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The Obama Administration’s Efforts
To Stabilize the Housing Market
and Help American Homeowners
October 2015

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development | Office of Policy Development and Research

U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development

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The Administration’s goal remains to stabilize the housing market and provide
security for homeowners. To meet these objectives in a challenging market,
the Administration developed a broad approach implementing state and
local housing agency initiatives, tax credits for homebuyers, neighborhood
stabilization and community development programs, mortgage modifications and
refinancing, housing counseling, continued Federal Housing Administration (FHA)
engagement, support for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and increased consumer
protections. In addition, Federal Reserve and Treasury Mortgage-Backed Securities
purchase programs have helped to keep mortgage interest rates at record lows.
More detail on the Administration’s efforts can be found in the Appendix.
•

Sales of previously owned (existing) homes rebounded in
September to their second highest level since February 2007.
The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) reported that sales of existing
homes (including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and
cooperatives) rose 4.7 percent in September to 5.55 million (SAAR) and
have now remained above the 5 million mark for 7 consecutive months.
Purchases of single-family homes drove the rise in sales, with purchases of
multifamily homes unchanged. Sales are 8.8 percent above a year ago and
have risen year-over-year for 12 straight months.

•

House prices continued an upward trend in August with annual
house price changes settling into a 4- to 5-percent pace. The
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted purchase-only
house price index for August showed home values rose 0.3 percent over the
previous month and 5.6 percent over the previous year. The year-over-year
house price gain in July was also 5.6 percent. The FHFA index shows that
U.S. home values now stand just 0.9 percent below their previous peak in
March 2007 and are 25.1 percent above their previous low in May 2011.
Another index tracked in the Scorecard, the non-seasonally adjusted S&P/
Case-Shiller 20-City Home Price Index, posted a monthly increase in home
values of 0.4 percent in August and year-over-year returns of 5.1 percent,
which was higher than in July (4.9 percent). The Case-Shiller index shows
home values are at their highest levels since December 2007; house prices
peaked during the housing bubble in July 2006 according to this index. (The
Case-Shiller and FHFA price indices are released with a 2-month lag.)

•

Purchases of new homes fell 11.5 percent in September to the
lowest level since November 2014. New home sales dropped to
468,000 (SAAR) in September from a downwardly revised August pace of
529,000 but were still 2.0 percent higher than a year earlier. New home

sales have been above the 500,000 mark for 6 of 9 months this year. Data
on new home sales can be volatile and are often revised. (Source: HUD
and Census Bureau.)

•

Foreclosure starts fell in September but foreclosure completions
increased. Lenders started the public foreclosure process on 43,358 U.S.
properties in September, down 4 percent from August and down 14 percent
from a year earlier. Newly initiated foreclosures have been below the precrisis (2005 and 2006) monthly average of 52,280 for the past 6 months.
Lenders completed the foreclosure process (bank repossessions or REOs) on
40,308 U.S. properties in September, up 10 percent from the previous month
and up 76 percent from one year ago. This is the seventh straight year-overyear increase in foreclosure completions after declining for 27 consecutive
months. A partial explanation for the year-over-year increase in REOs in
recent months is RealtyTrac’s modification of their data collection procedures
in the first quarter of 2015, which allowed the data to be obtained more
quickly. Filings that would have been reported in subsequent months
previously are now being reported earlier. In addition, foreclosure activity has
been volatile in recent months as states with a substantial pool of foreclosure
inventory move to reduce the backlog. (Source: RealtyTrac.)

•

The Administration’s foreclosure mitigation programs continue
to provide relief for millions of homeowners as the recovery
from the housing crisis continues. In all, nearly 10.0 million mortgage
modifications and other forms of mortgage assistance arrangements were
completed between April 2009 and the end of September 2015. Nearly
2.5 million homeowner assistance actions have taken place through the
Making Home Affordable Program, including over 1.5 million permanent
modifications through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP),
while the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has offered more than 2.9
million loss mitigation and early delinquency interventions through September.
These Administration programs continue to encourage improved standards
and processes in the industry, with lenders offering families and individuals
nearly 4.6 million proprietary modifications through August (data are
reported with a 2-month lag). You can read the Treasury’s MHA report here.

Encouraging news notwithstanding, there is a need to continue with recovery efforts
to foster home sales, help those homeowners who remain under water, and reduce
mortgage delinquency rates that remain elevated. There is also considerable
geographic variation in market conditions not captured in the national statistics,
which suggests some markets are improving at different rates than others.

