Bloomberg, Nov. 5, 2019–Rich MillerFinancial regulators led by the Treasury’s Steven Mnuchin and the Federal Reserve’s Jerome Powell have been put on notice about the risk of an economically damaging …
Category: Top National News
Multifamily Vacancies Haven’t Been This Low Since 2000
HousingWire, Nov. 5, 2019–Julia FalconIn the third quarter, multifamily vacancy fell to 3.6%, down 40 basis points from 2018, to the lowest level since 2000, according to a report from …
Lawmakers Increase Criticism of ‘Opportunity Zone’ Tax Break
New York Times, Nov. 6, 2019–Eric Lipton, Jesse DruckerLawmakers are voicing mounting concerns about a federal tax incentive, known as an “opportunity zone,” that is supposed to encourage investors to …
Zillow Says Home-Flipping Will Pull In $1 Billion, Sending Shares Higher
Wall Street Journal, Nov. 7, 2019–Maria Armental (subscription)Shares of Zillow Group Inc. rose 9% in after-hours trading as the company said its home-flipping business is expected to generate as much …
Unique Challenges in Lending and Servicing
MReport, Nov. 1, 2019–Seth WelbornMarcia Davies, MBA COO and mPower founder, spoke with MReport at the 2019 Five Star Conference and Expo about what lies ahead for mortgage professionals in …
Sears Says It Has Secured a $250 Million Lifeline, Will Close 96 Stores
Reuters, Nov. 7, 2019–Mike Spector, Jessic DiNapoliSears said it had won a $250 million lifeline from lenders that include billionaire owner Eddie Lampert, and will close additional stores, as mounting …
What CFPB’s Day in Court Will Mean for FHFA
American Banker, Nov. 4, 2019–Hannah Lang (subscription)The Supreme Court is ready to weigh in on the CFPB’s leadership structure, but both agencies are facing similar constitutional challenges, suggesting a broader …
Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Rule on GSE Profit Sweep
HousingWire, Nov. 4, 2019–Kelsey RamirezIn September, an appeals court ruled the government’s net worth sweep of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to be unconstitutional, a decision the Trump administration is …
Private-Label MBS Reaches 12-Year High, Sans NINJAs
HousingWire, Nov. 4, 2019–Kathleen HowleyThe private-label mortgage-backed securities market is having its biggest year since 2007 as lenders including JPMorgan Chase, Caliber and Angel Oak try to take on behemoths …
Battle Lines Drawn over New HUD Rule on Bias Suits
Finance & Commerce (Minn.), Nov. 4, 2019–William MorrisThe dispute arises over so-called “disparate impact” housing discrimination–policies that do not explicitly prefer one demographic over another but nonetheless have an adverse …