Daily Dose

Representatives from the leading mortgage servicers and default servicing law firms in the U.S. met to discuss issues currently impacting business. Attendees listed to several panels and speakers to learn more about changes and issues the industry faces.

President Donald Trump may be gearing up to nominated Brian Montgomery to head up the FHA. Currently the Vice Chairman of The Collingwood Group, Montgomery previously served as FHA Commissioner under President George W. Bush and President Obama. He also served as Asisstant Secretary for HUD and Deputy Assistant at the White House.

New research reveals the nation's top "sweet spots" for new grads, offering a healthy job market and affordable living. These sweet spots include Detroit; Seattle; Baltimore; Pittsburgh; Dayton, Ohio; and Hartford, Connecticut. The cities with the best market for recent grad jobs are likely out-of-budget for most.

Proactive and novel approaches prove key to properly servicing loans—and the next generation of borrowers—in this era of rising rates, shifting purchase trends, a freshly implemented administration, an evolving regulatory environment, and rapidly accelerating technology.

Because of the need to establish this fiscal balance, the road to achieve Trump’s proposals will be long and rocky, and will require the hard work and cooperation of both sides of the aisle. This proposal has also raised many questions about what Trump’s plan would mean for the housing market. Due to the current lack of detail in his proposed outline, it is difficult to accurately predict the impact a tax system overhaul of this magnitude would have on the economy.

According to new analysis, loosening zoning regulations in the nation's most productive cities could help spur economic growth. These regulations are keeping developers from building new housing opportunities. Ultimately, this restricts Americans to more affordable, smaller cities where they're less productive.

According to a new report, both 30-day delinquencies and 90-day delinquencies are down over the year, and foreclosure inventory has dropped. Only 5 percent of mortgages are 30 or more days delinquent, a dip from February 2016’s 5.5 percent. Loans 90 or more days delinquent are down too, falling from 2.8 percent to 2.2 percent year over year. The number of homes currently at some stage of the foreclosure process dropped from 1.1 percent to 0.8 percent.

Homeowner estimates and appraised values continue diverge, with April marking the fifth consecutive month the gap between the two has widened. Appraised values were 1.9 percent lower than homeowner expectations for the month. Discrepancies were highest in the West.

The House of Representatives has amended HR 1694, extending the nine exemptions of the Freedom of Information Act to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The amendment was sponsored by Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Georgia). Passed in April, HR 1694 requires the GSEs to adhere to the FOIA, something they've never had to do since entering conservatorship in 2008.

Decreases in construction jobs have just added to the inventory problems. According to analysis form the National Association of Homebuilders and the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, construction jobs saw a dip in March. Additionally, construction costs have been on the rise, possibly adding to this decline in construction sector employment.