National Mortgage Professional, Oct. 24, 2019–Phil HallThe U.S. Supreme Court appointed Paul Clement to argue in support of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in its upcoming case to determine whether …
Category: Top National News
Blackstone’s Online-Shopping Play: 800 Million Square Feet of Warehouses
Wall Street Journal, Oct. 26, 2019–Miriam Gottfried (subscription)Blackstone Group Inc. is betting that the rise of online shopping will remain a bright spot in the face of slowing global economic …
Hotel, Suburban Office Outlook Iffy for Properties Backing CMBS
National Mortgage News, Oct. 23, 2019–Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)The outlook for hotels and suburban offices remains questionable, but the prognosis for other property types in the securitized commercial real estate market …
The White House Wants to Privatize Fannie and Freddie. It Needs Wall Street’s Help
Wall Street Journal, Oct. 23, 2019–Juliet Chung, Ben Eisen (subscriptionBefore the two mortgage giants can be privatized, they will potentially have to raise billions of dollars from investors, a move …
Study: One in Five Homeowners Feel House Rich, Cash Poor
National Mortgage Professional, Oct. 22, 2019–Phil HallIn a poll of 675 homeowners, 19.5 percent of homeowners felt “house rich, cash poor” most or all of the time while 73 percent …
Opportunity-Zone Funds Are Off to a Slow Start, Lagging Behind Heady Expectations
Wall Street Journal, Oct. 22, 2019–Ruth Simon, Peter Grant (subscription)The program, part of the 2017 federal tax overhaul, allows investors to defer and reduce taxes if they reinvest capital gains …
Calabria Says He’s Willing to Wipe Out Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Shareholders
HousingWire, Oct. 22, 2019–Kathleen HowleyMark Calabria, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, said he’s willing to wipe out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shareholders if needed to protect taxpayers …
The Fed Is Buying Bonds Again. Just Don’t Call It Quantitative Easing
Wall Street Journal, Oct. 16, 2019–Nick Timiraos (subscription)The Federal Reserve began buying short-term Treasury debt Tuesday at an initial pace of $60 billion a month, but officials say these purchases …
Regulators Offer CECL Guidance to Aid Industry’s Adoption
National Mortgage News, Oct. 17, 2019–Hannah Lang (subscription)The proposed policy statement issued by the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and …
Bank Regulators Present a Dire Warning of Financial Risks From Climate Change
New York Times, Oct. 17, 2019–Christopher FlavelleHome values could fall significantly. Banks could stop lending to flood-prone communities. Towns could lose the tax money they need to build sea walls …