MarketWatch, Aug. 26, 2020–Jacob PassyThe Federal Housing Finance Agency has instructed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to hold off on the implementation of a new fee that is aimed at …
Category: Top National News
Major Real Estate Website Now Shows Flood Risk. Should They All?
NPR, Aug. 26, 2020–Rebecca Hersher, Lauren SommerRealtor.com has become the first site to disclose information about a home’s flood risk, and how climate change could increase that risk in the …
Mortgage Insurer MGIC Is a Cheap Housing Play
Wall Street Journal, Aug. 25, 2020–Telis DemosThe home-lending business is in for a wild ride this year. Mortgage insurers such as MGIC Investment Corp. may offer a surprising place to …
80% of Economists See a Chance of a Double-Dip Recession
HousingWire, Aug. 24, 2020–Kathleen HowleyNearly 80% of economists say there’s at least a one-in-four chance of a double-dip recession, following a record 32.9% plunge in GDP in the second quarter, …
Before Making Loans, Some Mortgage Lenders Ask, Do You Really Plan to Pay This?
Wall Street Journal, Apr. 25, 2020–Orla McCaffrey (subscription)New forms are showing up in some borrowers’ paperwork when they close on their home loan. Lenders are asking them to confirm that …
Real Estate Investors Skip Paying Loans While Raising Millions
Bloomberg, Aug. 24, 2020–John GittelsohnSome of the largest real estate investors are walking away from debt on bad property deals, even as they raise billions of dollars for new opportunities …
When Not Foreclosing Causes More Damage to Neighborhoods
National Mortgage News, Aug. 21, 2020–Daren Blomquist (subscription)The author, with Auction.com, says while allowing vacant or abandoned properties to continue through the foreclosure process is one coronavirus crisis housing policy …
Opinion: COVID-19 Mortgage Disaster Looms if Swift Action Isn’t Taken
The Tennessean, Aug. 23, 2020–Eddie LatimerThe author, founding director of a Nashville non-profit, says the entire mortgage servicer industry has now become the scapegoat for the financial responsibility of skipped …
Why Sluggish Mail Delivery Matters to Banks
American Banker, Aug. 21, 2020–Jon Prior (suscription)Late fees on loan payments and late-arriving documents tied to forbearance and loan forgiveness are just some examples of how delays caused by cutbacks …
Mortgage Fee Aims to Bolster Fannie, Freddie Finances Ahead of Possible Sale
Wall Street Journal, Aug. 22, 2020–Andrew Ackerman (subscription)Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are taking advantage of the mortgage-refinancing boom to shore up their capital as they seek to …