Category: News and Trends

The Mortgage Bankers Association continued its pressure on Congress to leave out a provision in a highway reauthorization bill that would allow an increase in Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac credit guaranty fees to fund highway projects.  

The outlook improved slightly for properties that support most commercial mortgage-backed securities, reported Moody’s Investors Service, New York.

The Mortgage Bankers Association’s grassroots advocacy arm, the Mortgage Action Alliance, issued a Call to Action yesterday, urging its members to contact their representatives in Congress in support of a bill that would require the Federal Housing Finance Agency to withdraw a controversial proposed rule on Federal Home Loan Bank System membership. 

Offices of the Mortgage Bankers Association will be closed this Wednesday, Nov. 11, in observance of the Veterans Day holiday. 

RealtyTrac, Irvine, Calif., reported homeowners who sold during the third quarter saw and average price gain of $40,658, or 17 percent, from their purchase price, the highest gain since 2007.  

While we’ve upgraded to Google Maps to get us to where we’re going; we’re more than comfortable with Netflix’s recommendation engine to suggest a movie or TV show; and Uber has now become a widely accepted form of transportation, we continue to rely on green-screen technology and “one size fits all” subservicers to manage billions of servicing portfolios that vary dramatically from one organization to the next. Why the complacency to not seek out a better solution?

After several quarters of slackening growth, home improvement spending is projected to pick-up pace moving into next year, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity from the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

The Center for American Progress, Washington, D.C. released a study showing nearly 1,000 U.S. counties continue to present “increasing or stagnating” percentages of homes with negative equity.  

Black Knight Financial Services, Jacksonville, Fla., said after eight years, Florida relinquished its title, if not perception, as the “Foreclosure Capital of the U.S.”  

Four members of the House introduced a bill last week that would require withdrawal and study of the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s proposed rule on Federal Home Loan Bank membership.