#homebuyer-power

#homebuyer-power

Many people successfully purchase homes while still carrying student debt. What matters most isn't whether you have debt, it's how well you manage it.

JPMorgan Chase's origination volume hit $13.7 billion in the first quarter, down 14% from the prior quarter and up 46% from the same period last year. Retail channels drove most of the production, accounting for 63.5% of the total. The bank's home lending revenues reached $1.23 billion in the first quarter, up 2% year over year.

Cash-out refinance volume rose 9% from February and 21% from March 2025, while rate-and-term refinance volume fell 34% month over month but remained more than 66% higher than a year ago.

Steve Murray, co-founder of RealTrends Consulting, stated that anyone claiming privately owned independent brokerages cannot compete is misinformed. The data indicates otherwise, showing their resilience and success.

Ginsburg stated that treating builder business as a core pillar rather than a side channel reflects a broader industry shift. He believes a healthy balance of builders should be around 15% to 20% of the overall retail book of business.

Realtor Todd Luong of REMAX DFW Associates in Frisco said his recent experience reflects meaningful improvement for buyers, even if affordability remains strained. Here in the Dallas real estate market that I serve, affordability remains a challenge, he says. However, there is a significant amount of data showing that buyer conditions have improved over the past year and that buyers are gaining affordability ground. This should eventually increase housing demand to some degree as we head into the busy spring buying season.