MBA Advocacy Update

On Tuesday, HUD Secretary Ben Carson and FHFA Director Mark Calabria testified before the Senate Banking Committee about how their agencies are assisting homeowners and renters during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, MBA along with several industry trade and housing advocacy organizations sent a letter to HUD on FHA’s new early payment forbearance policy.

MBA Chart of the Week: IMB Production Revenues & Costs

MBA last week released its Quarterly Performance Report for the first quarter. The total sample of 336 independent mortgage banks and mortgage subsidiaries of chartered banks earned an average pre-tax production profit of 61 basis points (or $1,600) on each loan they originated – a solid showing particularly for a first quarter.

MBA’s Kelli Burke Named #NEXTPowerhouseAwards Winner

Kelli Burke, MBA Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Finance, has been named an award recipient of the #NEXTPowerhouseAwards, presented by NEXT Mortgage Events & News. She will be recognized at #NEXTSUMMER20, the group’s first virtual executive summit, taking place August 23-25.

Mark P. Dangelo: The Demise of the Contact Banker

Banking was a “contact” industry—prior to the Great Recession. With the loss of 12,000 branches in the past decade and consumers now doing over 90% of their transactions digitally, public health implications and social unrest, if sustained, may be the catalysts for closing many more branches by 2022.

April Sees ‘Historic’ Hotel Profitability Drop

U.S. hotel profitability metrics cratered during April, reported STR, Hendersonville, Tenn. During April, the sector saw total revenue per available room fall nearly 93 percent year-over-year and gross operating profit per available room fall 116.9 percent to a $17.98 loss per room.

MBA Advocacy Update

On Tuesday, HUD Secretary Ben Carson and FHFA Director Mark Calabria testified before the Senate Banking Committee about how their agencies are assisting homeowners and renters during the COVID-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, MBA along with several industry trade and housing advocacy organizations sent a letter to HUD on FHA’s new early payment forbearance policy.

Industry Briefs

Stewart Information Services Corp., Houston, acquired United States Appraisals. Stewart said the acquisition strengthens its digital real estate services offering in appraisal and valuation management and enhances its existing title insurance, settlement services, appraisal/valuation and other real estate services.

The Week Ahead

Good morning! By this coming weekend, the strangest spring in memory will give way to…probably the strangest summer in memory.