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- Written by: ATTOM
ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property data, and real estate analytics, today released its first-quarter 2025 U.S. Residential Property Mortgage Origination Report, which shows that 1.4 million mortgages were secured by residential property (1 to 4 units) in the United States during the first quarter of the year.
That was a 14 percent decrease from the previous quarter, as the number of new loans continues to trend downward.
After hitting a recent peak of nearly 4.2 million loans a quarter in early 2021, the number of new home financing deals has declined to below pre-pandemic levels. The latest dip was driven by a 20 percent fall off in home purchase loans, which slipped from 738,675 in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 593,111 in the first quarter of 2025.
The number of residential properties refinancing fell by 12 percent quarter-over-quarter, to 580,170, while home equity credit lines dipped 5 percent, to 260,267.
The total dollar value of loans fell 18 percent, from $582 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024 to $478 billion in the first quarter of 2025, marking not only a decline in borrowers but also a decline in the average loan amount. This is due in part to the shifting makeup of the loan market.
Home purchase loans, which as recently as Fall 2023 accounted for more than half of all mortgages, now comprise 41.4 percent of the market, a 2.8 percentage point drop from the fourth quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, the proportion of mortgage refinancing and home equity line of credit deals, which tend to be smaller, have grown to 40.5 percent and 18.2 percent of the market, respectively.
“The red-hot housing market we’ve seen over the last few years meant that most home loans were going toward new purchases, but that appears to be changing,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “Rather than borrowing money to buy a new property, the data shows homeowners are increasingly looking to restructure their existing mortgages or borrow equity from their homes to cover other expenses.”
“If the current trend continues, mortgage refinancing deals will soon make up the biggest share of the home loan market,” he added.
Vast majority of metro areas see decline in new loans
The slowdown in the mortgage market was felt across the country, with only a handful of large metro areas seeing lending growth. The number of issued mortgages fell quarterly in 93.3 percent (180) of the 193 metropolitan statistical areas in ATTOM’s analysis that had populations of 200,000 or more and at least 1,000 residential mortgages issued during the first quarter of 2025.
Despite the recent dip, much of the country still saw more loans in the most recent quarter compared to the same time last year. The total number of mortgages increased year-over-year in 73.6 percent (142) of the 193 metro areas.
The largest quarterly decreases were in Duluth, MN (down 35.6 percent); Fort Wayne, IN (down 34.6 percent); Greeley, CO (down 34.1 percent); St. Louis, MO (down 31.8 percent); and Anchorage, AK (down 31.5 percent).
The metro areas with the largest quarter-over-quarter growth in loans were Asheville, NC (up 24.1 percent); Cape Coral, FL (up 23.1 percent); North Port-Sarasota, FL (up 21.7 percent); Brownsville, TX (up 21.2 percent); and Tampa, FL (up 17.8 percent).
Loans for home purchases fell steeply
Nationwide, the number of mortgages issued for home purchases was down 19.7 percent quarter-over-quarter and the value of those loans dropped 20.1 percent from $293 billion to $234 billion. That was less than half of the recent peak of 1.6 million purchase loans valued at $540 billion in mid-2021.
Mortgages for home purchases fell quarterly in 94.8 percent (183) of the 193 metro areas in ATTOM’s analysis of the first quarter of 2025.
The metro areas with the biggest quarter-over-quarter declines in loans for purchases were Greeley, CO (down 68 percent); Anchorage, AK (down 67.3 percent); Fort Wayne, IN (down 54.7 percent); and Duluth, MN (down 46.8 percent); and Lubbock, TX (down 44.9 percent).
The metro areas with the greatest growth compared to last quarter were Yuma, AZ (up 35.5 percent); Cape Coral, FL (up 28.5 percent); Asheville, NC (up 10.9 percent); North Port-Sarasota, FL (up 6.4 percent); and Colorado Springs, CO (up 6 percent).
Among metro areas with populations over 1 million, the biggest quarterly declines in loans for home purchases were in Austin, TX (down 38.5 percent); St. Louis, MO (down 37.8 percent); Rochester, NY (down 36.6 percent); Houston, TX (down 35.7 percent); and Indianapolis, IN (down 33.5 percent).
Of those biggest metro areas, only two saw quarterly increases in their number of home purchase loans. Tampa, FL had a 4 percent increase and Tucson, AZ had a 3.9 percent increase.
Refinancing down quarterly, but growing in market share
Nationwide, the number of mortgage refinancing loans was down 12.2 percent from 661,067 in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 580,170 in the first quarter of 2025. Year-over-year, however, the number of refinancing loans was up 16.1 percent.
The number of refinanced mortgages fell quarter-over-quarter in 82.9 percent (160) of the 193 metro areas in ATTOM’s analysis.
The metro areas with the biggest quarterly declines in refinancings were San Jose, CA (down 41.6 percent); Reno, NV (down 38 percent); Bend, OR (down 35.1 percent); San Francisco, CA (down 34.2 percent); and Huntsville, AL (down 33.8 percent).
