American Banker, Nov. 1, 2018–Rachel Witkowski (subscription)Among the key objectives with the CRA reform effort is redefining geographic areas in which banks are evaluated. Those areas are traditionally based on physical branch networks, but the rapid shift to digital banking has prompted a rethink.
Category: Top National News
Mortgage Insurer 3Q Earnings Soar Even as Originations Declined
National Mortgage News, Oct. 31, 2018–Brad Finkelstein (subscription)During the third quarter, there was an estimated $457 billion of originations, with $346 billion coming from purchases, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Earnings at four of the private mortgage insurers increased significantly over last year’s third quarter even as total mortgage origination volume shrunk during the same time frame.
Stock Market Swings May Have Hit Mortgage Applications, Down 2.5%
CNBC, Oct. 31, 2018–Diana Olick”Purchase applications may have been adversely impacted by the recent uptick in rates and the significant stock market volatility we have seen the past couple of weeks,” says Joel Kan, an MBA economist.
Fed Proposes Looser Rules for Large U.S. Banks
Wall Street Journal, Oct. 31, 2018–Ryan Tracy (subscription)The Federal Reserve announced one of the most significant rollbacks of bank rules since President Trump took office with a proposal for looser capital and liquidity requirements for large U.S. lenders.
Mortgage Borrower Credit Scores Take Nearly a Year to Recover
National Mortgage News, Oct. 31, 2018–Elina Tarkazikis (subscription)Mortgage borrower credit scores hit their low points more than five months after making a home purchase, but lender reporting cycles also cause these results to vary, according to a LendingTree study.
Freddie Mac CEO: I’ve Done What I Came Here to Do
HousingWire, Oct. 31, 2018–Kelsey RamirezFreddie Mac CEO Donald Layton [pictured below] said he accomplished his two main goals during his tenure leading the company. Layton announced in early September his plans to retire, saying he would step down as CEO in the second half of 2019.
Why Do We Have a 30-Year Mortgage, Anyway?
Marketplace, Oct. 31, 2018–Amy ScottOf course, you can still get 5-, 15-, and 20-year mortgages, if you can afford the higher monthly payments. And plenty of people still choose adjustable rates. But according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the 30-year fixed is so ingrained in the home-buying system, it made up 88 percent of applications last month.
AIG’s Loss Narrows, But Catastrophe Claims Still Sting
Wall Street Journal, Aug. 31, 2018–Leslie Scism (subscription)Insurance giant American International Group Inc. posted a $1.26 billion third-quarter net loss, weighed down by policyholders’ claims from Asian typhoons, California mudslides and Hurricane Florence in the U.S. Southeast.
How Freddie Mac’s Preparing for Day it Might Enter Private Sector
National Mortgage News, Oct. 31, 2018–Bonnie Sinnock (subcription)Should policymakers ever resolve their impasse over housing finance reform, Freddie Mac’s third-quarter earnings report points to the mortgage giant being in better position to exit its federal conservatorship and attract private capital.
Mortgage Rates Are Pushing U.S. Homes Out of Reach
Bloomberg, Oct. 30, 2018–Justina VasquezThis is how housing markets turn. Slowly. Six years of home-price gains outpacing wage growth; bidding wars replaced by sales at the asking price; days or weeks on the market turning into months; rising mortgage rates.