Bill Griffin, EVP at Lender Processing Services (LPS), has been elected to serve on the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) board of directors, the company announced.
Read More »First Estimate of Third-Quarter GDP Growth Beats Expectations
The nation's economy performed well above expectations in the third quarter, according to an advance GDP estimate released Thursday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). BEA's report shows third-quarter growth rose to an annual rate of 2.8 percent, beating the second quarter's 2.5 percent. The median forecast among economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for 2.0 percent growth. Real residential fixed investment, a measure of housing's contribution to the economy, increased 14.6 percent.
Read More »Homeownership Rate Report Spurs Mixed Reactions
The national homeownership rate stands at 65.3 percent as of the end of the third quarter, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous quarter, but down 0.2 percentage points from last year, according to the Census Bureau. While the quarterly rise has some analysts expressing hope that housing has reached a turning point, others focused more on the slow pace of growth as a sign that young adults still aren't in a position to create their own households.
Read More »Are Bubble Fears Finally Justified?
Fitch Ratings stated unabashedly a fear that has been whispered across the industry for the past several months--a looming bubble in some markets.
Read More »ReverseVision Launches Online Education Platform
ReverseVision, Inc., announced the availability of its latest product: ReverseVision University, an online education platform to teach mortgage professionals about the reverse mortgage industry.
Read More »Despite Late-Month Drop, Loan Apps Rebound in October
Mortgage application volume increased throughout October, but a substantial decline recorded in the month's final days has experts at Capital Economics doubting that the trend will continue for the time being. Using application numbers released by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), Capital Economics calculated a 7.5 percent increase in applications in October, pulling activity up from a five-month streak of declines. However, for the week ending November 1, MBA reported a 7.0 percent drop.
Read More »Freddie Mac Prices Transaction to Share Credit Risk with Private Investors
Freddie Mac announced Tuesday it has priced a $630 million offering of Structured Agency Credit Risk (STACR) debt notes, marking the second STACR offering in which private sources--not taxpayers--took on the credit risk. "STACR is part of Freddie Mac's strategy to share credit risk with private investors while also fostering an agency credit market," said David Lowman, EVP of single-family business for the GSE.
Read More »LendingTree Reveals Top Lenders in Network for Q3
LendingTree released on Tuesday its rankings for the top 10 customer-rated lenders in its network for Q3, showing a number of new names and a shift among those who appeared in the second quarter's rankings. The rankings are based on a weighted average of the ratings and volume of reviews, with customers judging the companies on mortgage rates, fees and closing costs, responsiveness, customer service, and their overall experience. California's Pacific Beneficial Mortgage Company took the No. 1 spot.
Read More »Fannie, Freddie Directed to Restrict Force-Placed Insurance Practices
Citing concerns about the costs of force-placed insurance for the GSEs and consumers alike, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) on Tuesday directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prohibit servicers from taking reimbursements from insurers providing forced policies. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will provide aligned guidance to sellers and servicers to prohibit these practices, including implementation schedules. In addition, acting FHFA director Edward DeMarco announced the agency is considering further measures.
Read More »JPMorgan-Led Effort to Employ Military Veterans Nears Goal
A private-sector initiative launched by JPMorgan Chase in early 2011, the 100,000 Jobs Mission, is less than 8,000 positions from its goal. Member companies have collectively hired 92,869 U.S. military veterans through the third quarter of 2013, the organization recently reported.
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