by Calculated Risk on 6/29/2011 12:45:00 PM

LPS Applied Analytics released their May Mortgage Performance data. From LPS:

The May Mortgage Monitor report released by Lender Processing Services, Inc. (NYSE: LPS) shows that the number of mortgages that are 90 or more days delinquent, combined with the foreclosure inventory at the end of May, totaled 4,084,557. With foreclosure sales at 78,676 at month end, the volume of serious delinquencies and foreclosures over-shadowed the number of foreclosure sales by 50:1. In fact, there are still significantly fewer foreclosure sales than there were before foreclosure moratoria were put into place, and foreclosure sales are declining.

New problem loans, defined as loans that were current six months ago and were 60 or more days delinquent at the end of May, are now less than half the peak levels seen in 2009, and are currently at 1.27%. Overall, when compared to historical norms, delinquencies are almost double and foreclosures are eight times higher.

Negative equity also remains a concern, with nearly 30% of current loans in a negative equity position. The equity impact on new seriously delinquent loans is significant, with loans significantly under-water defaulting up to 10 times as much as loans with equity.

According to LPS, 7.96% of mortgages were delinquent in May, down slightly from 7.97% in April, and down from 9.74% in May 2010.

LPS reports that 4.11% of mortgages were in the foreclosure process, down from 4.14% in April. This gives a total of 12.07% delinquent or in foreclosure. It breaks down as:

• 2.27 million loans less than 90 days delinquent.
• 1.92 million loans 90+ days delinquent.
• 2.16 million loans in foreclosure process.

For a total of 6.35 million loans delinquent or in foreclosure in May.

Click on graph for larger image in graph gallery.

This graph shows the total delinquent and in-foreclosure rates since 1995.

The total delinquent rate has fallen to 7.96% from the peak in January 2010 of 10.97%. A normal rate is probably in the 4% to 5% range, so there is still a long way to go.

However the in-foreclosure rate at 4.11% is barely below the peak rate of 4.21% in March 2011. There are still a large number of loans in this category (about 2.16 million).

This graph provided by LPS Applied Analytics shows the aging for the in-foreclosure bucket.

About 34% of those 2.16 million loans in the foreclosure process have not made a payment in over 2 years. Another 35% have not made a payment in over a year (but less than 2 years).

The good news is there has been some improvement in the early stages, however there are still 4.08 million loans seriously delinquent or in the foreclosure process.

by Calculated Risk on 6/29/2011 10:00:00 AM

• From the NAR: Pending Home Sales Turn Around in May

The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 8.2 percent to 88.8 in May from an upwardly revised 82.1 in April [from 81.9] and is 13.4 percent higher than the 78.3 reading in May 2010. The data reflects contracts but not closings, which normally occur with a lag time of one or two months.
...
This is the first time since April 2010 that contract activity was above year-ago levels ...

This was very close to Tom Lawler's forecast.

• From the WSJ: Greece Secures Austerity Vote

Greece's Parliament has passed a ... five-year austerity plan ... additional €28.4 billion ($40.81 billion) in spending cuts and new taxes [that] was set as a condition for another international bailout to keep Greece from defaulting on its debt.
...
Greece faces another critical test Thursday, when parliament is set to hold an article-by-article vote on the legislation implementing the austerity plan and a promised €50 billion privatization program.

Another vote tomorrow ...

by Calculated Risk on 6/29/2011 07:26:00 AM

The MBA reports: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey

The Refinance Index decreased 2.6 percent from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 3.0 percent from one week earlier.
...
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 4.46 percent from 4.57 percent, with points increasing to 1.19 from 0.91 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value (LTV) ratio loans. This is the lowest 30-year rate recorded in the survey since the middle of November 2010.

The following graph shows the MBA Purchase Index and four week moving average since 1990.

Click on graph for larger image in graph gallery.

