The year 2020 is on the edge of greatness as third-quarter mortgage originations climbed to $1.14 trillion, just shy of the all-time record set 17 years ago. (Includes two data charts.)
There’s plenty of evidence that housing isn’t as healthy as it appears. The most important data point is probably the increase in the rate of serious mortgage delinquencies, which reached 4.4% in the second quarter, the highest level since 2014.