The metro areas with the largest increase in refinancings compared to Q4 2024 were Lubbock, TX (70.4 percent); North Port-Sarasota, FL (up 52.6 percent); McAllen, TX (up 49 percent); Brownsville, TX (up 48.3 percent); and Asheville, NC (up 46.7 percent).
Besides San Jose and San Francisco, the metro areas with populations over 1 million that saw the biggest quarterly decline in refinancing packages were St. Louis, MO (down 29.9 percent); Raleigh, NC (down 24.6 percent); and Boston, MA (down 23.7 percent).
Of those largest metro areas, only three saw their number of mortgage refinancings increase from the fourth quarter of 2024 to the first quarter of 2025: Tampa, FL (up 39.8 percent); Miami, FL (up 5 percent); and Orlando, FL (up 1.6 percent).
HELOC lending also fell quarterly in much of the country
Home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs, saw the smallest decrease nationwide. They were down 4.5 percent from 272,535 in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 260,267 in the first quarter of 2025. That was 13.9 percent more, though, than during the first quarter of last year.
The number of HELOCs fell quarter-over-quarter in 61.7 percent (119) of the 193 metro areas in ATTOM’s analysis.
The metro areas with the largest quarterly declines in HELOCs were Peoria, IL (down 32.8 percent); Yuma, AZ (down 25.7 percent); Cedar Rapids, IA (down 25.7 percent); Fort Wayne, IN (down 24.7 percent); and Scranton, PA (down 23.6 percent).
The metro areas with the largest quarterly increases in HELOCs were Beaumont, TX (up 67.9 percent); Salisbury, MD (up 59.4 percent); New Orleans, LA (up 41.3 percent); Brownsville, TX (up 36.6 percent); and Killeen, TX (up 31.8 percent).
Among metro areas with populations over 1 million, the largest quarterly declines in HELOCs were in Houston, TX (down 20.7 percent); St. Louis, MO (down 20.1 percent); Rochester, NY (down 15.4 percent); Columbus, OH (down 15.1 percent); and Buffalo, NY (down 15.1 percent).
Of those large metro areas, the greatest quarterly increases in HELOCs were in New Orleans, LA (up 41.3 percent); Hartford, CT (up 14.2 percent); Tampa, FL (up 10 percent); Jacksonville, FL (up 8.8 percent); and Virginia Beach, VA (up 8 percent).
FHA and VA Mortgages down quarterly but up year-over-year
Lenders issued 227,159 loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in the first quarter of 2025. That was down 8.8 percent from the previous quarter but up 2.6 percent year-over-year. The share of FHA-backed loans as a percentage of all home loans rose quarter-over-quarter from 14.9 to 15.8 percent.
The number of loans backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) dropped to 78,862. That was 27.2 percent less than the fourth quarter of 2024 but 8.4 percent higher year-over-year. VA-backed loans accounted for 5.5 percent of all loans in the first quarter of 2025.
Report methodology
ATTOM analyzed recorded mortgage and deed of trust data for single-family homes, condos, town homes and multi-family properties of two to four units for this report. Each recorded mortgage or deed of trust was counted as a separate loan origination. Dollar volume was calculated by multiplying the total number of loan originations by the average loan amount for those loan originations.
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- Written by: Editor
As part of a statewide effort to address the surge in copper wire theft and infrastructure vandalism, California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Thursday was joined by local law enforcement, business leaders, schools, utilities, and elected officials for a roundtable discussion.
California has seen an increase in copper wire thefts throughout the state, which have left neighborhoods in the dark, resulted in telecommunication and utility outages, impacted business and agricultural operations, and threatened public safety.
Alongside Thursday’s roundtable, Attorney General Bonta issued a new law enforcement bulletin that summarizes the California statutes related to copper wire theft and laws governing junk dealers' and recyclers’ obligations to collect and report information on copper transactions.
“My office won’t tolerate anyone vandalizing critical infrastructure and endangering our communities to make a buck off of stolen copper,” said Attorney General Bonta. “While the value of copper remains high, we can expect it will continue to be a target of theft and vandalism, unless we step in now and do something about it. From law enforcement to state and local government, the telecommunications industry to the business community, and advocacy organizations and nonprofits; we all have a role to play in preventing copper theft, securing our infrastructure, and protecting Californians. DOJ stands ready to support local law enforcement and work together to hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes.”
Between June and December 2024, the telecom industry alone reported nearly 6,000 incidents of copper theft and infrastructure vandalism nationwide.
Roughly one-third — or 1,805 — of those incidents happened in California. Bad actors steal encased copper cables and cut them into short lengths before burning them to remove the sheathing to reveal the raw copper inside.
That copper is then typically sold to scrap metal dealers, some of whom, in periods of high demand, are willing to accept the valuable commodity purportedly without knowing its origin.
