The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently proposed an expansion of its consumer complaint database that would include publicly publishing full narratives of consumers' complaints against financial institutions. While the bureau suggests such action supports the goal of "[improving] the functioning, transparency, and efficiency of markets," not all agree.
Read More »FHFA Gains Support for Single Security Proposal
Following the Federal Housing Finance Agency's (FHFA's) recent request for input on its proposal for a single security for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Urban Institute expressed support for the idea but concern that FHFA may be unnecessarily slow in implementing such a plan.
Read More »Payment Shock Looms with 2.5M HELOCs Poised to Reset
Payment shock among holders of home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) is a growing concern as 2.5 million HELOCs are scheduled to reset over the next three years, according to the latest Mortgage Monitor Report from Black Knight Financial Services. In fact, the average HELOC holder faces a monthly payment increase of $250 sometime in the next three years as he or she reaches the end-of-draw period.
Read More »More Evidence Suggests QM Rule Isn’t Having ‘Significant’ Impact on Lending Yet
Before implementation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's qualified mortgage (QM) and ability-to-repay rules, many industry analysts expressed concerns over the ultimate impact of these rules on mortgage lending and access to credit. Now that the rules have been in effect several months, the debate over the impact of these rules has only intensified.
Read More »Housing Affordability Takes a Hit, Still Looks Favorable
Housing affordability took a hit in the second quarter but remains historically high, according to the Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) released by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo. However, the decline in affordability is nothing to worry about, according to NAHB.
Read More »Early Indicators Suggest Uptick in New Home Sales
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) estimates purchase applications for new homes nudged up 2 percent compared to June. The increase does not account for any typical seasonal patterns. Factoring in seasonal adjustments, MBA says July single-family new home sales ran at an annual rate of 433,000 homes, up from 386,000 in June, representing a 12.2 percent rise.
Read More »Survey: Older Buyers Ready to Enter Single-Family Market as Home Sales Rise
Despite a decline in home starts in June, homebuilder confidence in the single-family, 55+ market is on the rise. In fact, the second quarter marked the 11th consecutive year-over-year increase in confidence in this sector, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
Read More »ATR, QM Aren’t Majorly Impacting Prime Mortgage Market
The ability-to-repay and qualified mortgage (QM) rules that went into effect earlier this year are not having a significant impact on approvals of prime conforming residential mortgage loans, but they are impacting the jumbo and nontraditional loan markets, according to the July 2014 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices conducted by the Federal Reserve.
Read More »Fannies Book of Business Continues Downward Trend, Delinquencies Follow Suit
Fannie Mae's book of business decreased at a compound annualized rate of 1.7 percent over the month of June, slower than the previous month's rate of 2.4 percent but continuing a streak of decreases that has persisted all year so far. Year-to-date, Fannie Mae's book of business has declined at a compound annualized rate of 2.2 percent.
Read More »CFPB Director Responds to Discrimination Complaints
CFPB Director Richard Cordray appeared before the House Financial Services Committee this week to address allegations of discrimination and a culture of retaliation at the agency. While Cordray would not discuss any individual discrimination complaints, he said, "We take each of these allegations very seriously and we will continue to work diligently to resolve any issues through all appropriate channels."
Read More »