Tag Archives: Freddie Mac

The Market Composite Index in the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) weekly applications survey rose 1.8 percent for the week ending April 26.

First-quarter commercial and multifamily loan originations decreased 36 percent quarter-over-quarter but climbed 9 percent over the same period last year, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported. According to MBA, the overall increase in commercial/multifamily lending volume was driven largely by increases in originations for hotel and multifamily properties, which rose 35 percent and 30 percent, respectively. Compared to last quarter, numbers were down, following the traditional seasonal pattern.

Freddie Mac's total mortgage portfolio grew in March for the first time this year, according to the GSE's monthly volume summary.

Mortgage rates dipped last week--some of them hitting record lows--as unstable economic news left investors with visions of another potential economic slowdown.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) released Tuesday its House Price Index (HPI) for February, revealing home prices rose 0.7 percent month-over-month on a seasonally adjusted basis. Year-over-year, U.S. house prices were up 7.1 percent. As of February, the U.S. index rested at 196.3, 13.6 percent below its peak in April 2007 and was roughly the same as its October 2004 reading. FHFA's index has not declined on a monthly basis since January 2012.

Freddie Mac announced it is now offering a free, online CreditSmart tutorial to provide working families and new or inexperienced borrowers with basic sound information about building savings, personal credit, and making wise financial choices.

Construction employment proved to be the silver lining in March's otherwise dismal job report, Freddie Mac says in its economic and housing outlook for April.

Commercial and multifamily originations rose 33 percent to $244.2 billion in 2012, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).

David B. Lowman, a long-time senior leader in the mortgage finance industry, is joining Freddie Mac as EVP of the Single-Family Business effective May 20, the company announced.

After recently reporting predictions of declining originations, FBR Capital Markets & Co., now says the market looks a little brighter, and a resurgence of refinances through the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) will contribute to originations volumes this year. While FBR maintains its prediction that origination volume will be lower than the volumes recorded in the second half of last year, the company now suggests originations "will largely be better than the 20-25 percent drop-off we projected late last week."