Daily Dose

Warren Buffett weighed in on the recent Wells Fargo scandal, which saw its sales reps create fake accounts in order to meet quotas, at a recent Q&A with Berkshire Hathaway shareholders. According to the billionaire, the bank incentivized the "wrong kind of behavior," and CEO John Stumpf should've acted sooner. Buffett also covered the firm's recent earnings report and expected corporate tax cuts.

A new poll shows about half of non-homeowning Americans plan to buy a home in the next five years. Another 20 percent will buy in the next decade. Intent to purchase was highest with those between 35 and 54, as well as those located in the Southern U.S.

On Monday, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac released their proposed Duty to Serve (DTS) plans. The purpose of the plan is to better serve some persistent affordable housing problems in the U.S. DTS is a Federal Housing Finance Agency plan which requires Fannie and Freddie to increase the availability of mortgage financing in rural housing, manufactured housing, and affordable housing preservation in order to serve very low- to moderate-income families.

A recent housing report showed new construction increased in some of the country’s major metropolitan areas during the first quarter of this year. Much of this increase appears to be driven by increased housing demands and decreased supply. However, higher prices, rising construction costs and proximity to where consumers want to be are impacting just how much of an increase can be realized.

A recently-published letter from Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), originally sent in April to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, informed Mnuchin of the Financial Services Committee’s intention to retain control of all communication between the committee and the Treasury. Under the 1967 Freedom of Information Act, Congress is exempt from requests for records and material, and as Hensarling stated, communications between the Financial Services Committee and various branches of government constitute congressional records. The Financial Services Committee’s top Democratic Representative, Maxine Waters (D-California), criticized Hensarling’s letters.

Fannie Mae’s newest Home Purchase Sentiment Index report shows overall consumer confidence back to where it was in February. More people are bullish on buying and more feel safer in their jobs. And more than ever, survey respondents feel better about getting a mortgage today.

On Thursday at 10 a.m. EST, the Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing titled “The Status of the Housing Finance System After Nine Years of Conservatorship,” with Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Mel Watt serving as a witness. With Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac preparing for change under the current administration, the nine-year mark of the conservatorship of the GSEs could mean big changes.

There are a number of challenges mortgage lenders need to be aware of in their marketing and communication efforts, including advertising. The agencies and the regulations covering deceptive advertising and fair lending are more than just an alphabet soup of government acronyms. And they’re not something only your compliance officer needs to be aware of.

A new study from Northwestern Mutual paints a dim view of American debt. While mortgages make up the largest share of monthly debts, credit cards and student expenses aren’t far behind. And plenty of Americans expect long-term debt in their futures.

Friday’s employment report for April from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed strong growth overall, but the same could not be said for the mortgage industry. Industry professionals called the report's mortgage job data "disappointing," but the jump in growth in all jobs could mean further rate hikes from the Fed.