The Lede
News and Trends
Black Knight: Harvey, Irma Truly Tale of Two Storms
Black Knight, Jacksonville, Fla., said the twin impacts of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have had significantly different impacts on Texas and Florida, respectively.
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HUD, VA Tout Risk Management Improvements
MIAMI--The government, it's been said, moves slowly. But sometimes, the results are worth the wait.
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MBA Preliminary Analysis of 2016 HMDA Data
The 2016 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data were released late last week, along with a separate Federal Reserve analysis of the data. Here are some initial highlights:
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ARMCO: Critical Defect Rates Continue Upward Trend
MIAMI--ACES Risk Management, Pompano Beach, Fla., said critical loan defect rates continued to increase in the first quarter.
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Lopez Urges Vigilance in ‘High-Risk’ Environment
MIAMI--Financial regulators are focusing intently on lenders' risk management organizations and practices. So is the Mortgage Bankers Association.
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HUD, VA Tout Risk Management Improvements
MIAMI--The government, it's been said, moves slowly. But sometimes, the results are worth the wait.
Full Story
MBA Preliminary Analysis of 2016 HMDA Data
The 2016 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data were released late last week, along with a separate Federal Reserve analysis of the data. Here are some initial highlights:
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ARMCO: Critical Defect Rates Continue Upward Trend
MIAMI--ACES Risk Management, Pompano Beach, Fla., said critical loan defect rates continued to increase in the first quarter.
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Lopez Urges Vigilance in ‘High-Risk’ Environment
MIAMI--Financial regulators are focusing intently on lenders' risk management organizations and practices. So is the Mortgage Bankers Association.
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September CMBS Delinquency Rate Drops Again
The commercial mortgage-backed securities delinquency rate fell again in September--the third straight month--reported Trepp LLC, New York.
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Lopez Urges Vigilance in ‘High-Risk’ Environment
MIAMI--Financial regulators are focusing intently on lenders' risk management organizations and practices. So is the Mortgage Bankers Association.
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HUD, VA Tout Risk Management Improvements
MIAMI--The government, it's been said, moves slowly. But sometimes, the results are worth the wait.
Full Story
MBA Preliminary Analysis of 2016 HMDA Data
The 2016 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data were released late last week, along with a separate Federal Reserve analysis of the data. Here are some initial highlights:
Full Story
MBA 2Q Commercial/Multifamily DataBook Reports ‘Downshift’
Commercial real estate property fundamentals generally remained strong in the second quarter, but the pace of improvement ‘downshifted' from earlier periods, the Mortgage Bankers Association Commercial/Multifamily DataBook reported this morning.
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House Passes MBA-Supported Flood Insurance Provision
The House yesterday passed a bill containing Mortgage Bankers Association-supported language that would strengthen and expand the private flood insurance market.
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The Role of Refi vs. Purchase Lending During the Housing Crisis
MIAMI--The financial crisis that began in 2007-styled as the Great Recession, put housing in the crosshair, with some analysts asserting government policies aimed at increasing first-time home buyers were to blame. But research from the Urban Institute, Washington, D.C., points to the contrary.
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MBA: 2Q Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Debt Rises to $3.06 Trillion
Total commercial/multifamily mortgage debt outstanding rose to $3.06 trillion at the end of the second quarter, an increase of $48.7 billion, or 1.6%, from the first quarter, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported this morning.
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ARMCO: Critical Defect Rates Continue Upward Trend
MIAMI--ACES Risk Management, Pompano Beach, Fla., said critical loan defect rates continued to increase in the first quarter.
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MBA Statement on HUD OIG Audit of Ginnie Mae’s Oversight of Nonbanks
Mortgage Bankers Association President and CEO David Stevens, CMB, issued the following statement regarding the HUD Office of Inspector General Audit of Ginnie Mae's Oversight of Nonbanks:
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MBA News
Top National News
Nomura, RBS Lose Bid to Overturn $839 Million Mortgage Bond Award
Reuters, Sept. 28, 2017--Brendan PiersonThe banks had challenged the 2015 award on multiple grounds, including that the loss of the securities' value was largely caused not by any false statements, but by the broader financial crisis in 2008.
