Tag Archives: Attorneys & Title Companies

In California, Stearns Lending, Inc., appointed Kathleen L. Vaughan to the newly created role of EVP of national third-party production.

Investment bank FBR's third-quarter mortgage originations estimate is $349 billion, a 29 percent decline over the quarter. The abating refinance market is a major drag on the mortgage industry, and, "[w]e do not believe that there will be a strong enough increase in the purchase market this quarter to offset the loss in refi volume," FBR stated. FBR estimates a 46 percent decline in refinances in the third quarter and a 2 percent rise in purchase originations.

In the latest of its consumer education videos, Zillow recently sat down with the Bipartisan Policy Center's (BPC) Barry Zigas to discuss the center's ideas for GSE reform.

As part of its ongoing efforts to diversify its mortgage services, Newbold Advisors has tapped the talents of 25-year veteran Jim Horne. He will serve as managing director in the firm's Washington, D.C., office. Horne has decades of diversified corporate and consulting experience, primarily in financial services companies.

According to Lender Processing Services' data, the monthly prepayment rate--historically a good indicator of refinance activity--has dipped more than 30 percent in the months since May, with mortgage interest rates climbing nearly 100 basis points in that same time. As a result of those shifts, the percentage of borrowers in loans with interest rates high enough for refinancing to make sense has dropped significantly, says Herb Blecher, SVP for the technology and analytics firm.

Lender Processing Services, Inc. (LPS), announced that AmeriFirst Home Mortgage has completed the implementation of LPS' MSP mortgage and consumer loan servicing platform.

While consumers are still "generally positive" on average about housing and the economy, attitudes over the last few months suggest optimism has hit a plateau, Fannie Mae says. While September's survey results show attitudes leading up to the October shutdown, they do not necessarily reveal its full effects (or those of the pending debt ceiling debate), the company noted. Those results should be seen in the surveys for October and the following months.

Mortgage lending remains tight compared to historical norms, and lending could tighten even further as the government takes steps to lessen its role in the market.

According to recently published data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), the homeownership rate was down in 2012 for the fifth consecutive year, falling to 63.9 percent. "By most measures, 2012 was a year of housing market recovery, with gains in housing construction, home sales, home prices, and mortgage originations. However ... the homeownership rate did not follow suit," said Patrick Simmons, director of strategic planning for Fannie Mae's Economic and Strategic Research Group.

Alan Fields, executive director for the Florida Land Title Association, has joined WFG National Title, the company announced.