NEW YORK–It’s a perpetual question these days: is the federal government too involved in the secondary market, and what can be done to attract more private capital?
Category: News and Trends

MBA Chief Economist Cites Stronger Economy, Housing Market
NEW YORK–Mortgage Bankers Association Chief Economist Mike Fratantoni said the economic tea leaves suggest a “very positive backdrop” for the nation’s housing and mortgage markets.

Q/A with Lionel Urban of PCLender
MBA NewsLink recently posed questions to Lionel Urban, founding partner and chairman of board of PCLender LLC, Reno, Nev.

Trepp: CMBS Delinquencies ‘Barely Budge’
The commercial mortgage-backed securities delinquency rate held steady in April, increasing just one basis point to 4.23 percent, reported Trepp, New York.

Fitch: So Far So Good for Rated U.S. Re-Performing RMBS Performance
Fitch Ratings, New York, said early performance indicators for its rated re-performing loan residential mortgage-backed securities transactions is in line with expectations and slightly better than their non-rated counterparts.

Wells Fargo: Housing Market Becoming ‘Unstuck’
Wells Fargo Securities, Charlotte, N.C. said the housing market–stuck in low gear during most of the recovery–is showing signs of picking up and becoming “unstuck.”

J.D. Power: Big Banks Gain in Customer Satisfaction; Mid-Size Banks Decline
J.D. Power, New York, said larger banks made “significant” gains in customer satisfaction measures in the past year, while mid-size and regional bank satisfaction leveled off.

Fitch: Ability-to-Repay Borrower Claims ‘Nonexistent’
Two years after introduction of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Ability-to-Pay rule, major residential mortgage servicers have yet to see any borrower claims, said Fitch Ratings, New York.

Q/A with Alok Datta of ATPR Inc.
MBA NewsLink recently posed questions to Alok Datta, president of ATPR Inc., Dallas.

Moody’s: CMBS Loan Leverage Falls for First Time Since 2013
Commercial mortgage-backed securities’ credit quality as measured by loan-to-value ratios improved during the first three months of this year, reported Moody’s Investors Service, New York.