U.S. Military Personnel Continue to Report Problems With Their Mortgages. Complaints to the CFPB from American military personnel about their mortgages rose 10 percent from 2014 to 2015, according to a recent report from the bureau. The good news for mortgage lenders is that total complaints about their operations – roughly 9,900 – were less than half of the total generated by debt collection practices, which came to about 20,500. ... FHFA Wants Public Input on National Mortgage Borrower Survey. The Federal Housing Finance Agency is seeking public comments about the American Survey of Mortgage Borrowers, an information collection effort otherwise known as the National Survey of Existing Mortgage Borrowers. ...
The last couple of application reports from the Mortgage Bankers Association have been tepid, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the first quarter – which closed on Thursday – was much better than what many executives were expecting back in early January. Moreover, many mortgage officials interviewed by Inside Mortgage Trends believe that if it weren’t for concerns about the integrated disclosure rule known as TRID, origination volumes would have been ...
Mortgage servicing activities generated stronger profits during the fourth quarter, helping to offset a drop in production-related income, according to a new Inside Mortgage Trends analysis of corporate earnings releases from a group of 13 major lenders. As a group, the 13 lenders reported $612.9 million in mortgage servicing income for the fourth quarter, up 94.5 percent from the previous three-month period. However, three shops reported losses during ... [Includes one data chart]
United Guaranty, the largest private mortgage insurer in the nation, filed to go public this week, touting its market position, longevity and the strong profits it posted over the past two years. Then again, it’s been a tough market for mortgage-related stocks this year. Overall, United Guaranty hopes to raise $100 million by selling 19.9 percent of the firm, with its parent company, American International Group, retaining the balance while setting the stage for eventual ...
An estimated 96 million adults in the U.S. are renters who have never had a mortgage, many of whom would seem to be prime targets for first-time homeownership. However, more than half of the renter population is unlikely to receive mortgage financing anytime soon, due to underwriting factors or a preference to remain a renter, according to industry analysts. In a new report, researchers at the Urban Institute’s Housing Finance Policy Center developed ...
Individual borrowers purchasing homes in the era of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s integrated disclosure rule, dubbed TRID, generally seem to be having an improved overall customer experience, despite a few bumps in the road, according to two recent surveys. But the progress for homeowners is coming at the expense of mortgage lenders. A survey from the STRATMOR consultancy found that overall borrower satisfaction is at a multi-year high ...
United Guaranty, the market leader in private mortgage insurance – and a key partner of the GSEs – made it official this week, filing for an initial public offering of common stock in a transaction valued at $100 million. UG’s parent company American International Group will retain ownership of 80.1 percent of the firm, with the public getting the balance. As the company notes in its IPO documents, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must approve the spin-off. But when that will happen remains unclear. No specifics are addressed in the S-1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission and a spokesman for UG declined to comment on the matter.
Housing advocates and civil rights groups laud the GSEs’ first payment, $180 million, to the National Housing Trust Fund in years. It’s part of Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s efforts to support underserved markets through affordable housing, which organizations have long been calling for. But many are also worried about what the future holds for the GSEs. Wade Henderson, President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights calls it “another significant measure taken by FHFA Director Mel Watt to shore up the commitments made to communities of color that expand affordable and sustainable housing finance.” He added that strengthening...
Fannie Launches Marketing Center. Fannie Mae’s new Marketing Center, introduced this week, is a free online tool providing lenders and other housing professionals access to a variety of customizable marketing materials including HomeReady mortgage, HARP, and more. Freddie’s Second ACIS CTR of 2016: Freddie Mac announced its latest ACIS credit risk transaction, which is its second for 2016. This new transaction provides credit loss protection up to a combined maximum limit of approximately $336 million of losses on single-family loans. White House GSE Advisor Steps Down. White House senior policy advisor on housing and GSE issues Michael Stegman is expected to step down from his post sometime this week, according to industry sources.
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