MBA Newslinks Archive

“Mortgage credit availability increased in September due to continuing updates to conforming loan programs as well as agency jumbo programs that have been phased in over the last few months. For the year to date, the supply of credit has increased only modestly in the non-jumbo space while it has expanded significantly among jumbo programs.”–MBA Vice President of Research and Economics Lynn Fisher.

“Falling interest rates in the third quarter provided enough of a cushion to counteract rising home prices in most U.S. markets and provide at least some temporary relief for the home affordability crunch. More sustainable relief for the affordability crunch, however, will need to be some combination of slowing home price appreciation and accelerating wage growth.” –Daren Blomquist, senior vice president with ATTOM Data Solutions.

“Hacking is easy. Personal information is cheap and you don’t even have to go on the Dark Web to buy it.”–Christa Lynn Greco, intelligence analyst in the criminal investigative division with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“Where it was once was decades for things to change, the electronic age allows change in days. Historically, fraud and misrepresentations were slow to evolve; today, they happen in a flash.”–Patti Duranty-Robbins, associate vice president and strategy and planning specialist with the enterprise fraud group at PNC Bank, Downers Grove, Ill.

“The ability to stay relevant and keep up with the threats are happening–what do we do to ‘boil the ocean’ and still manage risk effectively. We’re looking to put stronger controls in place but also handle things that go wrong–and things will go wrong–so that we can identify threats and react accordingly.”–Mihir Patel, executive vice president and chief risk officer with Mr. Cooper (formerly Nationstar), Dallas.

“We’re going to see loans continue to be processed the traditional way, but we’re also going to increasingly see use of these new methods, because it’s what lenders and customers are demanding.”–Jude Landis, vice president of credit policy and risk management with Fannie Mae, Washington, D.C.

“It’s critical that financial institutions think of themselves as technology providers in order to capture the opportunity to expand upon existing customer relationships and meet the demand for fast, convenient solutions that make people’s lives easier. The best and most convenient options will be the ones that win out.”–Fiserv Chief Operating Officer Mark Ernst.

“MBA commends the House of Representatives for passing bipartisan legislation that includes language aimed at increasing flood insurance options for consumers. We now ask the Senate to follow suit and pass this bipartisan private flood insurance language in the Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017.–MBA President and CEO David Stevens, CMB, in a statement following House passage of MBA-supported legislation to expand private flood insurance products.

“Although there is a lot of blame to go around for the poor quality of loans before the housing crisis, these data reaffirm that purchase borrowers were not the primary culprits.”–Laurie Goodman, director of the Housing Policy Finance Center with the Urban Institute, speaking at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Risk Management, QA and Fraud Prevention Forum.

“Strategic risks remain high for many banks, as management teams consider viable business models. We’re seeing many divergent strategies among banks. We’re seeing a lot of merger and acquisition activity, particularly among mid-sized banks, which in and of itself presents some regulatory risks. And net interest margins are likely to remain under pressure, as rates haven’t moved a lot over the past several years.”–Darrin Benhart, deputy comptroller for supervision risk management with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.