MBA NewsLink recently interviewed Curtis Knuth, President & CEO of Service 1st, an NCS/National Credit-Reporting System company. He discussed the challenges for lenders to qualify borrowers with incomes from today’s gig economy and the outlook for AI in the mortgage business.
Category: News and Trends
Housing Sentiment Down Year Over Year for First Time Since 2023, Fannie Mae Finds
Fannie Mae’s Home Purchase Sentiment Index decreased 1.8 points in February to 71.6, driven largely by consumers’ increased pessimism that mortgage rates will go down in the next year.
Mortgage Credit Availability Increased in February
Mortgage credit availability increased in February according to the Mortgage Credit Availability Index, a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association that analyzes data from ICE Mortgage Technology.
MBA Highlights Member White Papers
As a member service, MBA links to new white papers from our member firms.
RentCafe: Miami, Chicago Area Top Rental Competition List
RentCafe, Santa Barbara, Calif., reported that while the hottest spot for renters is Miami, the Chicago suburbs are a close rival.
Quote of the Day
“Mortgage credit availability in February increased for the third consecutive month to its highest level since March 2023.”
–Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist
MBA Chart of the Week: Monthly Payroll Growth, Unemployment Rates
The job market softened somewhat in February, with the unemployment rate increasing to 4.1%, the pace of private sector job growth up by 140,000, and wage growth steady at 4%.
Learn About the CMB Designation From Industry Leaders
MBANow recently sat down with some mortgage industry leaders to hear about their experience with the Certified Mortgage Banker designation.
AI in Mortgage Lending: A Practical Guide for a Traditional Industry by BeSmartee’s Tim Nguyen
Many mortgage professionals recognize AI’s potential but struggle with the same questions: Where do we start? What are the right use cases? How do we implement AI without disrupting our operations?
Advocacy Update: MBA Update on HUD Operations, Recommendations for FHA, Ginnie Mae Program Improvements
This week’s top legislative and policy news from the Mortgage Bankers Association.