Black Knight but I fail to see how any of these refi operations can be at a lower rate.”
Probably not. But some might want to tap equity (before it gets clobbered) and / or use proceeds to pay off even higher cost debt (credit card).
Lisa_Hooker
Lisa_Hooker
3 years ago
Reply to  Tony Bennett
That was my thought. Are some refi’ing to higher interest rates to get cash out for other purposes while valuations are high?

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