MBA Newslinks Archive

“Homeowners are in the best financial shape they’ve been in since well before the start of the Great Recession. Moreover, the average interest rate on outstanding mortgage loans keeps falling as more and more homeowners refinance into rates below 4 percent, giving borrowers more spending capacity each month.”–Amy Crews Cutts, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist with Equifax, Atlanta.

“We believe this is a far better way to fund an agency’s technology needs–rather than through an unprecedented off-budget fee that will undoubtedly be passed on the very borrowers FHA is designed to serve and ultimately raise the cost of homeownership.”
–MBA Senior Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs Bill Killmer, in an MBA letter to House appropriators urging them to approve a bill that would block HUD from charging a fee to single-family lenders as a funding mechanism to cover FHA’s administrative costs.

“Real estate market headlines have repeatedly documented the strong, potentially bubble-like recovery of the West over the past couple years, and this continued trend of performance doesn’t appear to be going away just yet.” –Alex Villacorta, vice president of research and analytics with Clear Capital, Reno, Nev.

 “Construction across all major property types continues to increase, fueled by the ongoing recovery in the economy and property fundamentals.” 
–Reis Senior Economist and Director of Research Ryan Severino.

“It will be telling to watch how the next six months unfold as real estate executives position themselves to address a whirlwind of opportunities, risks and disruptions facing the U.S. and global markets.”–DLA Piper Global Real Estate practice Co-Chair Jay Epstien.

“FHFA’s review and adjustment mechanism in its 2016 Scorecard and its close monitoring of changing market conditions will support continued liquidity in workforce rental housing, help avoid market disruptions, and allow for competition among capital sources that finance this vital market.” –MBA President and CEO David Stevens, CMB, on the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s announcement that it would increase multifamily loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

“Housing helped keep U.S. economic growth afloat in the first quarter of 2016 as residential investment recorded its strongest gain since the end of 2012. Low interest rates and increased home building suggest that housing will continue to be a growth driver.”–CoreLogic Chief Economist Frank Nothaft.

“Demand for rental housing has greatly outstripped supply, rapidly pushing vacancies down and rents up even as incomes fell. We are still trying to catch up.”–Lynn Fisher, RIHA Executive Director and MBA Vice President for Research and Economics.

“The mortgage on a median-priced home is still more affordable than it was in December, despite rising prices, just not as much as one might expect given that rates are as low as they are.” –Black Knight Senior Vice President of Data and Analytics Ben Graboske.

“MBA believes this approach should provide a swift path to issuing a final rule that will give lenders, the secondary market and consumers the clarity and consistency of disclosures the market needs. In the interim, we appreciate that the Bureau’s ‘diagnostic period’ for the KBYO rule will continue to accommodate good faith compliance efforts. We view today’s letter as a positive step, and we look forward to working with the Bureau to ensure industry priorities are addressed.”–Pete Mills, MBA senior vice president of residential policy and member engagement.