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McLean, VA -- The number of home loan refinancing transactions declined in the first quarter of this year, but that didn't stop a lot of homeowners from continuing to tap into their equity.
Cash-out transactions, in which a homeowner refinances a loan with a new loan that exceeds the old loan amount by at least 5%, accounted for 64% of Freddie Mac loans that were refinanced in the first quarter, the secondary market agency said.
"The first quarter had record home sales and single-family housing starts and a lot of refinancing activity," said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. "The share of borrowers who decided to cash out some home equity as part of their refinance increased, too, which helped prop up consumer spending on home ...