Trend Data

Glossary

Click on the terms below for a short definition.

High-Cost Loans

High-cost loans are calculated using Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data. Loans are classified as high-cost if they have a reported annual percentage rate (APR), and the rate reported exceeds Treasury security yields by 3 or more percentage points on a first-lien loan or 5 or more percentage points on a second-lien loan. Any loan without a reported rate spread is classified as a prime loan.

Home Mortgage Disclosure Act

The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) requires most mortgage lenders to collect data about their housing-related lending activity, report the data annually to the government, and make the data publicly available. Data on total number of originations, number of purchase originations, number of refinance originations, and median loan amount are taken from annual HMDA data. HMDA graphs are not available here for the Camden MD, Philadelphia MD, or Wilmington MD.

House Price Index

House price index data (HPI) are published quarterly by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). For metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and metropolitan divisions (MDs) that lie in part or entirely in the Third District, the HPI measures average price changes relative to prices in the first quarter of 1995. For states located in the Third District, the HPI measures average price changes relative to prices in the first quarter of 1980. House price index graphs are not available here for the New York/Northern New Jersey MSA. For more information, please refer to the FHFA's website.

Housing Permits

Housing permits data are published monthly by the Census Bureau. These data are then seasonally adjusted by the Research Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. The data are presented for the state and metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) that lie in part or entirely in the Third District. Housing permits graphs are not available here for the Camden MD, Philadelphia MD, Wilmington MD, New York/Northern New Jersey MSA, or Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington MSA. For more information on housing permits data, please refer to the Census Bureau's website.

Unemployment Rate

Unemployment rate statistics are published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These data are then seasonally adjusted by the Research Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. The data are presented for the states, metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), and metropolitan divisions (MDs) that lie in part or entirely in the Third District. Unemployment graphs are not available here for the New York/Northern New Jersey MSA. For more information on unemployment data, please refer to the BLS's website.