Mortgage applications for new home purchases increased 27.1 percent compared to a year ago, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Builder Applications Survey for November reported.
MBA Newslinks Archive
MBA Recognizes Select Members
MBA recognizes its Select Associate Members and thanks them for their continued support of MBA and the real estate finance industry.
MBA Recognizes Premier Members
MBA is proud to recognize its Premier and Select Associate Members and to thank them for their continued support of MBA and the real estate finance industry.
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.
Fewer Appraisals Mandated, But They’re Still a Good Idea
UExpress, Dec. 13, 2019–Lew SichelmanSome homebuyers are about to catch a break, courtesy of the Federal Reserve Board and other banking regulators. As long as the price tag on their …
Lackluster U.S. Retail Sales Dim Fourth Quarter Economic Growth Outlook
Reuters, Dec. 13, 2019–Lucia MutikaniU.S. retail sales increased less than expected in November as Americans cut back on discretionary spending despite a strong labor market, raising fears the economy was …
Startup Plans to Allow Consumers to Purchase Homes Without a Mortgage
HousingWire, Dec. 13, 2019–Kelsey RamirezFleq will launch next month in Pittsburgh, and instead of originating mortgages, its plan is to simply buy the home a purchaser wants and sell it …
Freddie Mac Offers Deal that Helps Pave the Way for Life without LIBOR
National Mortgage News, Dec. 13, 2019–Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)Freddie Mac launched a multifamily structured pass-through deal that includes a class of floating rate bonds indexed to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate …
Fed’s Williams Says Central Bank Should Be Flexible as Data Evolves
Wall Street Journal, Dec. 13, 2019–Michael S. Derby (subscription)Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said Friday that the outlook for the U.S. economy remains pretty good but …
MBA Advocacy Update
Last week, a bipartisan group of members of Congress submitted a letter to House leadership voicing concerns about the use of VA Home Loan program fees as a spending offset to pay for other non-housing-related veterans’ benefits. On Tuesday, the Senate Banking Committee marked up Brian Montgomery’s nomination for the next Deputy Secretary of HUD.