Bloomberg, Mar. 10, 2016
With U.S. mortgage rates near their lowest level since April and showing signs of falling further, some lenders are preparing for another refinancing wave, an unexpected development after the Federal Reserve began hiking short-term interest rates in December.
Wall Street Journal, Mar. 10, 2016–Rexrode, Christina; Glazer, Emily
Billions of dollars from bank settlements are going to homeowners–but the path to get it into their hands can be complicated.
Wall Street Journal, Mar. 10, 2016–Martin, Timothy W.
S&P, Moody’s and Fitch issue more than 95% of global bond ratings, and profits are nearing record highs.
National Mortgage News, Mar. 10, 2016–Sinnock, Bonnie
QRM clarified the rules of the road for securitizations. Now, participants in the MBS world seeking better margins are looking beyond the safe harbor–to the subprime space.
Bloomberg, Mar. 19, 2016–Matthews, Steve
The 2006-2009 housing slump reduced wealth by $7 trillion. Since then, the value of homeowners’ equity in real estate has more than doubled from a low in the first quarter of 2009, a Federal Reserve report today showed. What’s more, housing wealth is poised to reach a new record as early as the second quarter.
Reuters, Mar. 14, 2016
The amount of outstanding U.S. mortgages for multifamily homes rose to $1.06 trillion in 2015, up 10.4 percent from a year earlier, which was its fastest annual pace since 1993, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Monday.
National Mortgage News, Mar. 14, 2016–Wack, Kevin
Prosper Marketplace on Monday announced a three-year agreement to offer financing to consumers making improvements to their homes through the website HomeAdvisor.com.
Scotsman Guide, Mar. 14, 2016–Whitman, Victor
Mortgage industry trade groups have renewed a push to prevent future raids on the guarantee fees (g-fees) collected by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Wall Street Journal, Mar. 14, 2016–Glazer, Emily
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is trying to sell new securities that would pass along most of the credit risk on $1.9 billion in mortgages, in an attempt to revive a debt market that has been largely left to the government since the financial crisis.
The Hill, Mar. 2, 2016–Needham, Vicki
Housing industry experts are sounding the alarm over the increasingly dire financial situation of the federal mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. “I actually believe it’s really incumbent on Congress to take this up as an issue, thoughtfully, while we have time,” said David Stevens, head of the Mortgage Bankers Association.
