Mortgage Credit Availability Unchanged in February

By MBA -

March 9, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 9, 2016 – (RealEstateRama) — Mortgage credit availability remained unchanged in February according to the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI), a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) which analyzes data from Ellie Mae’s AllRegs® Market Clarity® business information tool.

The MCAI remained unchanged at 123.8 in February. A decline in the MCAI indicates that lending standards are tightening, while increases in the index are indicative of loosening credit. The index was benchmarked to 100 in March 2012. Of the four component indices, the Conforming MCAI saw the greatest loosening (up 1.0 percent) over the month followed by the Government MCAI (up 0.6 percent). The Jumbo MCAI decreased 0.6 percent, while the Conventional MCAI decreased 0.8 percent over the month.

“Credit availability was flat over the month. Slight declines in conventional programs aimed at low-to-moderate income borrowers were offset by increasing availability of government-backed programs,” said Lynn Fisher, MBA Vice President of Research and Economics. “More than half of the investors in our credit availability data set are now offering some form of a conventional low down payment loan program which is targeted at lower income borrowers and first time home buyers and generally allows a down payment as low as 3 percent.”

CONVENTIONAL, GOVERNMENT, CONFORMING, AND JUMBO MCAI COMPONENT INDICES
MBA now reports on five total measures of credit availability as part of the monthly MCAI release: the Total Mortgage Credit Availability Index, the Conventional Mortgage Credit Availability Index, the Government Mortgage Credit Availability Index, the Conforming Mortgage Credit Availability Index, and the Jumbo Mortgage Credit Availability Index, with historical data back to 2011.

Of the four component indices, the Conforming MCAI saw the greatest loosening (up 1.0 percent) over the month followed by the Government MCAI (up 0.6 percent). The Jumbo MCAI decreased 0.6 percent, while the Conventional MCAI decreased 0.8 percent over the month.

ABOUT THE MORTGAGE CREDIT AVAILABILITY INDEX

The MCAI provides the only standardized quantitative index that is solely focused on mortgage credit.

The MCAI is calculated using several factors related to borrower eligibility (credit score, loan type, loan-to-value ratio, etc.). These metrics and underwriting criteria for over 95 lenders/investors are combined by MBA using data made available via the AllRegs® Market Clarity® product and a proprietary formula derived by MBA to calculate the MCAI, a summary measure which indicates the availability of mortgage credit at a point in time. Base period and values for total index is March 31, 2012=100; Conventional March 31, 2012=69; Government March 31, 2012=222.To learn more about the AllRegs Market Clarity platform click here.

For more information on the Mortgage Credit Availability Index, including Methodology, Frequently Asked Questions and other helpful resources, please click here or contact .