Daily Dose

Freddie Mac has added another innovation to its suite of credit risk transfer offerings. According to a recent press release, the Enterprise added its first two Agency Credit Insurance Structure (ACIS) transactions that provide coverage based on both first loss and actual losses realized on a reference pool of residential mortgages.

Zillow's Breakeven Horizon analysis determined that homebuyers who made the biggest financial gains over the last decade entered the market at its lowest point. The analysis found that homeowners can still break even on a home purchase in less than two years, even while many buyers who bought 10 years ago have not broke even.

The conflicts of student loan debt surpass just actual repayment. Trulia research titled "The Debt of Wrath: Do Student Loans Affect Saving for a Home?" recently found that college degrees hinder young millennials from saving up for a 20 percent down payment on a home due to student loan repayment, but in the most expensive markets, only those with a college degree will be capable of saving up enough for a home in their lifetime.

Large firms are more positive about ALTA best practice compliance framework than their smaller counterparts, according to the second annual 2015 ComplianceSuccess Survey from Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP (HA&W), a Georgia-based tax, accounting, and business consulting firm.

Arch Mortgage Insurance (MI) Company, a provider of private mortgage insurance and a wholly owned subsidiary of Arch Capital Group Ltd., recently released the Summer 2015 edition of its Housing and Mortgage Market Review. The review contains the latest Arch MI Risk Index model results which revealed that the national average risk of price declines remains unchanged at 8 percent and North Dakota and Texas have elevated risks due to oil and gas exposure and higher home prices in relation to incomes.

Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Common Securitization Solutions, LLC (CSS) jointly announced on Wednesday the development of an Industry Advisory Group. The group will provide feedback and share information on efforts to build the Common Securitization Platform (CSP) and implement the Single Security.

HUD announced Wednesday the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Final Rule, which will help communities that receive HUD funding get the help they need to meet fair housing obligations in the use of HUD funds.

The Total Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI) decreased in June, indicating that lending standards are tightening, according to a release from the Mortgage Bankers Association on Tuesday. The Total MCAI, which was benchmarked to 100 in March 2012, declined by 0.5 percent in June down to 122.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate has dropped five points from last week, following the widespread crisis in Greece. According to Zillow Mortgages, the current rate is 3.88 percent. It rose to 3.97 percent on Wednesday and stayed there throughout the holiday weekend, then fell to the current rate early this week.

In May, the amount of open, unfilled construction sector positions increased over a slightly downwardly revised April estimate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) analysis presented by Robert Dietz on their Eye on Housing blog. The number of construction jobs increased from 137,000 in April to 149,000 in May on a seasonally adjusted basis.