MBA Newslinks Archive

“Despite recent months’ more upbeat data on new home sales and residential construction, prices have been relatively stable since August, with month-to-month momentum showing no significant gains, neither decelerating nor accelerating rapidly.”
–Yanling Mayer, FNC housing economist and director of research.  

“The financial and real estate markets appear stable as we begin 2016, but variables now surfacing could undermine short-term prosperity. The year ahead seems to be the waning days of a prosperous cycle–perhaps even a cyclical top in liquidity, pricing and transaction velocity.”
–Avison Young Chair and CEO Mark Rose. 

“Malls have had a better recovery than neighborhood and community centers up to this juncture, but neither has had a strong recovery on a widespread basis.”
–Reis Senior Economist and Director of Research Ryan Severino.

“The phrase that best captures Americans’ views on the choice between privacy vs. disclosure of personal information is, ‘It depends.'”
–Lee Rainie and Maeve Duggan, authors of a Pew Research Center study on consumer privacy. 

“Expanding flood insurance options will make it easier for more homeowners to obtain flood insurance. A competitive flood insurance market will expand available insurance options, lower costs and increase the number of at-risk properties that are insured.”–Stephen Bradshaw, executive vice president with Standard Mortgage Corp., New Orleans, testifying yesterday on behalf of MBA before the House Financial Services subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

“FHFA’s decision to disqualify captive insurance companies removes a vital component of the FHLBank membership which provides liquidity for the real estate finance market.”
–MBA President and CEO David Stevens, CMB, on a Federal Housing Finance Agency final rule on Federal Home Loan Bank membership requirements.

“We strongly encourage the FHFA to review the goals of this proposed survey, identify genuinely unique data points not otherwise captured by existing surveys, utilize focus groups and, ultimately, reissue a more complete survey for comment.”   –From an MBA/trade group letter expressing concerns over a proposed Federal Housing Financial Agency survey of mortgage borrowers.

“The days of ‘pass the parcel’ are over, and long-term secure investment in core markets will be the norm. At the other end of the risk spectrum, large volumes of capital already raised will increasingly seek out opportunities in tier-two cities and recovering markets..”
–Colliers International CFO John Friedrichsen.

“Americans are spending a lot of money on housing, and that will make affordability an important issue [this] year.”
— Zillow Chief Economist Svenja Gudell.