Muted Fed hikes should stabilize housing market in 2019: Fannie Mae
Slower growth to interest rates and home prices will boost housing affordability in 2019, according to Fannie Mae.
Mortgage rates
Dropping mortgage rates near levels that could lead to more refis
Falling mortgage rates have reached the point where they are spurring speculation about a possible resurgence in refinancing.
Servicers’ status for 2019? It’s complicated
Mortgage servicing assets are poised for gains in 2019. But as higher average mortgage rates spur lenders to sell servicing rights and diversify their loan offerings, servicers' work will also get more complicated and costly.
A messy Brexit may agitate an already shaky housing market
Average mortgage rates plunged after the United Kingdom first voted to leave the European Union. With uncertainty now growing about how Brexit will actually happen, here's a look at the implications for the housing market and mortgage lending.
Shakeout among mortgage lenders could take time to materialize
Consolidation is coming in the mortgage industry, but a protracted timetable will continue to constrict industry profits.
Top 5% of housing market has largest declines in price growth
Volatility in the stock market caused the growth in the top 5% of average home sale prices to slow more than the rest of the market, according to Redfin.
Conforming loan limits go up for 2019 as home prices keep rising
The sustained rise in home values will boost Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's loan limits for 2019, marking the second consecutive year in which it increased by nearly 7%.
Lower credit score mortgages inch up amid broader subprime resurgence
Subprime originations are climbing in multiple consumer loan categories, including mortgages, but the increase is much smaller in the home loan sector than it is in other markets, according to TransUnion.
Why jumbo mortgage lenders continue to relax underwriting standards
Bank jumbo mortgage underwriting standards weakened in the third quarter by the most in three years and as profitability remains under pressure, loosening should continue at an accelerated pace, a Moody's report said.
Switch to SOFR term rate could cost RMBS investors
The Urban Institute's conclusion is based on estimates that one-year SOFR rates could be 25 to 50 basis points lower than the current Libor equivalent.
By
Glen Fest
Fannie Mae helps the market take another step away from Libor
Fannie Mae has priced more securities that support a transition away from the London interbank offered rate.
Multifamily and commercial mortgage lending hits record high
High property values and low mortgage rates pushed commercial and multifamily originations beyond their projected totals in 2017 to a new market peak, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
GSE reform could increase costs to borrowers: CBO
The Congressional Budget Office has found that restructuring the mortgage market would save the government billions of dollars but may increase the cost of housing.
Nonbank mortgage lenders may need to brace for more cuts
Intensifying margin pressure could spur another wave of cost-cutting at nonbank mortgage lenders, unless other strategies, like consolidation or a mortgage servicing book that could increase in value, offset it.
Annaly Capital Management extends exchange offer to acquire MTGE
The expiration of Annaly Capital Management's offer to purchase MTGE Investment Corp. was delayed until Sept. 7 so the two real estate investment trusts have more time to satisfy deal conditions.
Fannie Mae issues securities to support Libor alternative
Fannie Mae has issued securities supporting the transition away from the London interbank offered rate; something that could become more pressing for lenders if adjustable-rate mortgages were to become more prevalent.
Looser capital rules could stabilize mortgage servicing, banks say
Banks would welcome a proposal to loosen Basel III capital restrictions because it would make holding mortgage servicing rights easier and stem the recent exodus of depositories from the servicing business, executives said.
As 10 year Treasury yields spike, local mortgage rates will matter more
As inflation fears put upward pressure on 10-year Treasury bonds and mortgage rates nationally, borrowers could start to take more notice of what lenders are charging them locally.
