Origination

The DOJ filed a motion to have the lawsuit dismissed in May 2014, and Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia accepted the motion, claiming the plaintiff did not have sufficient grounds to sue the Justice Department.

Mortgage refinance rates climbed another 8 percent in February to 59 percent, making it the highest it has been since May 2013. According to Ellie Mae’s Origination Report released Wednesday that number is almost doubled the rate seen six months ago in August 2014 and 16 percentage points higher than the year-over-year figure of 38.

Compared to the first and fourth quarter of last year, results show more lenders expect mortgage demand and their profit margin to grow over the next three months. Of the senior mortgage executives surveyed, 69 percent said they felt the economy was on the right track.

The report predicts the 2015 purchase volume will feature over 3.3 million loans totaling to $782.6 billion. The 2015 refinance volume range is between 1.41 million loans at the low end totaling to $305.9 billion to 1.77 million loans at the high end totaling to $384 billion. The 2015 expected low end for total mortgage value is 4.74 million loans for 1,088.5 billion. The high end is 5.1 million loans at $1,166.6 billion.

The Urban Institute has released a report discussing the impact of these changes and the likelihood Freddie Mac will need to take another draw from the Treasury. Accord to the report, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac made a combined profit of over $120 million in 2013. But by 2014 the net profit from both institutions fell by 80 percent, with Fannie Mae profit totaling to $14 billion and Freddie totaling $8 billion. More alarming were Freddie’s fourth quarter profits, which were down 90 percent from just the previous quarter.

According to Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial, “the Great Recession delayed, but did not destroy, dreams of home ownership.” Now, increased job growth, a return of non-bank lenders to the mortgage market, and the expansion of low down payment options should prompt more buyers to enter the market, according to Swonk. According to the report, housing starts are expected to rise at a double-digit pace to 1.14 million, the first year above the 1 million unit mark since 2007. Single family starts are expected to show new signs of life. Home sales are expected to rise a moderate 3 percent to 5.7 million.

Mortgage credit availability reached its peak in August 2004, recording an index score of 134.6. Access began to drop over the next several years. Then, in May 2007, both the housing and mortgage availability began a multiple year plunge, leaving home values down more than 22 percent and credit the tightest it had been in years. In September 2010, the ZMAI bottomed out at 9.6. Today, the ZMAI currently sits at 71.5 and access to mortgage credit has improved significantly, and is roughly two-thirds of the way back to the 2002 pre-crisis level of 100.

Respondents cited low interest rates, a strong refinance business and higher consumer confidence as reasons for the increase in optimism. Those surveyed also mentioned incorporating new regulatory changes over the last year has helped them overcome obstacles of the past. Those who said their current business conditions have gotten worse cited regulatory challenges, minimal wage growth, and the end of the refinance boom.

In 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued guidelines to expand the range of loan products that can be considered high-cost mortgages under the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA). According to the senators, the CFPB guidelines went into effect in January 2014 with the CFPB failing to recognize how unique manufactured home loans can be. After the guidelines were released a large percentage of small-balance loans used for the purchase of affordable manufactured housing were classified as high cost loans. As a result, lender liabilities associated with making and obtaining HOEPA high cost mortgage has increased. This could lead to a loss of credit available to those seeking to purchase manufactured housing.

The report also found improper use of lender credit and failure to provide Goof Faith Estimate (GFE) in a timely manner as other violations. Supervision found instances where lender amounts disclosed to HUD exceeded the GFE, due to inadequate training and policies. GFEs were delayed beyond the three-business day requirement at some institutions due to policies and procedures that did not properly define when an application was received. The CFPB also found social media advertising was not monitored by institutions, a violation of Regulation Z which requires disclosures to be posted with any advertisements.