Data

On Wednesday, December 16, the Federal Open Market Committee (the policy-making arm of the Federal Reserve) will wrap its eighth and final meeting of 2015. Nearly everyone from economists, analysts, and even the policymakers themselves are predicting the FOMC to announce the Fed’s first federal funds rate hike in nine years.

While many factors contribute to the overall health of the housing market and economy, home equity is providing a major boost to the overall position of U.S. households.

Mortech, a Zillow Group business that offers technology solutions for mortgage bankers and secondary market teams, announced Tuesday that its product and pricing engine (PPE) and secondary marketing solutions are now integrated into Calyx’s Point and PointCentral (Point) loan origination software (LOS).

Although credit standards are easing, job markets are improving, and consumers continue to show the desire to own a home, actual homeownership remains at a low level across the nation.

A survey of 95 national banks and federal savings associations revealed overall on average, those institutions have eased their underwriting standards for the third consecutive year, according to a report from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Since the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures (TRID) rule went into effect on October 3, 2015, the mortgage industry has been mostly quiet about its effects—that is until now.

Although the housing market is expected to see slower growth in 2016, the industry is expected to continue on the path to recovery as the market expands and more households are formed.

Housing in some metros over the last four years has recovered more quickly driven by substantial economic growth, while housing has been slow to recover in some metros based on sluggish economic growth.

Homeowners and appraisers are inching closer to seeing eye to eye in terms of home value opinions. Quicken Loans’ national Home Price Perception Index found that the average appraisal in November was 1.87 percent lower than the value the homeowner expected.

The housing industry has become so accustomed to believing that renting is a popular trend and option among the millennial generation. However, research shows that picture is distorted and younger consumers are not as big on renting as we believe they are.