October 2015 National Scorecard | Page 1

U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development

The Obama Administration’s Efforts To Stabilize the Housing Market and Help American Homeowners | October 2015

October 2015 National Scorecard | Page 2

U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development

The Obama Administration’s Efforts To Stabilize the Housing Market and Help American Homeowners | October 2015

October 2015 National Scorecard | Page 3

U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development

The Obama Administration’s Efforts To Stabilize the Housing Market and Help American Homeowners | October 2015

October 2015 National Scorecard | Page 4

U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development

U.S. DepartmentEfforts
of Housing
and Urban
Development
| Officeand
of Policy
and Research | October 2015
The Obama Administration’s
To Stabilize
the
Housing Market
HelpDevelopment
American Homeowners

Indicator

HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND STABILIZATION PERFORMANCE METRICS
This Period
Last Period
Cumulative From April 1, 2009
Latest Release

Distressed Homeowners Assisted (thousands)
HAMP Trial Modifications
HAMP Permanent Modifications
FHA Loss Mitigation Interventions
HOPE Now Modifications
HARP Refinances
FHA Streamline Refinances
Counseled Borrowers (thousands)

Activities Completed Under NSP (housing units)
New Construction or Residential Rehab
Demolition or Clearance
Direct Homeownership Assistance
Change in Aggregate Home Equity ($ billions)

Indicator

Mortgage Rates (30-Yr FRM, percent)

8.0 (s)
9.5 (s)
38.5
22.8
7.5
18.4

9.2
9.5
38.1
23.4
9.3
21.4

2,369
1,542
2,948
4,556
3,350
1,752

(r)

280.7

319.6

12,236

----

----

41,021 [64,807]
23,667 [24,364]
11,224 [16,809]

396.8

420.4

Last Period

3.76

Year Ago

3.79

2nd Q 15
(b,s)
(b,s)
(b,s)

5,926.7

(r)

HOUSING MARKET FACT SHEET
This Period

September-15
September-15
September-15
August-15
August-15
September-15

2nd Q 15

As of Dec 2008

3.98

1st Q 15
1st Q 15
1st Q 15

5.10

Latest Release
29-Oct15

160.2

162.9

August-15

173.6
213.2
174.4

150.5
195.6
159.9

August-15
August-15
August-15

31.4
334.2
149.9
32

September-15
September-15
September-15
August-15

Housing Affordability (index)

157.7

154.5

(r)

Home Prices (indices)
Case-Shiller (NSA)
FHFA (SA)
CoreLogic–Excluding Distressed Sales (NSA)

182.5
224.9
186.0

181.8
224.3
183.9

(r)

Home Sales (thousands, SA)
New
Existing
First-Time Buyers
Distressed Sales (percent, NSA)

39.0
462.5
165.5
10

44.1
441.7
160.3
10

(r)
(r)
(r,s)

38.3
425.0
152.9
13

Housing Supply
Existing Homes for Sale (thousands, NSA)
Existing Homes–Months’ Supply (months)
New Homes for Sale (thousands, SA)
New Homes for Sale–Months’ Supply (months, SA)
Vacant Units Held Off Market (thousands)

2,210
4.8
225
5.8
3,788

2,270
5.1
216
4.9
3,822

(r)
(r)

2,280
5.4
209
5.5
3,922

3,130
9.4
353
11.2
3,542

September-15
September-15
September-15
September-15
3rd Q 15

557.5
1,035.8

676.9
967.0

530.0
821.9

767.1
986.3

3rd Q 15
3rd Q 15

15.4
53.4
43.6

62.9
72.7
56.2

September-15
September-15
September-15

Mortgage Originations (thousands)
Refinance Originations
Purchase Originations

(s)
(p)

(r)
(r)

(r)

(s)

FHA Originations (thousands)
Refinance Originations
Purchase Originations
Purchases by First-Time Buyers

40.3
80.4
64.5

Mortgage Delinquency Rates (percent)
Prime
Subprime
FHA

2.5
27.1
9.3

2.7
26.9
9.3

3.1
30.1
10.2

4.4
34.3
14.3

September-15
September-15
September-15

511
771
454

511
772
457

674
943
544

915
1,632
333

September-15
September-15
September-15

4,353

5,116

5,403

--

43.4
40.3
12.9
23.9

45.1
36.8
16.5
31.6

50.4
22.9
17.9
37.0

148.6
78.9
14.0
74.8

Seriously Delinquent Mortgages (thousands)
Prime
Subprime
FHA
Underwater Borrowers (thousands)
Foreclosure Actions (thousands)
Foreclosure Starts
Foreclosure Completions
Short Sales
REO Sales

(p)
(p)
(p)

(p)
(p)

31.3
81.6
56.4

(r)
(r)
(r)

(r)
(r)

2nd Q 15
September-15
September-15
August-15
August-15

SA = seasonally adjusted, NSA = not SA, p = preliminary, r = revised, b = brackets include units in process, s = see Additional Notes in Sources and Methodology.