The four week average of purchase activity is at about 1997 levels - and mostly moving sideways. Of course there is a very high percentage of cash buyers right now, but this suggests weak existing home sales through the next month or two.

by Calculated Risk on 6/28/2011 10:19:00 PM

Two stories on the proposed BofA settlement with MBS investors:

• From the WSJ: BofA Nears Huge Settlement

Bank of America Corp. is close to an agreement to pay $8.5 billion ... with a group of 22 investors who hold mortgage-backed securities originally valued at $105 billion, including the giant money manager BlackRock Inc., the insurer MetLife

• From the NY Times: $8.5 Billion Deal Near in Suit on Bank Mortgage Debt

The settlement goes beyond the securities owned by these investors, however. It covers nearly all of Countrywide’s first-lien mortgages, which total $424 billion worth of original, unpaid principal balances. As a result, investors beyond those that are concluding the settlement stand to benefit.

This potential settlement started with repurchase requests from private investors based on Reps and Warranties for the mortgages included in the MBS. This was a complicated negotiation because these loans had significant risk layering (stated income, option ARMs, high LTV, and high debt-to-income ratios etc.) and these risk factors were disclosed to the investors. However, even with the disclosures, many of the loans were clearly defective; the underwriting didn't even meet the disclosed loose standards. I guess they should have disclosed that the underwriting standard was "fog a mirror, get a loan"!

Earlier on Case-Shiller:
• Case Shiller: Home Prices increase in April
• Update: Real House Prices and Price-to-Rent

by Calculated Risk on 6/28/2011 05:05:00 PM

A couple of key points on existing home inventory:

1) Changes in inventory usually lead prices.

2) The NAR method for estimating inventory has probably led to inventory being overstated for the last few years (along with sales). It appears this discrepancy started in 2007 (or earlier), and the error has probably increased since then.

Keeping those two points in mind, here is a repeat of a graph I posted last week.

Click on graph for larger image in graph gallery.

This graph shows the year-over-year (YoY) change in reported existing home inventory and months-of-supply. Since inventory is not seasonally adjusted, it really helps to look at the YoY change.

According to the NAR, inventory decreased 4.4% year-over-year in May from May 2010. This was the fourth consecutive month with a YoY decrease in inventory. So even though inventory (and months-of-supply) is still very high, it appears that inventory is now decreasing.

However it appears the NAR is understating the decline in inventory.

A few weeks ago, Tom Lawler posted on how the NAR estimates existing home inventory. The NAR does NOT aggregate data from the local boards (see Tom's post for how the NAR estimates inventory). Sometime this summer, I expect the NAR to revise down their estimates of inventory and sales for the last few years. Also the NAR methodology for estimating sales and inventory will likely (hopefully) be changed.

While we wait for the NAR, I think the HousingTracker data that Tom mentioned might be a better estimate of changes in inventory (and always more timely). Ben at HousingTracker.net is tracking the aggregate monthly inventory for 54 metro areas.

This graph shows the NAR estimate of existing home inventory through May (left axis) and the HousingTracker data for the 54 metro areas through June. The HousingTracker data shows a steeper decline (as mentioned above, the NAR will probably revise down their inventory estimates this summer).

The third graph shows the year-over-year change in inventory for both the NAR and HousingTracker.

HousingTracker reported that the weekly average for June listings - for the 54 metro areas - declined 8.5% from last June.

Although inventory is still high, the decline in inventory will put less downward pressure on house prices and is something to watch carefully this year.

Earlier ...
• Case Shiller: Home Prices increase in April
• Update: Real House Prices and Price-to-Rent

by Calculated Risk on 6/28/2011 02:05:00 PM

Earlier today from the Richmond Fed: Manufacturing Activity Stabilized in June; Expectations Edge Higher

In June, the seasonally adjusted composite index of manufacturing activity — our broadest measure of the sector — picked up nine points to 3 from May's reading of −6. Among the index's components, shipments added twelve points to −1, new orders rose sixteen points to finish at 1, while the jobs index slipped two points to 12.
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Hiring activity at District plants was also mixed in June. The manufacturing employment index eased two points to 12 and the average workweek measure turned negative, losing five points to −5. However, wage growth edged higher, gaining three points to finish at 9.

This is the second regional survey to show expansion in June and was slightly stronger than expected (the Dallas Fed showed slower expansion in June).

Earlier this month, the Philly and Empire State surveys indicated contraction. So far these regional surveys suggest the ISM index will be in the low 50s in June (or possibly even below 50). I'll post a graph of the regional surveys vs. the ISM index on Thursday. The ISM index will be released Friday.

Earlier ...
• Case Shiller: Home Prices increase in April
• Update: Real House Prices and Price-to-Rent