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Genworth Examining Options for Mortgage Insurance Options
National Mortgage News, Oct. 2, 2017--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)Genworth Financial is evaluating options for its private mortgage insurance business as its proposed acquisition by China Oceanwide was delayed for a third time.
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For Some Elderly Americans, Mortgage Rules Herald Harder Struggle
Reuters, Oct. 2, 2017--Melissa FaresSince emerging in 1990, more than a million seniors have taken out reverse mortgages, according to the HUD, making them a popular but risky lifeline for asset-rich, cash-poor elderly Americans.
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Mortgage Tax Fight Tests Clout of Home Industry
The Hill, Oct. 3, 2017--Megan R. WilsonThe power of the real estate and home building industries is being put to the test in a fight with Republicans over a key tax break for homebuyers--the mortgage interest deduction.
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Equifax Failed to Patch Security Vulnerability in March–Former CEO
Reuters, Oct. 2, 2017--David ShepardsonEquifax Inc. was alerted in March to the software security vulnerability that led to hackers obtaining personal information of more than 140 million Americans but took months to patch it, its former CEO said in testimony to be delivered to Congress on Tuesday.
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Decade Low Delinquency at Fannie as Book Expands
Mortgage Daily, Sept. 29, 2017Single-family performance at Fannie Mae is better than it's been in nearly a decade. Meanwhile, the manged portfolio continued to grow.
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GSE Reforms
American Action Forum, Sept. 29, 2017--Douglas Holtz-EakinThe author states: "It is far past time for Congress to take on housing finance reform. It is a truly bipartisan issue, has large consequences for the growth of the economy and welfare of the middle class, and thus should be at the top of the policy agenda."
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Morgan Stanley Closing In on $400 Million in Consumer Relief for Mortgage Bond Settlement
HousingWire, Sept. 29, 2017--Ben LaneMorgan Stanley is nearing the end of its $400 million consumer relief obligation that is part of the $3.2 billion mortgage bond settlement it reached last year.
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OCC Claims Proof CFPB Wrong on Arbitration Rule
HousingWire, Sept. 29, 2017--Brena SwansonThe Office of the Comptroller of the Currency noted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said analysts were unable to identify any evidence from the data to indicate companies that removed their arbitration agreements raised their prices.
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U.S. Chamber, Banking Groups Sue over CFPB Arbitration Rule
National Mortgage News, Sept. 29, 2017--Ian McKendry (subscription)The U.S. Chamber of Commerce along with 13 other business associations and five financial trade associations filed a lawsuit Friday against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, arguing that its rule banning mandatory arbitration agreements harms consumers.
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Lenders Originate Riskier Mortgages in the Second Quarter
National Mortgage News, Sept. 29, 2017--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)Mortgage lenders took on more risk in the second quarter as the share of loans to real estate investors and condominium owners increased, according to CoreLogic.
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More Americans Are Falling Behind on Student Loans, and Nobody Quite Knows Why
Bloomberg, Sept. 28, 2017--Shahien NasiripourMore student debtors are falling behind on their federal student loans, after three years of declines in late payments-and with no clear explanation, experts aren't sure whether to take it as a sign of distress or a temporary blip.
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Ocwen Begins Settling with States to Remove Mortgage Servicing Restrictions
HousingWire, Sept. 28, 2017--Ben LaneAt the core of each consent agreement is a stipulation that Ocwen move its servicing off of the REALServicing platform, its proprietary servicing platform, which is used to process and apply borrower payments, communicate payment information to borrowers and maintain loan balance information.
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Mortgage Servicing, Originations Rise at loanDepot
Mortgage Daily, Sept. 28, 2017The mortgage servicing portfolio grew at loanDepot LLC. Home-lending activity was also up on a quarter-over-quarter basis but down on a year-over-year basis.
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Commercial and Multifamily Mortgage Delinquency Rates Remain Flat
National Mortgage Professional, Sept. 26, 2017--Phil HallDelinquency rates for commercial and multifamily mortgages were mostly stagnant during the second quarter, according to new data from the Mortgage Bankers Association.