October 2015 National Scorecard | Page 5

U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development

U.S. DepartmentEfforts
of Housing
and Urban
Development
| Officeand
of Policy
and Research | October 2015
The Obama Administration’s
To Stabilize
the
Housing Market
HelpDevelopment
American Homeowners

A. Items in Tables

SOURCES AND METHODOLOGY

Description

Frequency

Sources

Notes on Methodology

Distressed Homeowners Assisted
HAMP Trial Modifications
HAMP Permanent Modifications
FHA Loss Mitigation Interventions
HOPE Now Modifications
HARP Refinances
FHA Streamlined Refinances

Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
Monthly

Treasury
Treasury
HUD
Hope Now Alliance
Federal Housing Finance Agency
Federal Housing Administration

As reported. Also see additional note in Section C below on HAMP Tier 2.
As reported. Also see additional note in Section C below on HAMP Tier 2.
All FHA loss mitigation and early delinquency interventions.
All proprietary modifications completed.
As reported. Also see note 7 in Section B below, Notes on Charts.
As reported. Also see note 7 in Section B below, Notes on Charts.

Counseled Borrowers (thousands)

Quarterly

HUD

Housing counseling activity reported by all HUD-approved housing counselors.

Completed Activities Under NSP
(housing units)
New Construction or Residential Rehab

Quarterly

HUD

Quarterly

HUD

Quarterly

HUD

Housing units constructed/rehabilitated using Neighborhood Stabilization Program. Bracketed
numbers include units in process.
Housing units demolished/cleared using Neighborhood Stabilization Program. Bracketed
numbers as above.
Completed downpayment assistance or non-amortizing second mortgages by grantee to make
purchase of NSP unit affordable. Bracketed numbers as above.

Change in Aggregate Home Equity

Quarterly

Federal Reserve Board

Mortgage Rates (30-Yr FRM)

Weekly

Freddie Mac

Primary Mortgage Market Survey, as reported for 30-Year fixed rate mortgages (FRM).

Housing Affordability

Monthly

National Association of Realtors®

NAR’s composite housing affordability index as reported. A value of 100 means that a family
with the median income has exactly enough income to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced
home. An index above 100 signifies that a family earning the median income has more than
enough income to qualify.

Home Prices
Case-Shiller (NSA)

Monthly

Standard and Poor’s

Monthly
Monthly

Federal Housing Finance Agency
CoreLogic

Case-Shiller 20-metro composite index, January 2000 = 100. Standard and Poor’s recommends
use of not seasonally adjusted index when making monthly comparisons. FHFA monthly (purchaseonly) index for US, January 1991 = 100. CoreLogic national combined index, distressed sales
excluded, January 2000 = 100.
(Only available as NSA).

Monthly

HUD and Census Bureau

Existing

Monthly

National Association of Realtors®

First Time Buyers

Monthly

NAR, Census Bureau, and HUD

Distressed Sales (NSA)

Monthly

CoreLogic

Housing Supply
Existing Homes for Sale (NSA)
Existing Homes - Months’ Supply
New Homes for Sale (SA)
New Homes for Sale - Months’ Supply (SA)
Vacant Units Held Off Market

Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
Quarterly

National Association of Realtors
National Association of Realtors
HUD and Census Bureau
HUD and Census Bureau
Census Bureau

As reported.
As reported.
As reported.
As reported.
As reported in Census CPS/HPS Table 4. Estimates of Housing Inventory, line item “Year-round vacant, held off market for reasons other than occasional use or usually reside elsewhere.” Vacant
units can be held off the market for a variety of reasons.

Mortgage Originations
Refinance Originations

Quarterly

Purchase Originations

Quarterly

Mortgage Bankers Association
and HUD
Mortgage Bankers Association
and HUD

HUD estimate of refinance originations based on MBA estimate of dollar volume of refinance
originations.
HUD estimate of home purchase originations based on MBA estimate of dollar volume of home
purchase originations.

Demolition or Clearance
Direct Homeownership Assistance

FHFA (SA)
CoreLogic - Excluding Distressed Sales
(NSA)
Home Sales (SA)
New

Difference in aggregate household owners’ equity in real estate as reported in the Federal Reserve
Board’s Flow of Funds Accounts of the United States for stated time period.