The ripple effect of each act of vandalism, each cable cut, is massive. From public safety to health care, energy, transportation, financial systems, IT, education, and more, life today can hardly function without the infrastructure behind communications systems.
Copper theft and vandalism causes:
- Disruptions to the 911 emergency system and to law enforcement operations;
• Power outages;
• Backups and safety hazards on public transit, freeways, bridges and airports;
• Service interruptions to streetlights and traffic lights;
• Contamination of water and sewer systems;
• And disruptions to healthcare systems and schools.
If you notice any suspicious activity, please inform your local law enforcement immediately. It is crucial to report these thefts right away to prevent widespread communication disruptions and potentially save millions of dollars in damages.
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- Written by: Country Air Properties
LAKEPORT, Calif. — Lake County real estate brokerage Country Air Properties has added three agents to its roster: Suman Hartzell, Monica Swiger and Kathryn Carine.
Suman Hartzell began her career with Country Air in 2004 and closed $7.3 million in sales her first year, making her Rookie of the Year Runner-up that year. Since then she has explored other opportunities, but was not able to match the success she had at Country Air Properties.
“It’s like coming home. At other brokerages I was largely on my own, but nothing beats having an amazing team supporting me. In my first month back I got 4 listings and more on the way,” Hartzell said.
Hartzell works out of Country Air’s Lakeport office and specializes in residential and land. She is also trained to work with first time home buyers.
Monica Swiger got her license in 2021. She started her career at ReMax, but found the training was lacking, so she went to work for Country Air. As her career grew, she was recruited back to ReMax, but lack of leads and high fees forced her out of real estate.
Country Air reached out to her to come back, and she accepted, and in her first few months she took three new listings, one of which sold quickly, and is working on getting two more.
“There is a much bigger emphasis on training and support at Country Air,” said Swiger. “The company is involved in our success. Last weekend they set up a customer appreciation day where we were giving away free hot dogs and drinks, and I picked up a new buyer and another seller. It is a totally different world working here.”
Swiger will be working out of the Country Kelseyville Riviera office.
Kathryn Carine is a new licensee who lives in Clearlake Oaks but will be working out of the Lakeport office and focusing on residential real estate all around the lake.
She has been shadowing agents and getting training, and is sharing in two new listings. She took on the first listing on her own just three weeks from getting her license.
“I am so excited about coming to work for Country Air,” Carine said. “They are having fun making money by helping others, and that is my vibe. There is so much to learn, but I am surrounded by super agents who take time to teach me. I feel blessed to be here and work together in building my career.”
All three agents are recent graduates of County Air’s exclusive Success Express Real Estate Training course, which is eight half days of intense classroom education. This course has been taken by many of Lake County’s top agents and is commonly seen as the premier live real estate training program in Lake County.
Phil Smoley, owner/broker of Country Air Properties, welcomed the addition of these three agents.
“I saw potential in each of them, and so far, they are all exceeding my expectations. I am very proud of their work ethic and commitment to professionalism,” Smoley said. “This is my 40th year in the business, all of which has been in Lake County at Country Air Properties. I have had the honor of being involved in over 15,000 transaction sides during that time, and hired and trained nearly 200 people, many of whom have gone on to have remarkable real estate careers.”
Smoley encourages people considering a career in real estate to meet with him for a free consultation.
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- Written by: Editor
SACRAMENTO — As California faces mounting challenges in its homeowners insurance market, the Center for California Real Estate, or CCRE, brought together a distinguished group of expert leaders on Monday for a groundbreaking event aimed at identifying actionable solutions to one of the state’s most urgent issues.
This exclusive sandbox event convened nearly two dozen experts from the insurance industry, academia, government, and consumer advocacy for a candid, cross-sector dialogue.
With homeowners across the state grappling with shrinking coverage options and soaring premiums, the event offered a rare opportunity for collaborative problem-solving at a critical moment.
“We’re proud to host this vital conversation and deeply grateful to the experts lending their time and insight,” said Pete Peterson, dean of Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy, who served as moderator. “This is about cutting through the rhetoric and building forward-thinking, practical and sustainable solutions that protect California families and communities.”
Participants engaged in a facilitated discussion focused on developing both short- and long-term strategies to expand insurance availability, improve affordability, and ensure the sustainability of California’s insurance market amid escalating climate and economic risks.
Key themes discussed include regulatory and policy innovation; reform of the California FAIR Plan and wildfire mitigation strategies. Panelists also reviewed comparative models from other states and countries for actionable insights and best practices.
The insights and ideas generated during the session will be synthesized into a formal report to inform policymakers, industry stakeholders, and the broader public. This report will serve as a roadmap for driving meaningful progress and shaping a more resilient future for California homeowners. The report is anticipated for release this summer.
The sandbox event follows two prior expert panel discussions hosted by the Center for California Real Estate around the evolving insurance market crisis in the past year. To learn more about those events and other industry-leading CCRE programs visit https://www.ccre.us/pastevents.