FHFA: Refinance Volume Down Slightly in May but Remains Strong

Refinance volume dipped slightly in May from the prior month but remained strong as mortgage rates stayed just above record low levels, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s May 2013 Refinance Report. More than 418,000 refinances took place in May, with nearly 85,000 completed through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). More than 2.6 million refinances have now been completed through HARP since the program began in April 2009.

Also in the May 2013 report:

• HARP volume represented 20 percent of total refinance volume in May.
• Borrowers with loan-to-value (LTV) ratios greater than 105 percent accounted for 44 percent of the volume of HARP loans through May.
• The number of completed HARP refinances for deeply underwater borrowers continued to represent a significant portion of total HARP volume. In May 2013, 19 percent of the loans refinanced through HARP had a LTV ratio greater than 125 percent.
• Year-to-date through May, eighteen percent of HARP refinances for underwater borrowers were for 15- and 20-year mortgages.
• Year-to-date through May, HARP refinances represented 60 percent of total refinances in Nevada and 51 percent of total refinances in Florida, more than double the 21 percent of total refinances nationwide over the same period.
• The top five states with the highest number of HARP loans since the inception of the program through May include: California (368,905), Florida (235,223), Michigan (178,035), Illinois (175,521), and Arizona (130,894).

To read the complete Refinance Report at FHFA.gov, click here.