Update On US Residential Mortgage Lending Practices

The Fed has released the latest Senior Loan Officer Survey on Bank Lending practices and discussed the responses from 71 domestic banks and 23 U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks.

The FED says banks reported that demand for most types of Residential Real Estate loans strengthened over the second quarter.

Feb-RE-June-16-2 Responses to a set of special annual questions on the approximate levels of lending standards suggested that banks’ lending standards banks continued to report in the July 2016, that on balance, domestic banks lending standards for all five categories (GSE-eligible mortgages, government-insured mortgages, jumbo mortgages, subprime mortgages, and HELOCs) remained tighter than the midpoints of the ranges observed since 2005. Of note, a major net fraction of banks reported that the current level of standards on subprime residential mortgage loans is tighter than the reference point.

Feb-RE-June-16-1The report also discusses commercial lending and consumer loans.

Regarding loans to businesses, the July survey results indicated that, on balance, banks tightened their standards on commercial and industrial (C&I) and commercial real estate (CRE) loans over the second quarter of 2016. The survey results indicated that demand for C&I loans was little
changed, while demand for CRE loans had strengthened during the second quarter on net.

Banks’ lending standards for all categories of C&I loans are currently easier than the midpoints of the ranges that have prevailed since 2005, except
for syndicated loans to below-investment-grade firms. However, banks also generally indicated that standards on all types of CRE loans are currently tighter than the midpoints of their respective ranges.

Banks indicated that changes in standards on consumer loans were mixed, while demand strengthened across all consumer loan types.

Author: Martin North

Martin North is the Principal of Digital Finance Analytics

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