Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) are making a comeback in the housing market. These loans accounted for 9.2 percent of all new mortgage loans in December 2018.
Month-over-month, the share grew 0.3 percent; annually, the share of ARMs grew 3.6 percent, according to the Origination Insight Report from Ellie Mae, loan processor for 35 percent of all U.S. mortgages. The December reading was the highest share the software company recorded since it first started tracking loans in 2011. The Washington Post reports that today's ARMs are typically hybrids--30-year loans with a fixed rate for five to 10 years, and then the rate adjusts annually for the remainder of the loan term.
When mortgage rates rise, ARMs become more popular with buyers who want to keep their payments lower during the early years of the loan. ARMs are identified as 5/1, 7/1 or 10/1 to designate the initial fixed period and how often the loan adjusts after the fixed period.
Advertisement
Related Stories
Housing Markets
Metros Where Housing Prices Have Doubled in Less Than 10 Years
Historical data show it's taken less than 10 years for home prices to double in 68 of the country’s 100 largest cities
Housing Policy + Finance
Even With Inflation Running Hot and Elevated Mortgage Rates, Buyer Demand Rises
Mortgage rates will likely stay high for the next few months, but that doesn't seem to be deterring homebuyers
Financing
Q1 2024 Foreclosure Activity Rises Slightly
Data show New York, Houston, and Chicago topping the list of major metros with the greatest number of foreclosure starts during Q1 2024