The number of home loans paid off in Colorado was down 28.2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2012 to the fourth quarter of 2013, but comparing the full year of 2013 to 2012, the total was up 13.0 percent. According to a report released Wednesday by the Colorado Division of Housing, public trustees in Colorado released a total of 62,312 deeds of trust during the fourth quarter of 2013, compared to 86,816 released during the fourth quarter of 2012.
Typically,
a release of a deed of trust occurs when a real estate
loan is paid off whether through refinance, sale of property, or because
the
owner has made the final payment on the loan. Increases in release
activity
occur as refinance and home-sale activity increases, and rising release
totals generally indicate increases in the demand for home loans and
real estate.
For the full year of 2013, releases of deeds rose to 344,942, and
were at the highest level recorded since 2005 when releases totaled 400,565.
“The
fourth quarter of 2013 saw some big drops in release activity in
response to interest rates heading up during the second half of the
year," said Ryan McMaken, an economist with the Colorado Division of
Housing. "There was so much refi and sales activity during the first
half of the year though, that 2013 ended up being a bigger year than
2012 overall."
Trends
in release activity were not uniform across the state,
although 20 of the 21 counties surveyed for the study reported decreases
in
release activity from the fourth quarter of 2012 to the same period of
2013. The largest decreases were reported in Boulder and Mesa counties
where release activity decreased 48.1 percent and 49.1 percent,
respectively. The only increase for the period was in Alamosa County
where releases rose 20.9 percent, and the smallest decrease was found in
Jefferson County
where releases fell 7.0 percent.
Adjusted
for the number of existing housing units in each county,
the counties with the highest rates of release activity were Summit,
Douglas, and Jefferson counties. The counties with the least activity
were Fremont, Pueblo and Delta counties.
“We
see a similar pattern here to what we see with many other housing
indicators," McMaken said. "Metro Denver and northern Colorado's high
release activity reflect a relatively high demand for real estate while
other areas, such as Pueblo and Grand Junction, are showing less
activity."
Totals for releases of deeds of trust are collected quarterly by
the Colorado Division of Housing. This report tracks releases of deeds of trust
as reported by public trustees in Colorado.
The report includes twenty-one counties which are chosen based on population
size and to ensure that as many regions of the state as possible are
represented. More than 90 percent of all occupied households in Colorado are within the
twenty-one counties chosen.
A deed of trust is similar to a mortgage and is a lien on real
property to secure payment of an indebtedness. The deed of trust contains a
grant of the property to the public trustee for the benefit of the holder. The
deed of trust is released when the debt is paid in full.
A
deed of trust is similar to a mortgage and is a lien on real property to secure payment of an indebtedness.
The deed of trust contains a grant of the property to the public trustee for
the benefit of the holder. The deed of trust is released when the debt is paid
in full.
