National Mortgage Professional, Apr. 19, 2016–Hall, Phil
Commercial real estate lending is being viewed by banks as a major target of business activity, a new survey said.
Category: Top National News
GE Capital Mere Days from ‘Exiting’ U.S. Banking System
HousingWire, Apr. 18, 2016–Lane, Ben
GE Capital, once a big player in housing finance, is now just a handful of days away from exiting the U.S. banking system after the company completed the sale of its online deposit platform to Goldman Sachs.
Investors Hit the Pause Button on Acquisition Activity
National Real Estate Investor, Apr. 20, 2016–Mattson-Teig, Beth
A recent dip in investment sales transactions has sparked questions on whether the decline is a temporary hiccup or a sign of a bigger slowdown ahead.
Apartment Boom Pushes Commercial Real Estate
CTPost (Conn.), Apr. 20, 2016–Soule, Alexander
With interest rates still low, commercial banks in Connecticut maintained the pace of their commercial real estate lending heading into 2016, with a booming apartment market spilling over into retail developments and other deals.
One Firm Getting What It Wants in Washington: BlackRock
Wall Street Journal, Apr. 20, 2016–Tracy, Ryan; Krause, Sarah
In 2014, BlackRock Inc. executives obtained a copy of a confidential Federal Reserve PowerPoint presentation that argued part of the giant money manager could pose the same financial-system risk as big banks.
Unsealed Government Documents May Reveal Truth About Fannie, Freddie Profits
HousingWire, Apr. 12, 2016–Lane, Ben
According to an article published Tuesday by the New York Times, a series of now-unsealed depositions given in the shareholders’ lawsuits show that not only were Fannie and Freddie on track to be profitable for at least 10 years, the government allegedly knew that fact, and more, before choosing to sweep away the GSEs’ profits.
How Secretive Shell Companies Shape the U.S. Real Estate Market
Washington Post, Apr. 12, 2016–Swanson, Ana
Foreign-owned shell companies play a big role in the U.S. economy through the real estate market. When purchased through a shell company, an offshore company or a trust, U.S. real estate offers wealthy foreigners a stable and secretive investment.
Study: Foreclosed Homeowners Shun Mortgages for Renting
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Apr. 12, 2016–Grant, Tim
Losing a home to foreclosure has left such a bad taste with some former homeowners that they have lost much of their will and desire to go through the underwriting process to get approved for a new home loan – even though years may have gone by since the foreclosure episode.
Lawmakers to Revisit Debate Over Visa Program
Wall Street Journal, Apr. 12, 2016–Brown, Eliot
Lawmakers in Congress are gearing up for a new round of fighting over who should benefit from a federal program that offers green cards to certain foreign investors.
Two Fed Officials Urge Caution on Timing of Next Rate Hike
Bloomberg, Apr. 12, 2016–Randow, Jana
Two more Federal Reserve officials argued for caution over the timing of the next interest-rate increase as slower U.S. growth, a stronger dollar and weakness abroad hinder the central bank’s effort to drive inflation higher.