Bloomberg, Feb. 25, 2016–Matthews, Steve
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Dennis Lockhart said rising U.S. interest rates could undermine bank profits while their exposure to commercial real-estate also remains a risk.
Category: Top National News
Why a Mortgage Lender is Naming Itself ‘Mr. Cooper’
MarketWatch, Feb. 25, 2016–Riquier, Andrea
Goodbye Nationstar Mortgage. Hello… Mr. Cooper? After a tough year, the lender is looking for a fresh start, and apparently an offbeat, very personalized identity is just the ticket.
How Fannie Plans to Use ‘Trended Data’ to Better Assess Risk
National Mortgage News, Feb. 25, 2015–Collins, Brian
Understanding how consumers pay their debts over time is expected to widen access to credit for consumers recovering from financial problems or who were hard to score before. Just how many it will benefit is an open debate.
U.S. Housing Prices Likely to Rise 5 Percent in 2016: Poll
Reuters, Feb. 24, 2016–Ramesh, Aaradhana
Despite expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, U.S. home prices are likely to rise 5 percent this year, followed by nearly as solid gains in 2017, a Reuters poll found.
Has The Bubble Burst In Commercial Real Estate?
Forbes, Feb. 24, 2016–Howe, Neil
After months of optimism, commercial real estate forecasters have come back down to earth. The tonal shift is warranted: While rents and prices are soaring in urban areas, CRE is stagnating or even declining in terms of new investment and in most non-urban sectors.
Mortgage Lenders Launch Programs to Turn More Renters into Homeowners
Washington Post, Feb. 24, 2016–Harney, Kenneth
Pushed by regulators and consumer groups to expand home-loan opportunities for first-time and moderate-income buyers, major mortgage players have come out with nationwide programs designed to turn renters who are creditworthy but don’t have big down payments or closing-cost cash into homeowners.
Mortgage Applications Down 4.3%; Refinances Take a Breather
CNBC, Feb. 24, 2016–Olick, Diana
It didn’t take much to stem the tide of mortgage refinances. A very slight inch higher in interest rates caused a more than slight drop in application volume.
Fed’s Lacker Says Still Logical to Expect Rate Hikes This Year
Reuters, Feb. 24, 2016–Lange, Jason
Ongoing strength in the U.S. job market could give the Federal Reserve justification for multiple interest rate increases this year, Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker said on Wednesday.
Here’s How Lenders Plan to Outpace Their Competition in 2016
Housing Wire, Feb. 24, 2016–Swanson, Brena
Since lenders face heightened competition and a tougher operating environment in 2016, Fannie Mae surveyed lenders to see how they plan to outpace their competition and thrive in today’s evolving lending market.
Wells Fargo Faces Ongoing Mortgage Probes Despite Recent FHA Settlement
Reuters, Feb. 24, 2016–Freed, Dan
Wells Fargo continues to face federal and state mortgage probes, even after the $1.2 billion settlement it reached in early February to resolve claims of misconduct related to mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration.