Mortgage Daily, Sept. 15, 2017Freddie Mac is now allowing unlicensed and trainee appraisers to perform and sign an appraisal report in accordance with state law. They can also perform a completion report as long as a supervisory appraiser signs it.
Category: Top National News
MBA Calls for Change to HUD Disaster Policy
National Mortgage News, Sept. 15, 2017–Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)At the heart of the MBA’s concern is the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s interpretation of policy that determines when lenders can re-inspect homes.
How Blockchain Technology is Changing Real Estate
Investopedia, Sept. 17, 2017–Joe LiebkindReal estate transactions are often conducted offline involving face-to-face engagements with various entities. Blockchain, however, opened up ways to change this.
Housing Effort Poses Test for FEMA After Harvey
Wall Street Journal, Sept. 17, 2017–Dan Frosch, Laura Kusisto (subscription)The effort to find both temporary and long-term housing for the tens of thousands of people displaced by Harvey is already one of the largest missions the Federal Emergency Management Agency has undertaken.
Homes Built to Stricter Standards Fared Better in Storm
Wall Street Journal, Sept. 16, 2017–Laura Kusisto, Arian Campo-Flores (subscription)As homeowners in Florida begin to take stock of the damage from Irma, one pattern is beginning to emerge: homes that were built to the stricter building codes seem to have fared better.
U.S. Retail Sales Fall After Weaker Results in Prior Months
Bloomberg, Sept. 15, 2017–Sho ChandraAn unexpected decline in August retail sales and downward revisions to the prior two months mainly reflected weaker results at auto dealerships, Commerce Department figures showed Friday.
Fixed Mortgage Rates Halt Their Downward March
Washington Post, Sept. 14, 2017–Kathy OrtonAccording to the latest data released Thursday by Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate average held steady at 3.78 percent with an average 0.5 point, same as it was last week. It was 3.5 percent a year ago.
Federal Trade Commission Investigating Equifax Data Breach
Wall Street Journal, Sept. 14, 2017–AnnaMaria Andriotis (subscription)The Federal Trade Commission Thursday said it is investigating the Equifax data breach, adding to the mounting investigations into the credit-reporting company since the attack was disclosed last week.
San Francisco Edges Out Washington to Become the Highest-Income Big U.S. Metro Area
Wall Street Journal, Sept. 14, 2017–Ben Leubsdorf, Paul Overberg (subscription)The technology hub of San Francisco surpassed the nation’s capital last year as the highest-earning large U.S. metropolitan area. Median household income in the San Francisco metro area in 2016 was $96,667, just ahead of the $95,843 figure for the Washington region, the Census Bureau announced Thursday.
As Uncertainty Swirls, CFPB Keeps on Regulating
National Mortgage News, Sept. 14, 2017–Kate Berry (subscription)The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau may face an unsteady political environment and the potential of a leadership shakeup, but a new CFPB report on the agency’s supervisory priorities has experts warning banks not to rest on their laurels.