Housing, mortgages, foreclosures, and builder sentiment

[RiverpointeTax]

From National Home Builder’s Association, 4/18/2022

Rapidly rising interest rates combined with ongoing home price increases and higher construction costs continue to take a toll on builder confidence and housing affordability.

Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes moved two points lower to 77 in April, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. This is the fourth straight month that builder sentiment has declined.

“Despite low existing inventory, builders report sales traffic and current sales conditions have declined to their lowest points since last summer as a sharp jump in mortgage rates and persistent supply chain disruptions continue to unsettle the housing market,” said NAHB Chairman Jerry Konter…

From Fortune, CHRIS MORRIS, March 11, 2022 9:50 AM CST

“February foreclosure activity looks a lot like what we can expect to see for at least the next six months—double-digit month-over-month growth, and triple-digit year-over-year increases,” said Rick Sharga, executive vice president at RealtyTrac, an Attom company.

From Mortgage Bankers Association, April 27, 2022

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 8.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 7 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 9 percent from the previous week and was 71 percent lower than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 8 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 7 percent compared with the previous week and was 17 percent lower than the same week one year ago.

[alice2uworld]

Appreciate you input of information. Similar to what I hear on stock market stations. What I’m seeing in day to day activity is high real estate prices and people not blinking an eye at 6.5% interest. I’m in Kitsap County WA and low new housing inventory just like Seattle. Many people are refinancing and using equity to fix up their homes. Many are also purchasing homes out of state primarily in AZ, TX, CO, UT, AL, AR, KS. Kitsap County has sufficient water supply, we rarely see a small tornado or hurricane, don’t have huge fires like other drier climates. Folks that like really dry climates not the place for you. We do have sunny weather seasonally even though it is coming late this year. Too many people moving to WA State ~ schools and medical facilities having difficulty keeping up with increased population. OK to visit WA but do your homework prior to moving here.