Getting a mortgage can feel like trying to get through an increasingly narrow doorway, and the experience can vary depending on where a buyer lives. New Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data shows that mortgage origination activity has changed differently from state to state, with some areas seeing declines in the volume of new mortgages compared with the previous year.
That does not mean every lender in those states suddenly tightened the rules or started rejecting perfectly good borrowers. It does mean the mortgage market has become more selective and uneven, and buyers may face a tougher path when fewer loans move from applications to actual closings. Knowing what is happening can help buyers avoid treating a mortgage application like a one-shot lottery ticket.
