Category: Top National News

HousingWire, Sept. 8, 2017″After nine years of this untenable status quo, GSE reform is of the utmost priority,” David Stevens, CMB, said in a blog post. “Congress has an obligation now to act to stabilize the housing finance system for the future and make it more resilient in economic downturns.”

HousingWire, Sept. 8, 2017–Brena SwansonPresident Donald Trump signed a three-month extension to the National Flood Insurance Program on Friday, giving Congress more time to come up with a long-term financial solution for the program.

National Real Estate Investor, Sept. 8, 2017–Mary DiduchS&P Global Market Intelligence examined compensation information for public real estate investment trust chief executive officers in the U.S. from 2014 to 2016.

Wall Street Journal, Sept. 7, 2017–Laura Kusisto, Douglas Belkin (subscription)A severe shortage of construction workers is expected to cause widespread delays and push labor costs sharply higher as Texas begins to rebuild from Hurricane Harvey. The labor squeeze could get worse still if Hurricane Irma slams the Southeastern U.S. this weekend as expected.

HousingWire, Sept. 5, 2017–Ben LaneLast week, Mortgage Bankers Association President and CEO David Stevens sent a letter to Senate leadership, calling for approval of Pam Patenaude as deputy secretary of HUD. As it turns out, Stevens’ call to confirm Patenaude has more than a little support from within the housing industry.

HousingWire, Sept. 5, 2017–Brena SwansonAs the expiration date of the National Flood Insurance Program draws nearer, the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan analysis for the U.S. Congress, calculated that the program has an expected one-year shortfall of $1.4 billion.

National Mortgage News, Sept. 5, 2017 (subscription)The long-term recovery for thousands of Texans whose homes were decimated by Hurricane Harvey rests with a Trump administration government outsider who wants his agency’s budget cut by billions of dollars.

Wall Street Journal, Sept. 5, 2017–Peter Grant (subscription)Banks and other underwriters of commercial mortgage-backed securities are on track to issue more notes in September than any other month this year.

Wall Street Journal, Sept. 5, 2017–Esther Fung (subscription)Malls need to shift emphasis away from department stores and toward retailers that are less susceptible to competition from e-commerce, according to a report from real estate services firm CBRE Research.

National Real Estate Investor, Sept. 5, 2017–Bendix AndersonMultifamily real estate investment trusts keep building new apartments and the analysts who track the companies are getting worried.