The Down Payment Resource Q3 2024 Homeownership Program Index Report
Based on our analysis, a substantial share of mortgage loan applications are both declined for reasons that can be addressed with homebuyer assistance and eligible for homebuyer assistance programs.
Findings were derived by analyzing HMDA data for tens of thousands of declined purchase mortgage loan applications representing $3.7 billion in volume furnished by mortgage lenders. Loan applications declined for either insufficient cash-to-close or disqualifying debt-to-income (DTI) ratios were categorized as potentially recoverable with homebuyer assistance. Homebuyer assistance eligibility for this group of applications was determined by running loan application data — including location, home price, loan amount, income and homeownership history — through the DOWN PAYMENT RESOURCE® database.
Matching assistance programs were then applied to each loan to determine how applying homebuyer assistance to eligible declined loan files would have impacted loan-to-value (LTV) ratios.
Key findings are as follows:
“In light of National Homeownership Month and the state of the housing market, it is important for the mortgage industry to reflect on ways it can improve financing outcomes for homebuyers,” said Down Payment Resource CEO Rob Chrane. “Our analysis definitively shows that homebuyer assistance programs are the most promising pathway to homeownership for a sizable share of the homebuyer population. Yet, homebuyer assistance programs are seldom offered as an option. It is my hope that this information will help lenders better serve their communities by showing that qualified homebuyers who need down payment assistance are not a niche market, but a major market that continues to grow.”