Refinancing Rate Locks Fall to a 20 Percent Share

Refinancing Rate Locks Fall to a 20 Percent Share

Black Knight says the steep ascent of mortgage rates , the 30-year conforming jumped 63 basis points in April, was matched by a sharp drop in rate lock activity. Overall volumes were down 20 percent from March, driven by a 50 percent decline in rate/term refinance activity. Cash-out refinancing fared little better. Homeowners appear unwilling to sacrifice their record-low rate existing first mortgages, seeking instead to access equity by way of home equity lines or second mortgages. Cash-out rate locks fell by 40 percent from March. The combined decline in refinance locks pushed the refi share of the market down to just 20 percent. It was the lowest share in Black Knight’s records which originated in January 2018. The company’s Optimal Blue Product and Pricing Engine (OBP