The mortgage market recorded its best quarter in years this spring, a reflection of how the housing market is booming in 2020 even as much of the economy stumbles.
Lenders issued $1.1 trillion in home loans between April and June, according to mortgage-data firm Black Knight Inc. That was the biggest quarter in the company’s records, which date to 2000. Lenders extended roughly $2.5 trillion in home loans in all of 2019.
Refinancings, up more than 200% from a year ago, drove the increase. Mortgage rates hit new lows multiple times this year, falling below 3% for the first time in July. The low rates have made millions more Americans eligible to save money on their monthly payments. Purchase mortgages, though, fell 8% from a year earlier.
Source: Mortgage Refinancings Boom, Even as Coronavirus Hits Economy | realtor.com®