MBA Newslinks Archive

“We are seeing improvement in terms of servicing expenses. This is good news, as we’d seen strong increases in servicing expenses in recent years. Servicers are doing their jobs better.”–MBA Vice President of Industry Analysis Marina Walsh.

“Now is a great time to be in the servicing business–when we can enter the waters during relative calmness and plan ahead for the rough waters that will inevitably come. Your team is strategically placed for optimum results. Knowing what lies ahead, having a plan for the future is key to success.”–MBA Chairman-Elect J. David Motley, CMB.

“Following several rounds of healthy, peak-season summer growth, winter gains thus far this season have remained relatively healthy across much of the country. And as prices have continued to climb in the long term during the post-housing crash, the large portion of the housing market that has been frozen in negative equity has shrunk significantly–meaning that an increasingly large portion of previously underwater homeowners may now have the option of entering the market.”–Clear Capital Vice President of Research and Analytics Alex Villacorta.

“His experience and deep knowledge of the financial markets will serve him well in this position. Specifically, we are encouraged by Secretary Mnuchin’s willingness to focus on GSE reform, tax reform and rebalancing the mortgage market regulatory framework.”–MBA President and CEO David Stevens, on the Senate’s confirmation last night of Steven Mnuchin as Treasury Secretary.

“The U.S. has shown signs of economic optimism following Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election. The business community generally expects the administration to involve business-friendly policies, like lower tax rates and large infrastructure projects to stimulate economic growth, which could stand to benefit the hospitality industry.”–From a JLL report on hotel industry investment.

“Many singles looking to purchase a home on their own may not make enough money to afford or qualify for a mortgage on their dream home. That makes buying a home with a significant other even more appealing, even if marriage isn’t quite part of the picture.” –Zillow Chief Economist Svenja Gudell.

“I’m expecting action from the authorizing committees, Chairman Crapo with the Senate Banking Committee and Chairman Hensarling with the House Financial Services Committee, probably in the third or fourth quarter. That is why it’s so critical that MBA rolled out its Task Force for the Future of the Secondary Market report, so that we can stimulate that conversation and as we put more meat on the bones over the next couple of months. I think the timing will be great for that dialogue.”–MBA Senior Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs Bill Killmer

“Last year ended with a bang with home prices up over 7 percent nationally, led largely by major metro areas. We expect prices to continue to rise just under 5 percent in 2017 buoyed by lack of supply and continued high demand.”–Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic, Irvine, Calif.

“Mortgage cures–delinquent borrowers who bring themselves back to current status–correspondingly spike in February and March as well, suggesting that some portion of Americans are using their tax refunds to make past-due payments on their mortgages.”–Black Knight Data & Analytics Executive Vice President Ben Graboske.

“Homes transition quite frequently, with rising prices shifting rental units into the owner-occupied sector and falling prices having the opposite effect. Over a decade, roughly 2 percent of the housing stock moves from owner to rental occupancy.”–Stuart Rosenthal, professor of economics at Syracuse University and author of a Research Institute for Housing America study, Owned Now Rented Later? Housing Stock Transitions and Market Dynamics.