Category: Top National News

Wall Street Journal, Mar. 24, 2016–Mackintosh, James
Central banks may be worrying about the lack of inflation, but some investors are fretting that the U.S. is heading for the wrong type of inflation: stagflation-lite.

American Banker, Mar. 22, 2016–Aukamp, William
The author, a lawyer with Werb & Sullivan, says the mortgage regulatory burden providing a disincentive for banks to offer residential mortgage loans and for attorneys from wanting to represent lenders and borrowers in these transactions.

National Mortgage News, Mar. 22, 2016–King, Aaron
While companies continue to make three big blunders in hiring and managing third-party vendors, there are reliable ways to avoid these mistakes altogether using existing technology.

Denver Business Journal, Mar. 22, 2016
Pennsylvania-based MetaSource LLC announced Monday that it has acquired Denver-based mortgage services company Titan Lenders Corp.

Wall Street Journal, Mar. 22, 2016–Jamerson, Joshua
Macy’s Inc. said Tuesday that it has tapped William Lenehan, an expert in real-estate investment trusts, to become a board member as the company continues to face pressure to spin off its real estate despite ruling out the move last year.

Bloomberg, Mar. 22, 2016–Randow, Jane
As the Federal Reserve downshifts into go-slow mode while the European Central Bank and other monetary authorities ease, expect to hear a lot of concern about property prices. Here’s the dilemma: How do you cut rates to goose too-low inflation and support growth without lighting a fuse under real estate?

Housingwire, Mar. 22, 2016
In a speech given Monday at a public policy luncheon hosted by the Women in Housing and Finance, Mel Watt, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, said that the issue of principal reduction has been the “most challenging” that the FHFA has faced in his two years there.

HousingWire, Mar, 22, 2016–Barraza, Cynthia
U.S. housing prices in January gained 0.5% on a seasonally adjusted basis from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

National Mortgage Professional, Mar. 22, 2016–Hall, Phil
With the Home Affordable Refinance Program set to expire at the end of the year, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Mel Watt is seeking to lay the foundation of a market that will not leave at-risk homeowners in difficult financial situations.

Wall Street Journal, Mar. 22, 2016–Rubin, Richard
The Internal Revenue Service is launching its first “crowdsourcing challenge” to “design the taxpayer experience of the future.” The contest, which comes with a $10,000 grand prize, begins April 17 at an event in Washington, D.C., with judging scheduled for May and June. The prize money comes from the Mortgage Bankers Association, which wants a faster system for potential borrowers to get past tax returns to lenders, said David Stevens, the association’s president and chief executive officer.