The decline can be attributed to a reduction of $757 in equity investment income and $211 million related to additional market-related adjustments on the bank's debt securities portfolio, due to long-term lower interest rates' impact.
Read More »Housing Market ‘Steady to Improving’ Across Most Fed Districts in Beige Book
Most Fed districts reported improvement in residential real estate, namely Cleveland, Richmond, Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, and San Francisco. The remaining districts reported steady residential real estate activity, except for New York, which said conditions were softening. Construction activity slowed in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Dallas due to harsh winter weather conditions.
Read More »Survey Indicates Builder Confidence on the Rise
But improved builder confidence isn’t the only thing the HMI survey found. The report also shows jumps in other measurables as well. Builders’ expected buyer traffic increased four points, current sales conditions rose three points, and future sales expectations saw an increase, too, jumping from 59 to 64 points in the last month. According to NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe, these sales expectations numbers are at the highest level they’ve been all year–a good omen for the months to come.
Read More »Study Finds Houses Moving Fast in the West, Slow in the East
Compared to a year ago, the overall pace of sales nationally has sped up. Last spring, about 62 percent of all homes Trulia track nationwide were still on the market at the 60-day mark. Wednesday’s report showed that number is now down to 60 percent.
Read More »House Votes to Amend Part of Dodd-Frank to Make Manufactured Home Mortgages Affordable
The first measure, which passed 263-162, would alter the meaning of “high cost" mortgages for manufactured housing by exempting mortgages from the classification if the transaction is less than $75,000, the annual percentage rate is 10 percent or lower, and if the mortgage points and fees don’t exceed $3,000.
Read More »Top Single-Family Homes Markets Follow Job Growth
Auction.com today released its latest look at the top 49 markets for single-family homes and found that Denver, San Antonio, Nashville, Fort Lauderdale, and Dallas lead the pack in terms of rising home prices, affordability, demand, and economic and demographic conditions that pave the way for future demand.
Read More »Chase, Wells Fargo Post Solid Q1 Revenues
Wells Fargo's noninterest income for Q1, $10.3 billion, was an increase of $29 million from the previous quarter. The bank received higher income from trading activities, debt security gains, mortgage origination gains, and insurance, which were offset by lower other income, such as from mortgage servicing (which were $108 million for Q1, compared to $235 million for the previous quarter).
Read More »Many Borrowers Face Higher Payments When HELOCs Reset
In raw dollars and cents, take this example from Bankrate: A $30,000 balance at 3.25 percent interest (the current prime rate) equals a minimum payment of $81.25. But after the 10-year mark, that balance resets to a 20-year repayment schedule and the minimum due each month bloats to $170.16.
Read More »Fannie Mae Launches Program to Assist First-Time Buyers With Closing Costs
Fannie Mae has announced the launch of the HomePath Ready Buyer program, through which qualifying homebuyers can receive up to 3 percent of the home's purchase price in closing cost assistance toward the purchase of a HomePath property.
Read More »Ocwen Financial Announces $564 Million Loss for 2014
Despite the recent turmoil, Ocwen’s president and CEO, Ron Faris, said he expects his company to have a profitable 2015. "I am encouraged by the progress Ocwen has made so far,” Faris said. “We currently expect to … meet all of our ongoing financial and servicing obligations.”
Read More »