Category: News and Trends

U.S. non-bank residential mortgage-backed securities servicers are moving away from servicing delinquent borrowers and setting their sights increasingly on Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae loans, said Fitch Ratings, New York.

Homeowners are expected to increase spending on improvements and repairs at a solid clip over the coming year, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., and the National Association of Home Builders.

With a July 31 expiration date for the National Flood Insurance Program looming, the House yesterday passed a bill that would give the program a bit more breathing room.

The Senate meets today to vote on key appropriations legislation for fiscal year 2019. Ahead of its session, the Mortgage Bankers Association asked approval of key provisions that support FHA and Ginnie Mae technology upgrades, as well as safeguards for multifamily loans and other funding priorities.

Black Knight, Jacksonville, Fla., reported foreclosure starts fell by 3.1 percent in June to 43,500, the lowest single-month total since 2001.

With the 2018 hurricane season kicking into gear–and with residual effects of 2017’s devastating hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico still evident–flood insurance is very much on the minds of mortgage lenders and servicers. And with the National Flood Insurance Program set to expire (again) on July 31, the real estate finance industry is clamoring for action on Capitol Hill.

Strong new issuance volume and continued resolution activity contributed to the second consecutive month of decline in the commercial mortgage-backed securities delinquency rate last month, reported Fitch Ratings, New York.

Facing a July 31 expiration date for the National Flood Insurance Program, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s grassroots advocacy arm, the Mortgage Action Alliance, issued a Call to Action, urging its members to call their elected officials to vote on a long-term reauthorization.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s consumer complaint and inquiry processes have resulted in “unwarranted regulatory burdens” for many financial services providers and asked the Bureau to develop new processes that properly define “complaints” and encourage consumers to resolve issues with providers before filing complaints.

ACES Risk Management, Pompano Beach, Fla., released its quarterly Mortgage QC Trends Report, noting distribution of critical defects has “shifted significantly” from 2016 to 2017 as the housing market moves from refinances to purchases.