Most publicly-traded companies reported declining net earnings from their mortgage banking operations during the third quarter of 2015, according to a new Inside Mortgage Trends analysis. A diverse group of 34 major mortgage lenders that includes most of the top lenders and servicers posted a combined $3.56 billion in income from their mortgage banking activity during the third quarter. That was down 25.8 percent from the second quarter of 2015. The declining profitability was...[Includes one data table]
Now that rates are rising, one might expect Freddie to have a blow-out quarter in 4Q. Will Rep. Garrett issue a statement in February congratulating the GSE on a great job?
A helpful piece of advice: MSA participants should avoid entering into agreements that provide for exclusivity, such as being named a preferred lender.
Marketing services agreements aren’t outlawed – yet. But given that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s recent guidance on such arrangements doesn’t address the features of what an acceptable MSA would look like, it’s particularly challenging to figure out how best to proceed. Perhaps the only real way forward is to try to avoid those aspects of MSAs that the bureau has clearly identified as problematic, top industry compliance attorneys said during a webinar sponsored by Inside Mortgage Finance last week. “The best we can do is...
American International Group this week cleared the air regarding a potential spinoff of its profitable mortgage insurance division, saying it likes the MI business very much and considers it a “core” asset. In other words, it’s not for sale. Then again, during AIG’s third-quarter earnings call, President and CEO Peter Hancock left open the door to a possible sale of United Guaranty, saying that “over time” the company likes to maintain its flexibility and that if the “right offer to monetize assets” came along, it would ponder a bid. “It gives...
A month has passed since the mortgage industry began making new Truth in Lending Act/Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act integrated disclosures (TRID) without any reports of anticipated and widespread delays in loan closings. That’s the good news. The bad news is that some lenders are being overly careful on sharing the buyer-disclosure form, which is used to pay third parties involved in the mortgage process. And that means certain vendors, including Realtors, aren’t getting paid in a timely fashion. According to interviews conducted by Inside Mortgage Finance over the past week, there also appears...
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