The U.S. remodeling market soared above $600 billion after the pandemic and remains 50% above pre-pandemic levels despite recent softening, the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies reported.
Category: News and Trends
Home Flipping Declines Again, ATTOM Finds
Nearly 298,000 single-family homes and condos in the United States were flipped last year, down 7.7% from 2023 and 32.4% from the recent peak of nearly 441,000 reached in 2022, according to ATTOM, Irvine, Calif.
Chart of the Week: Commercial and Multifamily Mortgage Debt Outstanding
According to MBA’s Quarterly Mortgage Debt Outstanding Report, total commercial and multifamily mortgage debt outstanding increased by 3.7% year-over-year, rising from $4.62 trillion in Q4 2023 to $4.79 trillion in Q4 2024. This growth reflects continued investment in commercial real estate, with sector-specific variations in debt allocation.
Disaster Recovery: A Resource for Homeowners from MBA
MBA’s Disaster Recovery: A Resource for Homeowners is a resource paper for homeowners that outlines what to do before and after the disaster, along with how to start and then work through the recovery process.
Servicing Quote of the Week
“Despite February’s monthly decline of loans in forbearance, the estimated number of forbearances and loan workouts increased compared to one year ago.”
–MBA’s Vice President of Industry Analysis Marina Walsh, CMB
MBA: Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Decreases Slightly to 0.38% in February
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) monthly Loan Monitoring Survey revealed that the total number of loans now in forbearance decreased by 2 basis points from 0.40% of servicers’ portfolio volume in the prior month to 0.38% as of Feb. 28, 2025.
Optimal Blue: February Sees Surge in Rate-and-Term Refinances
Optimal Blue, Plano, Texas, recorded a 7% month-over-month increase in mortgage lock volume in February, largely driven by strong refinance activity.
Servicing Quote of the Week
“While it’s no surprise that insurance costs are rising, we’re beginning to see emerging trends in terms of how homeowners are responding to the higher cost environment.”
–Andy Walden, Head of Mortgage and Housing Market Research for Intercontinental Exchange
Trepp: CMBS Delinquency Rate Decreases in February
Trepp, New York, found the CMBS Delinquency Rate fell in February, with the overall rate decreasing 26 basis points to 6.3%.
VantageScore CreditGauge: Mortgages Help Drive Credit Balance Increases in January
VantageScore, San Francisco, released its CreditGauge report for January, finding average overall credit account balances rose by more than $1,000 from December 2024.