Total mortgage volume increased in Q1 2016 when compared to opening quarters in previous years, according to Equifax Inc.’s May 2016 National Consumer Credit Trends Report.
Total new accounts and year-over-year increases for the first quarter of 2016 include:
- Home equity installment loans: 182,400, an increase of 23.5 percent and an eight-year high for an opening quarter;
- First mortgages: 1.86 million, an increase of 10.3 percent; and
- Home equity lines of credit (HELOC): 314,400, an increase of 10.2 percent.
Similarly, the latest data shows that lending to borrowers with subprime credit scores (consumers with an Equifax Risk Score™ of 620 or below) – as a share of total lending – has remained consistent for the third consecutive year. New first mortgage accounts to subprime borrowers during Q1 of 2015-2016 have increased on a consistent basis alongside that of prime lending, with approximately 95 percent accounting for prime loans and 5 percent accounting for subprime loans.
“The first quarter of 2016 was a strong one for mortgage lending and underwriting practices appear to have maintained their rigour over the last three years,” says Amy Crews Cutts, chief economist for Equifax. “We anticipate that the second quarter of 2016 will maintain this trend. And later this year, the much-anticipated addition of trended credit data to the mortgage underwriting process will help to strengthen the marketplace further by helping to statistically separate lower risk borrowers from those presenting higher risk.”
First Mortgages
The total dollar amount of first mortgage originations in Q1 2016 is $450.5 billion, a year-over-year increase of 12.3 percent, realizing the highest amount for a first quarter total since 2013. The total balance of new mortgages originated for borrowers with subprime credit scores in that same time was $16.2 billion, a year-over-year increase of 38.7 percent.
Home Equity Installment Loans
The total balance of new loans originated for borrowers with subprime credit scores in Q1 2016 was $454.9 million, an increase of 28 percent; in that same time, the total origination balance on all loans was $5.87 billion, an increase of 14.1 percent.
The average loan amount on new subprime home equity instalment loans increased 9.6 percent from Q1 2015-2016, while in that same time the average loan amount on all home equity instalment loans increased 1.7 percent.
Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOC)
The total credit limits of new loans originated in Q1 2016 was $35.2 billion, a year-over-year increase of 14 percent and an eight-year high. Total originations and credit limits represent an eight-year high for an opening quarter. The total credit limits on new subprime loans in Q1 2016 was $169.6 million, an increase of 10.7 percent over Q1 2015.
For more information, visit www.equifax.com.
