HousingWire, Mar. 19, 2020–Kathleen HowleyThe Federal Reserve has purchased $32.7 billion in mortgage-backed securities so far this week from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae, and is slated to …
Category: Top National News
Fed Ramps Up Bond Buying, Indicating Much Larger Purchases Are Likely
Wall Street Journal, Mar. 19, 2020–Nick Timiraos (subscription)The Federal Reserve is likely to significantly boost its government-bond purchases beyond the $500 billion minimum it committed Sunday to buy amid market …
New York Will Waive Mortgage Payments For 90 Days Based On Financial Hardship
NPR, Mar. 19, 2020–Merrit KennedyNew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state will waive mortgage payments for the next 90 days, based on financial hardship, due to the impacts of …
Mortgage Rates Move Sharply Higher in Bond Market Sell-Off
Washington Post, Mar. 19, 2020–Kathy OrtonThe housing market, which is being curtailed by fewer buyers out looking at houses, took another blow this week as mortgage rates soared. (MBA mention)https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/19/mortgage-rates-move-sharply-higher-bond-market-sell-off/
Preserving Affordable Housing
Washington Post, March 19, 2020–Haisten WillisWhile efforts to create new affordable housing generate debate and policy proposals nationwide, a less discussed issue is how to preserve and improve Naturally Occurring …
Hit by Coronavirus Slowdown, Hotels Try Catering to the Quarantined
Wall Street Journal, March 19, 2020–Newley Purnell and Frances Yoon (subscription)With the coronavirus pandemic pummeling global travel, some hotels are employing a new tactic to boost bookings: targeting guests who …
Claims for Unemployment Benefits Spike as Coronavirus Forces Thousands of Layoffs
The Hill, Mar. 19, 2020–Sylvan LaneWeekly claims for unemployment insurance rose to 281,000 between March 8 and 14, spiking 70,000 from the 211,000 applications for jobless benefits filed between March …
Calabria Delays GSE Capital Rules, Citing COVID-19 Crisis
HousingWire, Mar. 18, 2020–Kathleen HowleyFederal Housing Finance Agency Director Mark Calabria said on Wednesday the COVID-19 pandemic will cause him to postpone the release of the capital proposal for Fannie …
Redfin Halts Homebuying as Coronavirus Spreads
HousingWire, Mar. 18, 2020–Ben LaneIn a statement, Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman said that the decision was made in response to the ambiguous nature of the housing business right now.https://www.housingwire.com/articles/redfin-halts-homebuying-as-coronavirus-spreads/
Weekly Mortgage Applications Activity Drop Over 8% as Interest Rates Jump Briefly
CNBC, Mar. 18, 2020–Diana OlickA sudden spike in mortgage rates caused an abrupt end to the recent refinance boom, pushing total mortgage application volume down 8.4% last week from the …