Mortgage REITs: The Risks Behind the Rally

Barron’s May 14, 2016–Stone, Amey
Mortgage real estate investment trusts have enjoyed a stunning three-month run for an obscure, underfollowed corner of finance. They are up 22 percent since mid-February, buoyed by stronger credit markets, a Federal Reserve that seems likely to keep rates lower for longer and a nod from bond king Jeffrey Gundlach of DoubleLine Capital at a recent hedge fund conference.

Housing Boom Isn’t Hitting Boston Suburbs

Boston Glone, May 14, 2016–Logan, Tim
The epic surge in housing construction that is reshaping Boston and some of its immediate neighbors is largely bypassing many suburbs and the smaller cities that ring the region.

Boston Fed Chief Warns of Bubble Formation

National Mortgage Professional, May 13, 2016–Hall, Phil
New England’s commercial real estate market is starting to resemble the pre-bubble environment of years passed, said President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Eric Rosengren.

Investors Will Need More Convincing Before They Can Trust the Fed Again

Market Watch, May 13, 2016–Adinolfi, Joseph
Over the past week, several Federal Reserve officials have tried to tell investors they should still expect the central bank to raise interest rates twice this year. But markets clearly aren’t heeding the warning.

Office Developers Hold Off on Speculative Construction for Now

National Real Estate Investor, May 13, 2016-Carr, Robert 
Though demand for office space continues to improve, industry experts say it’s still too early to expect a surge in speculative construction in the sector. Office developers are watching constructions costs rise and sensing some lingering caution from corporate executive teams, leaving them reluctant to build on a speculative basis.

First-Time Homebuyers Expected to Flood Housing Market

USA Today, May 13, 2016–Engle, Jeremy
David Stevens, a former federal housing official who now leads the trade group, the Mortgage Bankers Association, said household formations will increase to about 1.6 million a year between 2015 and 2024, compared with the increase of 1.2 million a year between 2010 and 2014.

Mortgage Interest Loses Tax Value

UExpress, May 13, 2016–Sichelman, Lew
According to 2014 estimates by the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, the mortgage interest deduction accounted for $72.4 billion in savings for taxpayers. About 34.5 million taxpayers claimed the popular write-off.

Retail Sales Gain Is Fueled by Web

Wall Street Journal, May 13, 2016–Morath, Eric; Kapner, Suzanne
Consumers boosted spending in April to the highest levels in more than a year, accelerating their turn toward online shopping and widening the divide between in-store retailers and Internet outlets pitching lower prices and convenience.

Goldman Subsidiary Wins Latest Fannie NPL Sale

National Mortgage News, May 13, 2016–Passy, Jacob
A subsidiary of Goldman Sachs was the winner for all four pools in Fannie Mae’s latest nonperforming loan sale.