Daily Dose

Tight inventory is continuing to drive home prices upward, but despite the uptick in cost, sales aren’t slowing down anytime soon. According to a report covering March housing activity, existing home sales and overall home prices were both up. The expected rise in interest rates likely pushed buyers into the market ahead of the spring season.

Nationstar mortgage announced that it received the Servicer Total Achievement and Rewards (STAR) performer recognition for overall performance from Fannie Mae. Fannie Mae’s STAR Program aims to recognize the highest performing servicers for customer service. This is the third year in a row in which Nationstar has received the recognition.

The April Economic and Housing Outlook report from Fannie Mae paints a steady picture of an economy the GSE expects to give no big surprises. The combination of potential political unrest home and abroad and a smoothly growing housing market are keeping the GSE’s predictions on the safe side. Still, housing is a significant bright spot this year.

At the end of Q1 2017, M&T bank reported a mortgage banking revenue of $85 million, a $3 million increase from Q1 2016, but a decrease from Q4 2016’s $98 million. The bank’s real estate and other foreclosed assets dropped from $188 million to $119 million year-over-year, and quarterly from $139 million.

Zillow will release its Real Estate Markets Report for March 2017. The report covers several data points, including demand, home prices, inventory, and sales numbers. One thing to keep an eye out for in March is inventory levels. The previous report, from February 2017, showed declining inventory overall, a problem further developed by high demand.

According to a new report, homes are selling faster, at higher prices, and in higher volumes—all thanks to a tight inventory and ever-rising demand. Prices jumped the most in Manchester, New Hampshire, while sales saw the biggest increase in Richmond, Virginia. Months of supply dipped below three months for the first time in the report’s nine-year history.

As mortgage applications increase, mortgage rates have begun to drop, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and Freddie Mac. The MBA’s Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, rose 1.5 percent from a week earlier, while the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped from 4.10 to 4.08 percent. The average loan size for purchase applications was at $318,700, a survey high.

New home purchases are on the rise. Recent reports show increases in new home purchases. According to the Survey, year-over-year new home purchases for March 2017 increased 6.7 percent compared to March 2016. Month-over-month, applications grew 23 percent. Average loan size decreased in March, from $330,208 in February to $328,192.

The National Mortgage Servicing Association (NMSA), recently announced the appointment of Ray Barbone, EVP, of Mortgage Services at BankUnited, as the new NMSA Chairperson. Barbone assumed the seat recently vacated by J.K. Huey, SVP at Wells Fargo, during the NMSA annual member meeting on April 5 in Washington D.C.

The increased amount of data which the CFPB has required lenders to report has led increased complications. Several lenders and trade groups have asked for clarification on the definition and reporting requirements for new HMDA reporting categories, such as “loan purpose” the unique identifier for the originator of the loan. In a statement, the CFPB let firms know that they can avoid reporting on those topics if they do not have the information due to loans which were purchased from a third party.