Mortgage News for the Week of August 23, 2019
Low Rates "Nudged" Existing Home Buyers NAR says
Existing home sales returned to an upward track in July after dipping 1.7 percent in June. The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) said pre-owned single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and cooperative apartments sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.42 million units during the month, a 2.5 percent increase from the 5.270-million-unit rate in June. The July sales were 0.6 percent higher than the 5.39 million pace set in July 2018, the first time this year that 2019 sales exceeded those a year earlier. Read more from at Mortgage News Daily.
First-Time Homebuyer Activity Underperforms Despite Uptick In Housing Affordability
The percentage of first-time buyers entering the single-family home market fell in the second quarter even as housing became more affordable.

The pace of home sales growth for first-time homebuyers slowed as single-family home purchases went down 4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.94 million, according to the First-Time Homebuyer Market Report from Genworth Mortgage Insurance. Read more from Mortgage Professional America.
Confusion About Ownership Is Hindering Young Buyers
Young adults may need more resources for learning about mortgages and homeownership. More than half—55%—of young adults recently surveyed say that they’re lacking knowledge on homeownership and mortgages. That confusion has prevented them from becoming a homeowner, according to a new survey of 1,000 consumers between the ages of 23 and 38 conducted by LendEDU, a personal finance resource. Read more at NAR's Realtor Magazine.
New Home Sales Jump 50% in Northeast But Slide 12.8% Nationally
Sales of new U.S. homes fell a steep 12.8% in July as higher prices and limited inventory sidelined would-be buyers.
The Commerce Department said Friday that new homes sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 635,000 units. That's down from a sharply revised upward rate of 728,000 in June. So far this year, sales have risen just 4.1%.

A big 50% jump in sales in the Northeast was offset by declines in the West, Midwest and South. Read more from Mortgage Professional America.
Millennials Differ in Housing Preferences, But Not by Much
With the huge Millennial generation finally buying houses, the National Association of Home Builders has taken a deep dive into their various preferences for where and how they are going to live. Last year it conducted the fourth in a series of buyer preference surveys, adding to data collected in 2007, 2012, and 2015. A report by Paul Emrath analyzes those choices, how they differ across age groups and changed as those groups have aged. Read more at Mortgage News Daily.
Mortgage Rate Update
Real Estate Market Strengthens as Mortgage Rates Continue to Drop
The drop in mortgage rates continues to stimulate the real estate market and the economy. Home purchase demand is up five percent from a year ago and has noticeably strengthened since the early summer months, while refinances surged to their highest share in three and a half years. Households that refinanced in the second quarter of 2019 will save an average of $1,700 a year, which is equivalent to about $140 each month. The benefit of lower mortgage rates is not only shoring up home sales, but also providing support to homeowner balance sheets via higher monthly cash flow and steadily rising home equity.
We hope you enjoyed this week's Market News. For more information about how PMA can help you, please contact us.
Plymouth Meeting Office: 610.834.8700
Doylestown Office: 215.345.7600
Ocean City, NJ Office: 609.398.8600

Information and analysis is obtained through third parties and is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. Philadelphia Mortgage Advisors is a licensed mortgage lender by the PA Dept. of Banking and Securities, NJ Dept. of Banking & Insurance, the state of DE, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, MD Mortgage Lender #23004 and VA State Corporation Commission #MC - 6797. NMLS #128570.
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