If the government keeps tight control over the mortgage giants and provides an “implicit guarantee” of their debt, rates might rise by 1/5 of a percentage point, Stanford researchers conclude. Continue reading
Lending industry groups and FHFA director Bill Pulte welcomed Fair Isaac’s new direct license pricing as a useful first step, but said more reforms and competition are needed. Continue reading
Investors seeking safety in bonds and mortgage-backed securities can bring rates down. Yields on 10-year Treasurys fell 4 basis points on first day of shutdown. Continue reading
The Trump administration has assured industry groups that a stable housing finance system and low mortgage rates are a “North Star” in plans for a secondary offering, but Dems complain they’ve been shut out of process. Continue reading
The National Flood Insurance Program, set to lapse on Sept. 30, and federal agencies critical to processing mortgage paperwork like HUD, FHA, VA, USDA and the IRS face staff reductions. Continue reading
In predicting that mortgage rates will drop below 6 percent next year, economists at Fannie Mae are more optimistic about growth and less worried about inflation than their colleagues at the Mortgage Bankers Association. Continue reading
UWM and Pennymac are pricing jumbo mortgages of up to $819,000 as if they were conforming, ahead of an official announcement by Fannie and Freddie’s federal regulator in November. Continue reading
Recent Trump appointee Stephen Miran was the lone dissenter in Wednesday’s 11-1 vote, holding out for a bigger, 1/2 percentage point rate cut advocated by the president. Continue reading
Homebuyer loan applications flooded in last week at the second-highest level of the year. Demand for adjustable-rate mortgage loans is at the highest level since 2008. Continue reading
Applications for purchase mortgages hit their highest level since July last week, and rates keep falling on weak jobs reports and more encouraging inflation data Continue reading