Homebuilders are optimistic about the rising trend in the housing market for persons 55 years of age and over. The National Association of Home Builders’ 55+ Housing Market Index showed an increase of two points to 59 in the third quarter from the previous quarter. That marks the 10th consecutive quarter in which the index has risen above the break-even point of 50, according to the trade group. The two-point increase suggests that more builders view housing-market conditions ...
The average age of first-time homebuyers tied a record high this year, and many potential first-time homebuyers are having difficulties finding affordable properties and saving for a downpayment, according to the National Association of Realtors. NAR’s annual profile of homebuyers and sellers found that the median age of first-timers was 32, up from 31 over the past five years. First-time homebuyers accounted for 35.0 percent of home purchases in 2016, up from a ...
Balancing technological advances in the mortgage space with safety and soundness can be challenging, but it should be considered a priority, according to industry experts on a recent panel in Washington, DC, sponsored by the Urban Institute and CoreLogic. Quicken Loans launched its Rocket Mortgage early this year at a time when an avalanche of new regulations had the industry back on its heels. “While many in the industry were playing a lot of defense, and rightfully so ...
PHH officials say the company has improved its servicing operations in recent years and agreed to the consent order “to avoid the distraction and expense of litigation.”
The primary mortgage insurance market remained on track for its best year ever during the third quarter of 2016, as the government-insured sectors gained some ground on private MIs, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance ranking and analysis. Mortgage lenders originated a record $220.46 billion of home loans with some form of primary MI during the third quarter, a 16.6 percent increase from the previous period. That brought year-to-date primary MI activity to $553.77 billion, just $92.40 billion less than the all-time annual record of $646.17 billion set in 2015. The government-insured market – mostly FHA and VA – was...[Includes three data tables]
PHH Corp. and Ocwen Financial – both large publicly traded nonbank mortgage lenders – released third quarter results suggesting that at least one of them, Ocwen, might have a future. Ocwen, which has been bleeding red ink for roughly two years, posted net third-quarter earnings of $9.4 million, though there were several caveats to its results, including previously announced legal settlements that have yet to be paid. Still, Ocwen continued...
EverBank – which is in the process of being sold to TIAA – originated $869.8 million of jumbos in 3Q16, a 1.5 percent sequential decline, and down 28.7 percent from the third quarter of 2015.
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