National Mortgage News, Mar. 16, 2018–Brad Finkelstein (subscription)Only a small percentage of borrowers are deterred by the higher rates seen this year, even with the additional cost making it tough for first-time buyers to find affordable properties, said Redfin.
Category: Top National News
FTC Sanctions CoreLogic For Failing to Comply with DataQuick Acquisition Agreement
HousingWire, Mar. 16, 2018–Ben LaneCoreLogic did not appropriately provide property data to ATTOM Data Solutions as was required by a 2014 agreement with the Federal Trade Commission relating to CoreLogic’s acquisition of DataQuick Information Systems, the FTC said this week.
Refi Share Wider Despite Record Low Rate-Term
Mortgage Daily, Mar. 16, 2018The Mortgage Daily U.S. Mortgage Market Index for the week ended March 16 drifted lower by 4 percent from the previous seven-day period.
American Housing Shortage Slams the Door on Buyers
Wall Street Journal, Mar. 18, 2018–Laura Kusisto (subscription)America is facing a new housing crisis. A decade after an epic construction binge, fewer homes are being built per household than at almost any time in U.S. history.
Some Cities Get Aggressive in Public-Housing Battle
Wall Street Journal, Mar. 18, 2018–Laura Kusisto (subscription)As New York struggles to save its public housing, other major cities have moved aggressively to transform their public-housing stock.
The Higher the Score, the Lower the Rate
UExpess, Mar. 16, 2018–Lew SichelmanBoosting your credit score before you secure a home loan can pay off big-time–in some cases, to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage.
M.I. Firms Warn About Freddie Pilot
Mortgage Daily, Mar. 16, 2018The nation’s mortgage insurance companies are warning about a new pilot program that enables Freddie Mac to bypass traditional mortgage insurance.
For Sale: A $2 Billion Tower From the ’60s
Bloomberg, Mar. 19, 2018–David M LevittLast year, Chinese conglomerate HNA bought 245 Park Ave., a late 1960s-era building that’s home to JPMorgan Chase & Co., paying one of the highest prices ever for a New York office property. Values have since dropped and HNA faces the challenge of selling a building that’s starting to lose some of its gold-plated tenants and in need of improvements that could cost its new owner more than $1 billion.
U.S. Industrial Output Soars; Housing Starts Fall
Reuters, Mar. 16, 2018–Lucia MutikaniU.S. industrial production surged in February, boosted by strong increases in output at factories and mines, but the economic outlook for the first quarter was dimmed by a larger-than-expected plunge in homebuilding last month.
Fixed Mortgage Rates Reverse Course for the First Time This Year
Washington Post, Mar. 15, 2018–Kathy OrtonMeanwhile, mortgage applications were flat again last week, according to the latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Association.