12 Cities Where FHA Loan Denial Rates are Highest for Minorities

National Mortgage News, Apr. 23, 2018–Brad Finkelstein (subscription)In 2016 the FHA denial rate among all minority groups was 14.4%. At the same time, the difference in denial rates between whites and minorities for conventional mortgages also grew over the same period.

Wells Fargo to Pay $1 Billion in Fines Over Auto, Mortgage Lending Abuses

Los Angeles Times, Apr. 20, 2018–James Rufus KorenThe penalty, announced by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is the largest levied against a financial firm since President Trump took office and one of the largest against any U.S. bank not related to the financial crisis.

GE Takes Hit From Old Mortgage Unit but Says Turnaround on Track

Wall Street Journal, Apr. 20, 2018–Thomas Gryta (subscription)General Electric Co. reported a quarterly loss on a $1.5 billion charge related to a subprime mortgage business it once owned, but executives said they were making progress on their efforts to turn around its industrial businesses.

Climate Fears Reshape Miami’s Home Prices

Wall Street Journal, Apr. 20, 2018–Laura Kusisto, Arian Campo-Flores (subscription)MIAMI-Concerns over rising sea levels and floods are beginning to reshape one of the country’s largest housing markets, with properties closer to sea level now trading at discounts to those at higher elevations.

Pricey U.S. Home Sales Soar as Buyers Ignore New Tax Code

Reuters, Apr. 20, 2018–Herbert LashA housing shortage, strong economy and robust demand have pushed many homes in major U.S. cities over $1 million, offsetting buyers’ concerns about the reduced benefits of owning a pricey property under President Donald Trump’s tax reform, data show.

Mortgage Refi Activity Jumps

Mortgage Daily, Apr. 20, 2018During the week of April 20, the U.S. Mortgage Market Index from Mortgage Daily was virtually unchanged from the preceding seven-day period. However, the index, an indicator of upcoming residential loan originations based on average per-user rate locks by customers of OpenClose, has descended 12 percent compared to the same week last year.

How These Hurricane-Ravaged States Avoided a Housing Disaster–So Far

CNN, Apr. 22, 2018″It’s a different world now,” says Sara Singhas, associate regulatory counsel at the Mortgage Bankers Association, referring to the recent departure from rock-bottom interest rates. “Especially for people who are performing on their loans, we wanted to make sure we don’t put them into a worse financial position than they were prior to the disaster.”

RealPage Continues Growing, Set to Acquire ClickPay for $218 Million

HousingWire, Apr. 20, 2018–Ben LaneThe company announced Friday that it is acquiring ClickPay, an electronic payment platform servicing 2.3 million units across the multifamily, HOA, condominium and co-op segments of real estate, in a $218 million deal.