Seasonally adjusted annual rates divided by 12. A newly constructed house is considered sold
when either a sales contract has been signed or a deposit accepted, even if this occurs before
construction has actually started.
Seasonally adjusted annual rates divided by 12. Existing-home sales, which include single-family,
townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings. This differs from the
U.S. Census Bureau’s series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the
acceptance of a deposit.
Sum of seasonally adjusted new and existing home sales (above) multiplied by National
Association of Realtors® annual estimate of first time buyer share of existing home sales.
Short sales and REO (Real Estate Owned) sales as a percent of total existing home sales (current
month subject to revision).

FHA Originations
Refinance Originations
Purchase Originations
Purchases by First Time Buyers

Monthly
Monthly
Monthly

HUD
HUD
HUD

FHA originations reported as of date of loan closing. Estimate for current month scaled upward due
to normal reporting lag and shown as preliminary.

Mortgage Delinquency Rates (NSA)
Prime
Subprime
FHA

Monthly
Monthly
Monthly

LPS Applied Analytics
LPS Applied Analytics
HUD

Total mortgages past due (30+ days) but not in foreclosure, divided by mortgages actively serviced.
Total mortgages past due (30+ days) but not in foreclosure, divided by mortgages actively serviced.
Total FHA mortgages past due (30+ days) but not in foreclosure, divided by FHA’s insurance in force.

Seriously Delinquent Mortgages
Prime
Subprime
FHA

Monthly
Monthly
Monthly

LPS Applied Analytics, MBA, and HUD Mortgages 90+ days delinquent or in foreclosure, scaled up to market.
LPS Applied Analytics, MBA, and HUD Mortgages 90+ days delinquent or in foreclosure, scaled up to market.
Mortgages 90+ days delinquent or in foreclosure.
HUD

Underwater Borrowers

Quarterly

CoreLogic

As reported.

Foreclosure Actions
Foreclosure Starts

Monthly

Realty Trac

Monthly
Monthly
Monthly

Realty Trac
CoreLogic
CoreLogic

Foreclosure starts are reported counts of notice of default or scheduled foreclosure auction,
depending on which action starts the foreclosure process in a state.
Real Estate Owned (REO).
Count of Short Sales for the month as reported (current month subject to revision).
Count of REO (Real Estate Owned) Sales for the month as reported
(current month subject to revision).

Foreclosure Completions
Short sales
REO Sales

October 2015 National Scorecard | Page 6

U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development

U.S. DepartmentEfforts
of Housing
and Urban
Development
| Officeand
of Policy
and Research | October 2015
The Obama Administration’s
To Stabilize
the
Housing Market
HelpDevelopment
American Homeowners

SOURCES AND METHODOLOGY
B. Notes on Charts.
1. Monthly house price trends shown as changes in respective house price indices applied to a common base price set equal to the median price of an existing
home sold in January 2003 as reported by the National Association of Realtors. Indices shown: S&P/Case Shiller 20-metro composite index (NSA), January
2000 = 100, FHFA monthly (purchase-only) index for US (SA), January 1991 = 100, and CoreLogic-Distressed Sales Excluded (Monthly) for US (NSA),
January 2000 =100.
2. S&P/Case-Shiller 10-metro composite index (NSA) as reported monthly. Implied Case-Shiller futures index figures report forward expectations for the level
of the S&P/Case Shiller index as of the date indicated, estimated from prices of futures purchased on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange reported by CME
Group. The January 2009 market trend projection reports forward expectations estimated from prices of futures contracts reported by Radar Logic. Also see
additional note in Section C below.
3. Reported seasonally adjusted annual rates for new and existing home sales divided by 12.
4. HUD estimate of refinance originations based on MBA estimate of dollar volume of refinance originations.
5. Cumulative HAMP permanent modifications started, FHA loss mitigation and early delinquency interventions, plus proprietary modifications completed as
reported by HOPE Now Alliance. Some homeowners may be counted in more than one category. Foreclosure completions are properties entering Real
Estate Owned (REO) as reported by Realty Trac. Also see additional note in Section C below on HAMP Tier 2.
6. Beginning with the September 2012 release, filings of a notice of default or scheduled foreclosure auction, depending on which action starts the foreclosure process
in a state, are reported for foreclosure starts. Foreclosure defaults previously had been reported as a proxy for foreclosure starts. Foreclosure completions are
properties entering REO. Both as reported by Realty Trac.
7. Streamlined refinances are designed to lower the monthly principal and interest payments on a mortgage. The refinances are referred to as “streamlined”
because they involve less paperwork, reducing the time it takes to process the loan. The agency permitting the streamline refinance already bears the credit
risk on the original loan and does not require full underwriting (enabling homeowners whose current loans may be underwater to qualify). For information on
FHA streamline refinances, see: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=4155-1_6_secC.pdf . For information on HARP refinances, see:
http://www.harp.gov/about .
8. FHA market shares as FHA purchase and refinance originations divided by HUD estimates of purchase and refinance mortgage originations as noted in
“Mortgage Originations” above. See additional note below on FHA market share.

