The unofficial start of the spring home buying season began with a bang, as mortgage applications jumped more than 15 percent from the previous week and key interest rates hit a seven-year low, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported this morning in its Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending Feb. 28.
Category: News and Trends
Mortgage Fraud Risk Falls to New Low
First American Financial Corp., Santa Ana, Calif., said frequency of defects, fraudulence and misrepresentation in the information submitted in mortgage loan applications decreased by 3.0 percent from December to the lowest level since the company began tracking such data in 2011.
Fed Cuts Rates Amid Coronavirus Risks
The Federal Reserve yesterday made an emergency cut to the federal funds rate, citing “evolving risks” stemming from the global coronavirus outbreak.
MISMO Releases New Tool to Speed Deployment of New Applications
MISMO®, the mortgage industry standards organization, released a new tool designed to facilitate use of MISMO standards.
‘Yes’ in My Back Yard: House Passes MBA-Supported Affordable Housing Bills
The House on Tuesday passed two affordable housing bills that had strong support from the Mortgage Bankers Association.
MBA: 4Q Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Delinquencies Remain Low
Commercial and multifamily mortgage delinquencies remained low in the fourth quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Commercial/Multifamily Delinquency Report.
Susan Graham: Reduce Origination Expenses by Using Loan Origination Software to Maximize Efficiencies
When loan origination volumes begin to drop, lenders must find ways to be more efficient to maintain profitability. Even with the growth of the past decade and the advances in technology tools, origination costs continue to rise, cutting into lenders’ bottom line.
People in the News
Planet Home Lending LLC, Meriden, Conn., hired Jim Bopp as vice president of national renovation lending. He will manage Planet’s retail and correspondent renovation loan programs, including FHA 203(k), VA Alterations and conventional loan offerings.
Reggora’s Brian Zitin Discusses Appraisal Technology
Brian Zitin is Co-Founder and CEO of Reggora, Boston. Reggora is an appraisal technology company that gives mortgage lenders and real estate appraisers two-sided software that streamlines the appraisal process. The firm’s software automates manual processes from automatic order allocation to comprehensive quality control, freeing up time and decreasing costs for both parties.
Auction.com: Most Default Servicers Expect 2020 Foreclosures to Increase
Auction.com, Irvine, Calif., said its 2020 Default Servicing Insights report found while most respondents said they do not expect an economic recession in 2020, two-thirds expect their foreclosure and REO inflow to increase and 89 percent expect an increase in foreclosure and REO inflow from government-insured loans.