Bloomberg, Mar. 15, 2016–Mulholland, Sarah
Lenders are getting stingier when it comes to funding risky U.S. real estate developments, putting pressure on landlords in need of fresh funding to keep their projects afloat.
Category: Top National News
Green Wordplay: What’s in a Name?
UExpress, Mar. 11, 2016–Sichelman, Lew
Would-be buyers of “green” homes may not be speaking the same language as the builders who are putting them up.
Mortgage Credit Still Too Tight–Cordray
Mortgage Professional America, Mar. 11, 2016–Smith, Ryan
Mortgage credit is still too tight, according to the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau–but don’t blame regulations.
A Smaller Down Payment, and No Mortgage Insurance Required
New York Times, Mar. 11, 2016–Bernard, Tara Siegel
While most lenders require mortgage insurance on loans with smaller down payments to compensate for their extra risk, there are several options that do not. A few new programs have become available post-recession, while some older strategies have been resurrected, including the piggyback loan.
U.S. Import Prices Fell 0.3% in February
Wall Street Journal, Mar. 11, 2016–Leubsdorf, Ben
Import prices decreased 0.3% in February from the prior month after falling a revised 1% in January, the Labor Department said Friday. It was their eighth consecutive monthly decline; economists surveyed by the Wall Sreet Journal said.
Builders Stepping Up Single-Family Construction in 2016
National Mortgage News, Mar. 11, 2016–Collins, Brian
Single-family housing construction is set to top multifamily start for first time since the financial crisis.
Calmer Markets, Positive Data Prime Fed to Push Forward with Rate Rises
Reuters, Mar. 11, 2016–Dunsmuir, Lindsay
A recent string of positive economic news has dragged markets back closer to the Fed’s overall outlook, allaying recession fears and suggesting the Fed will have more credibility at its meeting next week when it says further rate hikes this year remain firmly on the table.
Fed Sits Tight on Rates But Hints at Hikes to Come
Reuters, Mar. 14, 2016
The Federal Reserve won’t raise interest rates this week, but will likely make clear that as long as U.S. inflation and jobs continue to strengthen, economic weakness overseas won’t stop rates from rising fairly soon.
U.S. Bonds Bounce Back as Attention Shifts to Fed
CNBC, Mar. 14, 2016–Barnato, Katy
U.S. sovereign bonds rallied on Monday ahead of a U.S. Federal Reserve monetary policy decision on Wednesday. Benchmark 10-year Treasury notes rose to yield 1.966 percent, having finished trading at 1.977 percent on Friday.
Real Estate’s Ticking Bomb: Who Gets Hurt
CNBC, Mar. 10, 2016–Olick, Diana
Good fundamentals are driving commercial real estate rents higher. But there is a catch that could cool the market quickly, at least when it comes to financing: investors are insisting on high yield, and the bonds backing commercial mortgages are not giving them that, so they are moving on to other products and leaving a big crack in commercial financing.