Servicing Newslinks Archive

“Instead of getting married or starting a family in their early to mid-twenties as was the norm in past decades, many are waiting until they are established in their careers. And the typical career trajectory has fundamentally changed since the 1960s as well–rather than climbing a corporate ladder, many are choosing to hop from one role or function to the next, often requiring a move to a new location.” –Sarah Mikhitarian, senior economist with Zillow, Seattle.

“The YIMBY Act will help communities recognize their own agency in the housing shortage and provide them with a framework for smarter policymaking. The bipartisan sponsorship of this bill demonstrates the congress’ commitment to innovative solutions to improve the lives of American families.”–From an MBA/trade group letter urging support for a House bill that would eliminate discriminatory land use policies and remove barriers that prevent production of housing.

“The strong economy, low interest rates and liquid finance markets are all contributing to delinquency rates that are at or near record lows for commercial and multifamily mortgage loans. Despite uncertainty on many economic fronts, it is hard to identify factors that would dramatically change the delinquency rate picture in the near term.”–MBA Vice President of Commercial Research & Economics Jamie Woodwell.

“Those in the mortgage industry understand the importance of protecting their customers’ privacy and are acutely aware of their responsibility to protect information and ensure the data they collect is used for appropriate purposes. In order to balance the risk and reward, so that consumers may enjoy the convenience certain innovations provide, there must be parallel development of oversight and regulation to address the issues raised when technology is used. We can ensure responsible innovation without creating unnecessary barriers to widespread use.”–MBA President & CEO Robert Broeksmit, CMB.

“We are gratified that the reports reflect many of the important priorities that MBA has long recommended, including protecting taxpayers from future bailouts, an explicit government guarantee on qualified mortgage-backed securities for single-family and multifamily loans, increased competition and consumer choice via potential additional guarantors and ensuring a level playing field for lenders of all sizes and business models. The reports recognize the need to better coordinate the roles of FHA and the GSEs. Such coordination must preserve affordable financing options for a wide range of borrowers and reflect the vital role FHA plays in the larger housing finance system.”–MBA President and CEO Robert Broeksmit, CMB, on the Trump Administration’s proposal for GSE reform.

“With anticipated increases in prepayment activity, we saw hits to servicing profitability resulting from mortgage servicing right markdowns and amortization. Nonetheless, the profitability on the production side of the business generally outweighed servicing losses.”–MBA Vice President of Industry Analysis Marina Walsh.

“Existing home sales make up approximately 90 percent of all home sales, which means existing homeowners must sell their homes in order for homes to be available for sale. Rising tenure length, therefore, means both fewer buyers and fewer homes on the market, keeping existing-home sales below potential.”–First American Chief Economist Mark Fleming.