Debt Stress

Mortgage Origination Volume

Quarterly dollar volume of new mortgage originations

What is the current Mortgage Origination Volume?

QUARTERLY MORTGAGE ORIGINATIONS
$524.4B ↑ Improving
billion in new mortgage lending, 57% below the 2021 high-point pace
One year ago
$465.3B ↑ Improving
up $59.1B since Q4 2024

Mortgage origination volume was $524.4B in Q4 2024, according to the NY Fed Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit. Origination volume reflects both demand for housing and banks' willingness to lend — declines signal tightening credit conditions. Source: NY Fed Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax.

Mortgage origination volume sits at $524.4B a quarter as of Q4 2025 but remains below 50% of the $1.2 trillion 2021 reading.

The housing market has two populations now. The people who got their mortgage before rates rose, and the people who want one.

Origination volume is the size of the second group. In Q4 2025, NY Fed data show $524.4B billion in new mortgages originated. That's up from the $323.5 billion low in early 2023, but well below the $1.2 trillion mid-2021 reading, when sub-3% rates pulled forward years of future refinancing and purchase activity into a single 18-month window.

The composition is what ages. Every quarter that origination volume runs depressed, the national mortgage book gets older, more rate-locked, and less transactional. Sellers stay in 3% homes because they can't afford 7% debt on the next one. Buyers delay. The borrowers moving in are overwhelmingly FHA and first-time, which is why First Missed has started ticking up even while overall Mortgage Delinquency stays near pre-pandemic levels.

Low origination volume also blinds parts of the data. Delinquency rates are computed against the existing book. A book full of vintage 2020-2021 paper at 3% is structurally safer than a book full of 2024-2025 paper at 7%. The calm in 90-day mortgage delinquency is partly the calm of a book that mostly predates this rate environment.

Source: NY Fed Household Debt and Credit Report · Latest: 2025-Q4

Explore Further

Is this happening to you?

Have high rates made buying or refinancing feel impossible?

How has Mortgage Origination Volume changed over time?

CSV Chart Card
Mortgage origination volume remains well below the 2021 pace
New mortgage originations, billions of dollars, NY Fed quarterly
Mortgage Origination Volume
Historical data
Quarterly · NY Fed Household Debt and Credit Report
Period Value YoY Change
Q4 2025 $524.4B +$59.1B
Q3 2025 $512.2B +$63.8B
Q2 2025 $458.3B +$84.2B
Q1 2025 $425.6B +$23.0B
Q4 2024 $465.3B +$71.6B
Q3 2024 $448.3B +$61.9B
Q2 2024 $374.1B −$19.3B
Q1 2024 $402.7B +$79.1B
Q4 2023 $393.8B −$103.8B
Q3 2023 $386.4B −$246.1B
Q2 2023 $393.4B −$364.8B
Q1 2023 $323.5B −$535.4B

Frequently Asked Questions

What is current mortgage origination volume?

U.S. mortgage originations totaled $524.4B in Q4 2024. This includes new purchases, refinances, and home equity originations.

Why does mortgage origination volume matter?

Falling origination volume signals tightening credit conditions and reduced housing demand. The American Distress Index tracks it as a financial conditions indicator.

Where does this data come from?

This data comes from the NY Fed Consumer Credit Panel, published quarterly as part of the Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit.

Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Twice named to Puget Sound Business Journal Fast 50 for Ark Law Group. B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1992. Founded American Default Research in 2026 to fill a gap in public data that had been empty since 2013.

Read more
from Ross →

Quick poll

Is this affecting you or your household?

Anonymous · one vote per indicator

Create a free account to save indicators to your watchlist and get weekly updates.

Create Free Account →

Discussion

Loading comments…

Free Resource
Know Your Rights
Foreclosure timelines, bankruptcy protections, and debt collector rules — state-by-state legal guides written in plain English.
Browse state guides →
Free · 2 minutes
Get Your Free Action Plan
Answer three questions about your situation. We'll email you a personalized plan with your state deadlines, your rights, and next steps — plus a direct line to someone who can help.

Why does Mortgage Origination Volume matter?

Mortgage Origination Volume is one of 88 live indicators tracked by American Default Research. The methodology page explains sources, update cadence, and how the index uses its published inputs.
View methodology →
🛟
If this affects you, we can help. Get a free action plan · Call (307) 264-2992 Related guides: Debt collector rights · Bankruptcy guide · Find a counselor · Glossary Prefer a nonprofit? HUD-approved housing counselors offer free foreclosure-prevention counseling (1-800-569-4287).