CoreLogic Loan Performance Insights Find That the Overall US Mortgage Delinquency Rate Drops to a 12-Year Low

  • Foreclosure rate is the lowest for July in 12 years
  • Florida and Texas are the only states to post annual gains in serious delinquency rates
  • Economists anticipate a spike in mortgage delinquency in several Southern states as a result of damage from Hurricane Florence

CoreLogic Chief Economist Dr. Frank Nothaft (Photo: Business Wire)

IRVINE, Calif.--()--CoreLogic® (NYSE: CLGX), a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, today released its monthly Loan Performance Insights Report. The report shows that, nationally, 4.1 percent of mortgages were in some stage of delinquency (30 days or more past due, including those in foreclosure) in July 2018, representing a 0.6 percentage point decline in the overall delinquency rate compared with July 2017, when it was 4.7 percent.

As of July 2018, the foreclosure inventory rate – which measures the share of mortgages in some stage of the foreclosure process – was 0.5 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from 0.7 percent in July 2017, and the lowest for a July since 2006. The July 2018 foreclosure inventory rate remained unchanged from April, May and June rates of this year.

Measuring early-stage delinquency rates is important for analyzing the health of the mortgage market. To monitor mortgage performance comprehensively, CoreLogic examines all stages of delinquency, as well as transition rates, which indicate the percentage of mortgages moving from one stage of delinquency to the next.

The rate for early-stage delinquencies – defined as 30 to 59 days past due – was 1.9 percent in July 2018, down from 2.1 percent in July 2017. The share of mortgages that were 60 to 89 days past due in July 2018 was 0.6 percent, down from 0.7 percent in July 2017. The serious delinquency rate – defined as 90 days or more past due, including loans in foreclosure – was 1.6 percent in July 2018, down from 1.9 percent in July 2017. This serious delinquency rate is the lowest for July since 2006 when it was 1.4 percent and the lowest for any month since June 2007 when it was also 1.6 percent.

Since early-stage delinquencies can be volatile, CoreLogic also analyzes transition rates. The share of mortgages that transitioned from current to 30 days past due was 0.8 percent in July 2018, down from 0.9 percent in July 2017. By comparison, in January 2007, just before the start of the financial crisis, the current-to-30-day transition rate was 1.2 percent, while it peaked in November 2008 at 2 percent.

“With the national unemployment rate remaining below 4 percent since July, further declines in U.S. delinquency rates are likely in coming months,” said Dr. Frank Nothaft, chief economist for CoreLogic. “The exception will be in local areas impacted by natural hazards or a rise in unemployment. The destruction of homes and disruption to local commerce caused by natural disasters lead to a subsequent spike in local delinquency rates, even for homes that were untouched.”

While no state posted year-over-year increases in their 30-plus-day delinquency in July 2018, several metropolitan areas in Florida and Texas recorded month-over-month increases. This indicates properties in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia that recently experienced damage from Hurricane Florence may be at risk for early-stage delinquency. CoreLogic identified thousands of homes in these three states that were impacted by wind and water damage from the storm.

“Despite an overall sunny picture of delinquencies, weather-driven hotspots dot the country. We expect higher delinquency rates in the mid-Atlantic region later this year due to Hurricane Florence, which impacted nearly half a million homes in North Carolina alone. We also see increases in serious delinquency rates in Florida and Texas reflecting the damage of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma,” said Frank Martell, president and CEO of CoreLogic. “In addition, Hawaii will likely experience an increase in delinquency rates as a result of Hurricane Lane and the eruption of Kilauea.”

For ongoing housing trends and data, visit the CoreLogic Insights Blog: www.corelogic.com/insights.

Methodology

The data in this report represents foreclosure and delinquency activity reported through July 2018.

The data in this report accounts for only first liens against a property and does not include secondary liens. The delinquency, transition and foreclosure rates are measured only against homes that have an outstanding mortgage. Homes without mortgage liens are not typically subject to foreclosure and are, therefore, excluded from the analysis. Approximately one-third of homes nationally are owned outright and do not have a mortgage. CoreLogic has approximately 85 percent coverage of U.S. foreclosure data.

Source: CoreLogic

The data provided is for use only by the primary recipient or the primary recipient's publication or broadcast. This data may not be re-sold, republished or licensed to any other source, including publications and sources owned by the primary recipient's parent company without prior written permission from CoreLogic. Any CoreLogic data used for publication or broadcast, in whole or in part, must be sourced as coming from CoreLogic, a data and analytics company. For use with broadcast or web content, the citation must directly accompany first reference of the data. If the data is illustrated with maps, charts, graphs or other visual elements, the CoreLogic logo must be included on screen or website. For questions, analysis or interpretation of the data, contact Alyson Austin at newsmedia@corelogic.com or Allyse Sanchez at corelogic@ink-co.com. Data provided may not be modified without the prior written permission of CoreLogic. Do not use the data in any unlawful manner. This data is compiled from public records, contributory databases and proprietary analytics, and its accuracy is dependent upon these sources.

About CoreLogic

CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX) is a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider. The company’s combined data from public, contributory and proprietary sources includes over 4.5 billion records spanning more than 50 years, providing detailed coverage of property, mortgages and other encumbrances, consumer credit, tenancy, location, hazard risk and related performance information. The markets CoreLogic serves include real estate and mortgage finance, insurance, capital markets, and the public sector. CoreLogic delivers value to clients through unique data, analytics, workflow technology, advisory and managed services. Clients rely on CoreLogic to help identify and manage growth opportunities, improve performance and mitigate risk. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., CoreLogic operates in North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit www.corelogic.com.

CORELOGIC and the CoreLogic logo are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

Contacts

CoreLogic
Alyson Austin
Corporate Communications
949-214-1414
newsmedia@corelogic.com
or
INK Communications
Allyse Sanchez, 925-548-2535
corelogic@ink-co.com

Release Summary

CoreLogic Loan Performance Insights Report reveals that 4.1 percent of all mortgages were in some stage of delinquency as of July 2018.

Contacts

CoreLogic
Alyson Austin
Corporate Communications
949-214-1414
newsmedia@corelogic.com
or
INK Communications
Allyse Sanchez, 925-548-2535
corelogic@ink-co.com