C. Additional Notes.
Beginning with the February 2013 release, the House Price Expectations Chart was updated by replacing market expectations as they existed in January
2009 with expectations as of December 2011. Prices of futures purchased for the S&P/Case-Shiller 10-metro composite index, available on the web
from CME Group, were used to estimate expectations for December 2011 and for the current month. Market trend as of January 2009 is estimated from
percentage changes in house price futures based on a different house price index: RadarLogic RPX. This trend has been added back to the chart because it
imparts important information on how house price expectations have changed over time.
Beginning with the January 2013 release, mortgage aid under HAMP Tier 2 is included in the totals. Effective June 2012, HAMP Tier 2 expanded eligibility
requirements to further reduce foreclosures and help stabilize neighborhoods. For non-GSE loans, eligibility was expanded to allow for more flexible debt-toincome criteria and to include properties currently occupied by a tenant, as well as vacant properties which a borrower intends to rent.
FHA market share estimates are based on new methodology beginning with the October 2013 report; estimates were revised back through Q1 2013. See
the FHA Market Share report on their website for an explanation of the new methodology: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/
housing/rmra/oe/rpts/fhamktsh/fhamktqtrly .
The Q1 2015 NSP projection count was revised for direct homeownership assistance.
The estimate for first-time buyers was revised downward from 38 percent to 33 percent beginning with the November 2014 release based on the NAR
Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers 2014.
Beginning with the January 2015 release, savings on permanent modifications are reported based on all permanent modifications instead of active
permanent modifications. This change was made because of a change in reporting by the Treasury Department, which now reports the median monthly
savings on all permanent modifications instead of active permanent modifications.

October 2015 National Scorecard | Page 7

U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development

U.S. DepartmentEfforts
of Housing
and Urban
Development
| Officeand
of Policy
and Research | October 2015
The Obama Administration’s
To Stabilize
the
Housing Market
HelpDevelopment
American Homeowners

Appendix
The Administration has taken a broad set of actions to stabilize the housing market and help
American homeowners. Three years ago, stress in the financial system had severely reduced
the supply of mortgage credit, limiting the ability of Americans to buy homes or refinance
mortgages. Millions of responsible families who had made their monthly payments and had
fulfilled their obligations saw their property values fall. They also found themselves unable to
refinance at lower mortgage rates.
In February 2009, less than one month after taking office, President Obama announced the
Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan. As part of this plan and through other housing
initiatives, the Administration has taken the following actions to strengthen the housing market:
•

Supported Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ensure continued access to affordable
mortgage credit;

•

The Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury purchased more than $1.4 trillion in agency
mortgage backed securities through independent MBS purchase programs, helping to
keep mortgage rates at historic lows;

•

Launched a modification initiative to help homeowners reduce mortgage payments to
affordable levels and to prevent avoidable foreclosures;

•

Launched a $23.5 billion Housing Finance Agencies Initiative to increase sustainable
homeownership and rental resources;

•

Supported the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, which helped more than 2.5 million
American families purchase homes;

•

Provided more than $5 billion in support for affordable rental housing through low
income housing tax credit programs and $6.92 billion in support for the Neighborhood
Stabilization Program to restore neighborhoods hardest hit by the concentrated
foreclosures;

•

Created the $7.6 billion HFA Hardest Hit Fund for innovative foreclosure prevention
programs in the nation’s hardest hit housing markets;

•

Launched the $1 billion Emergency Homeowners Loan Program, as part of the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to help unemployed and
underemployed homeowners pay a portion of their monthly mortgage.

•

Created an FHA Short Refinance Option that helps underwater borrowers refinance into
a new, stable, FHA-insured mortgage that is more aligned with actual property values.

•

Supported home purchase and refinance activity through the FHA to provide access to
affordable mortgage capital and help homeowners prevent foreclosures.

•

Implemented a series of changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) in
an effort to attract more eligible borrowers who can benefit from refinancing their home
mortgages during this time of historically low mortgage rates.
###

October 2015 National Scorecard | Page 8