From Dina ElBoghdady and Renae Merle at the Washington Post: Refinancing unavailable for many borrowers.
The refinancing wave that swept the nation when mortgage rates hit historic lows last year is petering out, leaving behind millions of homeowners who could not qualify for the best rates.
Half of the nation’s borrowers have mortgages with rates above 6 percent even though the average rate on 30-year, fixed rate mortgages has been about 5 percent for most of the past year, according to research firm First American CoreLogic.
Many of these homeowners have been unable to refinance because they have little or no equity in their homes (many have negative equity), some have lost their jobs and can’t qualify, and others have been rejected because lenders have tightened standards.