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House Report on CFPB’s Wells Fargo Investigation is No Smoking Gun
American Banker, Sept. 28, 2017--Kate Berry (subscription)A GOP report on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Wells Fargo investigation appears aimed at providing more ammunition for potentially ousting Director Richard Cordray, but its impact will likely be limited, observers say.
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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the Need for Reform
American Action Forum, Sept. 28, 2017--Meghan MilloyAs Fannie and Freddie move toward zero retained capital and a heightened possibility of another draw on the Treasury, it is more important than ever that real, substantive reforms be made to the GSEs.
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Cohn: ‘People Don’t Buy Homes Because of the Mortgage Deduction’
The Hill, Sept 28, 2017--Naomi JagodaWhite House National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn on Thursday pushed back against criticism that Republicans' tax plan could hurt the real-estate market, saying, "People don't buy homes because of the mortgage deduction."
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Commercial, Multifamily Mortgage Debt Rises to $3.6 Trillion in U.S.
World Property Journal, Sept. 28, 2017--Michael GerrityAccording to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Debt Outstanding Report, total U.S. commercial and multifamily mortgage debt outstanding rose to $3.06 trillion at the end of the second quarter, as three of the four major investor groups increased their holdings.
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Retail Stores Made Elmira, N.Y., an Unlikely Success–Now They’re Gone
Wall Street Journal, Sept. 27, 2017--Valerie Bauerlein (subscription)The city and its surrounding county, famed for its trail-blazing mall, is more exposed to 2017's brick-and-mortar carnage than almost anywhere in the U.S.
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Ginnie Chief Vows Tougher Scrutiny of Issuers after IG’s Criticism
National Mortgage News, Sept. 27, 2017--Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)Ginnie Mae pledged to vet issuers more thoroughly after a government watchdog criticized its exposure to risks posed by nonbanks.
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Homeowner Tax Relief Looks Vulnerable as Industry Breaks Ranks
Politico, Sept. 27, 2017--Lorraine WoellertThe National Association of Home Builders split with industry allies to endorse a White House plan that reduces tax breaks for homeowners, increasing the vulnerability of a write-off that was once considered untouchable. David Stevens, president and chief executive officer of the Mortgage Bankers Association, said he was waiting for more details on the proposal.
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Commercial Debt Pushes Above $3 Trillion
Scotsman Guide, Sept. 27, 2017--Victor WhitmanOverall commercial and multifamily debt rose to $3.06 trillion at the end of the second quarter as three of the four major investor groups increased their holdings, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
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Lenders Host Mortgage Assistance Events for Homeowners After Harvey
Houston Chronicle, Sept. 26, 2017--Katherine FeserHomeowners whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey with mortgage loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration are invited to learn about their options and resources at free mortgage assistance events held this week and next.
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New Post-Crisis Low for Freddie’s Delinquency
Mortgage Daily, Sept. 26, 2017Freddie Mac's book of business grew from a month earlier, when it stood at $2.0439 trillion. It was also up from a year earlier, when it was $1.9795 trillion.
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Corker’s Retirement May Change GSE Reform Calculus
National Mortgage News, Sept. 26, 2017--Kate Berry, Rob Blackwell (subscription)Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., a key voice in the debate over housing finance reform and one of the Senate Banking Committee's most influential members, announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election in 2018.
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Trying to Stem Fallout From Breach, Equifax Replaces CEO
New York Times, Sept. 26, 2017--Ron Lieber, Stacy CowleyRichard Smith is out as Equifax CEO. The shake-up is the culmination of weeks of mounting public and legal pressure on the Atlanta-based data clearinghouse from citizens, politicians and investors.
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Mortgage Firms ‘Churning’ Refinance Loans to Veterans
Wall Street Journal, Sept. 27, 2017--Christina Rexrode (subscription)Ginnie Mae is targeting lenders who aggressively push military veterans to refinance their home loans, leading the borrowers in some cases to rack up thousands of dollars in unnecessary fees.
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