Tag Archives: Service Providers

The government sponsored enterprises are feeling the heat from Bank of America. A recent filing from BAC targets Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, stating that the criteria by which the GSEs are ultimately willing to resolve claims have become more rigid over time. By the numbers, BAC sold an estimated $1.1 trillion in mortgage loans to Fannie and Freddie between 2004 and 2008, and during the second quarter of this year, approximately $121 billion of the GSE-owned loans were in default or more than 180 days in arrears.

On the heels of disappointing news in the broader economy, mortgage rates fell precipitously alongside Treasury bond yields Thursday, with Freddie Mac and Bankrate releasing reports that saw new lows for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, 15-year rates, and 5-year adjustable-rate mortgages. Freddie Mac signaled the lowest pullback in 30-year fixed-rate mortgages for the year, with data for the category showing up at 4.39 percent on average, just down from 4.55 percent last week.

CoreLogic was the bearer of some positive housing market news recently, with its announcement that home pricing is on the rise for the third consecutive month. Data from CoreLogic indicates that the results from its Home Price Index for June demonstrate a 0.7 percent increase in the market, building on similar statistical improvements recorded in May and April. CoreLogic notes that pricing is still depressed by 6.8 percent compared to last year's numbers.

SunTrust is going global with United Way Worldwide. Recently named as a Global Corporate Leadership partner for the philanthropic organization, SunTrust has committed a $2.88 million gift from its SunTrust Foundation to the cause. Additionally, SunTrust already contributed $8.4 million during 2010, $4 million of which was pledged by the company's employees, and logged more than 100,000 volunteer hours with United Way via SunTrust's Solid Gives Back initiative.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland has released its commentary on the broader economic effects of the recent closure of local bank branches, as lenders struggle to maintain bottom line viability in the marketplace. The brief, developed by Emre Ergungor and Stephanie Moulton, is titled, Do Bank Branches Matter Anymore?, and the authors├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ó conclusions indicate that the general answer to that large and looming question is a resounding yes, with considerable social impact as a net loss in communities.

A recent ruling by U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., faulted the Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to perform a sufficiently thorough economic impact analysis before it moved forward with a new rule, according to Bloomberg News. The decision could roll over onto provisions established by the Dodd-Frank Act, delaying those provisions and preventing new rules from going into effect. Analysts say the court ruling may delay more Dodd-Frank rules.

In a weekly survey released Wednesday, the Mortgage Bankers Association revealed a 7.1 percent swell in mortgage applications from one week earlier, partly in response to declining mortgage rates. According to the Market Composite Index, which measures total mortgage loan application volume, numbers went up 7.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, increasing at nearly the same percent on an unadjusted basis. From the previous week, the Refinance Index shot up 7.8 percent, alongside updrafts in the Purchase Index.

Reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac without anticipating changes from new limits to government-backed mortgages could make the fixed-rate mortgage a less available product, witnesses told lawmakers Wednesday.

Citing dips in home sales, purchases, and low job growth, some economists say housing is already in a double-dip recession, with reprieve still off for another two years - this despite a last-minute debt deal.

Making the annual list of industry technology leaders for another consecutive year, Financial Industry Computer Systems, Inc., got named to the Top 50 Service Providers, compiled yearly by Mortgage Technology.