Category: Top National News

Washington Examiner, Feb. 6, 2017–Joseph LawlerThe Mortgage Bankers Association, a key housing industry trade group, plans to lobby Congress and the Trump administration to effectively turn Fannie and Freddie into private utilities and to allow new entrants to compete with them on the same terms.

Washington Post, Feb. 3, 2017–Renae Merle”We expect to be cutting a lot out of Dodd-Frank,” Trump said during a meeting with business leaders Friday morning. “Because frankly, I have so many people, friends of mine, that had nice businesses, they just can’t borrow money … because the banks just won’t let them borrow because of the rules and regulations in Dodd-Frank.”

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 5, 2017–Telis Demos; Peter RudegeairThe six biggest U.S. banks could potentially return more than $100 billion in capital to investors over time through dividends and share buybacks if the Trump administration succeeds in a push to loosen bank regulation.

CNBC, Feb. 5, 2017–Trent GilliesMore than 6 percent of home sales last year were “flips”, according to a new report from Trulia. The real estate data website defines a flip as the selling of a home at least twice within a year. That’s the highest number in a decade.

Bloomberg, Feb. 6, 2017–Liz McCormick; Matt ScullyAlmost a decade after it all began, the Federal Reserve is finally talking about unwinding its grand experiment in monetary policy. And when it happens, the knock-on effects in the bond market could pose a threat to the U.S. housing recovery.

Mortgage Daily, Feb. 3, 2017A concurrent flow servicing offering could work out to mortgage servicing rights on as much as $2.250 billion in government-sponsored enterprise loans.

HousingWire, Feb. 6, 2017–Kelsey RamirezDBRS said the persistently low interest rate environment rendered securitization uneconomical for many issuers. However, as interest rates begin to rise, the RMBS market is beginning to change.

Mortgage Daily, Feb. 6, 2017Despite slowing loan production at Guild Mortgage Co., the company experienced growth in its servicing portfolio and its staffing.

Cato Institute, Feb. 6, 2017–Mark A. CalabriaAuthor says Treasury Secretary designate Steven Mnuchin should strongly consider reviving a plan developed by his predecessor, John Snow. That plan would take advantage of the Treasury’s authority to place limits on Fannie and Freddie’s debt issuance to reduce those agencies’ indebtedness. The reduction can and should be done in a controlled manner that could be easily reversed if necessary.

National Real Estate Investor, Feb. 6, 2017–Elaine MisonzhnikAll types of capital providers-banks, insurance companies, conduit lenders and private equity funds-are actively looking for deals, and loan terms continue to be attractive, even if loan-to-value ratios have not moved much above 65 percent.