Category Archives: Mortgages

Did TRID cause the November dip?

Posted on December 23, 2015 by grim

From HousingWire: The TRID effect is real: Existing-home sales fall sharply in November First there was anecdotal evidence that the implementation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures rule in October had caused issues with the housing industry, … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing Recovery, Mortgages, National Real Estate | 121 Comments

Not the lenders responsibility, except in NJ…

Posted on December 18, 2015 by grim

Again, NJ legislators lack awareness of their own unintended consequences. From the Star Ledger: 3-year foreclosure ban for Sandy victims headed to Christie’s desk A bill aimed at keeping thousands of Hurricane Sandy victims from entering into foreclosure for three … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosures, Mortgages, Politics, Shore Real Estate | 81 Comments

Fannie: 3 more rate hikes next year, little impact to mortgage rates

Posted on December 17, 2015 by grim

From HousingWire: Fannie Mae: Expect 3 more Fed rate hikes in 2016 December 16, 2015, will forever be known as the day that the Federal Open Market Committee increased the federal funds rate for the first time since June 2006, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing Recovery, Mortgages | 82 Comments

Recovery by next year?

Posted on December 10, 2015 by grim

From HousingWire: TransUnion: Mortgage market will completely recover next year The long, steady recovery from the housing crisis and the recession that followed is nearly over, with the consumer lending market, including mortgages, expected to recover completely in 2016, according … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosures, Housing Recovery, Mortgages, National Real Estate | 142 Comments

GSE High-LTV Mortgages Vaporware?

Posted on December 7, 2015 by grim

From HousingWire: Black Knight: Consumers aren’t getting Fannie, Freddie 3% down mortgages For all the uproar that surrounded Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac introducing loan programs that allowed buyers to put down as little as 3% around this time last … Continue reading →

Posted in Mortgages, National Real Estate, Risky Lending | 59 Comments

Hope you locked in your refi

Posted on November 7, 2015 by grim

From the Washington Post: After stellar month for U.S. jobs market, Federal Reserve increasingly likely to raise interest rates The U.S. job market has almost fully healed from the deep wounds of the Great Recession, raising expectations that the Federal … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Employment, Housing Recovery, Mortgages | 71 Comments

GSEs failing again?

Posted on November 6, 2015 by grim

From HousingWire: Compass Point: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac will need another bailout The disappointing third quarter results for Fannie Mae, which saw its net income cut in half, and Freddie Mac, which took a comprehensive loss of $501 million, have … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Foreclosures, Mortgages, Politics | 108 Comments

Cheap rates might get easier … or maybe not

Posted on November 1, 2015 by grim

From the NYT: A Focus on Credit History for Mortgage Approvals Fannie Mae announced on Monday that it would soon start taking a longer view of consumer credit histories when evaluating mortgage applications, a change that could help some borrowers … Continue reading →

Posted in Mortgages, National Real Estate | 19 Comments

Cash-out in style again

Posted on October 6, 2015 by grim

From HousingWire: Black Knight: Cash-out refis up 68% since 2Q 2014 Cash-out refinances were up 68% year-over-year from the second quarter of 2014, as borrowers take advantage of still-low rates and newfound equity in their homes, according to Black Knight … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing Recovery, Mortgages, National Real Estate | 110 Comments

Will higher rates tank the market?

Posted on August 29, 2015 by grim

From Reuters: U.S. housing market seen strong enough to handle Fed rate hikes: Reuters poll The U.S. housing market is probably strong enough to stand up against an interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve this year, with stabilizing home … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Housing Recovery, Mortgages | 44 Comments

Mortgage delinquencies down 20% since last year

Posted on August 17, 2015 by grim

From HousingWire: TransUnion: Mortgage delinquency rates continue rapid decline The mortgage delinquency rate — the rate of borrowers 60 days or more delinquent on their mortgages — continued its rapid decline, falling to 2.72% in Q2 2015, according to TransUnion. … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosures, Mortgages, Risky Lending | 69 Comments

Housing market addicted to heroin?

Posted on August 11, 2015 by grim

From HousingWire: Can this sickly housing recovery survive without artificially low interest rates? Other metrics in housing may be showing worrying signs of a slowdown, but one thing is evident and that’s housing demand is continuing to strengthen. That’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing Recovery, Mortgages, National Real Estate | 69 Comments

Don’t you worry about those unintended consequences

Posted on August 3, 2015 by grim

From NJ Spotlight: REPORT: FORECLOSURES, EMPTY HOMES STILL DRAGGING DOWN NEWARK’S ECONOMY Baraka’s response – a plan for eminent-domain acquisition of inflated mortgages in two ‘model neighborhoods’ – may be needed citywide. A new report finds foreclosures and housing vacancies … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosures, Housing Recovery, Mortgages, New Jersey Real Estate, Politics, Risky Lending | 146 Comments

Boomerangers

Posted on June 20, 2015 by grim

From the NYT: Mortgage Market on the Mend New research from TransUnion, the credit information service, predicts that some 1.5 million homeowners who were forced out of the mortgage market after the housing bust will have recovered sufficiently to re-enter … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreclosures, Housing Recovery, Mortgages, National Real Estate, Risky Lending | 63 Comments

Is 20% even possible anymore?

Posted on June 16, 2015 by grim

From Bloomberg: Want a House? Good Luck With the Down Payment Saving for a down payment has long been a big challenge for anyone who wants to buy a home. And it got harder after the financial crisis, as lenders … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing Recovery, Mortgages, Risky Lending | 158 Comments