MarketWatch, Nov. 23, 2015–Goldstein, Steve
The percentage of homeowners who owe more than their home is worth stands at 8.7 percent, down from 21 percent at the end of 2011. But the percentage of homeowners who believe they are underwater is 27 percent.
USAToday, Nov. 23, 2015–Boak, Josh
Fewer Americans bought homes in October, a sign that rising home values may be pushing more would-be buyers to the real estate market’s sidelines.
Dayton (Ohio) Business Journal, Nov. 23, 2015
Average fixed mortgage rates in the U.S. remained largely unchanged this past week, ending two straight weeks of increases, Freddie Mac reported.
CNBC, Nov. 23, 2015
There is a strong case for raising interest rates when Federal Reserve policymakers meet next month as long as U.S. economic data does not disappoint, San Francisco Fed President John Williams said Saturday.
National Mortgage News, Nov. 23, 2015–Passy, Jacob
FHA celebrated that its insurance fund had a capital ratio of nearly 2.1% in the recently concluded fiscal year; it was the first time the ratio had surpassed the congressionally mandated 2% level since 2008. MBA President and CEO David Stevens, CMB, said policymakers should look into the role of reverse mortgages in the fund’s value swing.
MortgageOrb, Nov. 23, 2015
The First Bancshares Inc., the holding company for The First, A National Banking Association, is acquiring The Mortgage Connection, a loan originator serving the Jackson, Miss., area, for an undisclosed sum.
HousingWire, Nov. 23, 2015–Lane, Ben
Google is launching its own mortgage comparison tool via its Compare service.
San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 23, 2015–Pender, Kathleen
A one-time increase that small would have a negligible impact on mortgage rates and housing prices. Long-term rates don’t always respond to changes in short-term ones, although they tend to move in the same direction. The Mortgage Bankers Association expects rates to rise by 0.8 percentage point and home price appreciation to slow to 4 percent next year from 5.1 percent this year.
Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nov. 23, 2015–Robison, Jennifer
State mortgage regulators accused Prospect Mortgage of charging “improperly disclosed and unsupported fees” through its affiliate, C2C Appraisal Services.
National Mortgage News, Nov. 23, 2015–Ornstein, Stephen
In spite of impediments created by Dodd-Frank, and the unusually low interest rates that have characterized the residential loans markets in the past several years, credit demand, especially among nonprime borrowers, will swing the pendulum in favor of a more robust lending environment and will likely entail amendments to the existing Dodd-Frank regime.
