Natural disasters have become seemingly commonplace, as every season seems to bring a major storm, flood, hurricane or wildfire somewhere in the country. These events obviously have devastating impacts on homeowners. But on one level or another, they have also revealed weaknesses among mortgage servicers and their ability to respond appropriately.
Category: News and Trends
Call for Nominations: MBA NewsLink 2020 Tech All-Star Awards; Deadline Jan. 10
The Mortgage Bankers Association and MBA NewsLink are accepting nominations for the MBA NewsLink 2020 Tech All-Star Awards. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, Jan. 10.
New Regulations in VA Loans Promotes Clear Processes, Enhances Veteran Education About Home Financing and Refinancing
Ginnie Mae and the VA began drafting new lender regulations last year that would require lenders to educate veterans with more information, allowing for better decision-making in deciding on the benefit of the cost of an Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loan.
Residential Briefs
First American Financial Corp., Santa Ana, Calif., acquired Title Security Agency LLC, a brand within the Arizona real estate community. First American had been a minority owner for five years.
MBA Chart of the Week: 30-Year Fixed Mortgage vs. 10-Year Treasuries
This week’s chart shows the narrowing of the spread between the 30-year fixed mortgage rate and the 10-year Treasury yield–from a high of 208 basis points in September to 183 basis points at the end of December.
Forecast: Hottest 2020 Housing Markets in South; California to See Cooldown
Last week, we brought you a story about which U.S. housing markets changed the most over the past decade. Today, we present predictions for 2020’s hottest housing markets, courtesy of Zillow, Seattle.
Commercial-Multifamily Briefs
Lincoln Property Co., Dallas, and partner Cadillac Fairview closed a U.S. multifamily fund.
The Week Ahead
The House and Senate are back in town, but don’t expect a lot of activity—yet. Committees—particularly the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee—will take their time gearing up for activity this year.
U.S. Population Growth Continues to Slow
Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows 42 states and the District of Columbia had fewer births in 2019 than 2018, while eight states saw a birth increase. With fewer births in recent years and the number of deaths increasing, natural increase (or births minus deaths) has declined steadily over the past decade.
Housing Markets that Changed Most over Past 10 Years
According to Redfin, Seattle, the U.S. housing market ended the decade in a “vastly different place” than it began.