By KIMBERLEY HAAS Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have raised their limits on government-backed loans to $647,200 in most of the country and nearly $1 million in some high-cost American communities. Does that mean lenders are repeating the same mistakes which led to the 2008 crash? This 18% hike in the size of conforming loans is the highest single jump since at least 1970, outpacing the 15.9% increase seen in 2006. Two years later, on Dec. 30, 2008, the Case-Shiller home price index reported its largest drop in history. The credit crisis and housing bubble burst that followed led in part to the Great Recession in the United States. Now some observers fear U.S. markets are moving back to…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and workers reevaluate their commitment to metropolitan life, lenders in smaller cities stand to benefit from what is being termed the “Great Resignation.” It is estimated that about 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs in September after months of dramatic departure numbers, which means those employees are looking for and taking new jobs, often choosing to live in a different location if they have the option of working remotely. Since 87% of employees say they would like to work remotely at least one day a week, and one in three workers would not want to work for an employer that required them to be onsite full time, potential homebuyers are taking these…
Across the country this December, mortgage professionals will be stepping up to help people in need, support community charities, and generally help make the season a little brighter. The Mortgage Note wants to celebrate those efforts by highlighting them in an upcoming edition of our newsletter — and by doing our part to spread holiday cheer. We’ll pick one highlighted charity and make our own $1,000 donation to it. What do you need to do? Just write a brief description of the charitable activity you and/or your co-workers are doing this year—ringing the Salvation Army bell, collecting for Toys for Tots, working at a local food bank, etc.—and email it to: [email protected] Also, include a link to the website of the…
By SCOTT KIMBLER The House version of President Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan includes about $170 billion for affordable housing and people are asking what that means. Biden’s spending plan includes $65 billion to preserve and rebuild public housing and another $15 billion to help build or preserve more than 150,000 rental properties for lower-income families. It’s part of the administration’s goal to build or preserve 1 million affordable homes. The bill is almost certain to change drastically in the U.S. Senate. But if the housing policies remain unchanged, what would this spending splurge mean for the overall housing market, at a time when prices are high and supply is low? The Mortgage Note spoke with Tom Smith, Ph.D. of…
Lael Brainard, President Joe Biden’s nominee for vice-chair of the Federal Reserve, has big plans for the position. In a statement following her nomination, Brainard said she would be focused in part on “supporting a growing economy that includes everyone,” “ensuring that financial markets are thriving and resilient, and the economy is sustainable for future generations,” and “serving all Americans in every community across the country, and ensuring the Federal Reserve reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.” The inclusive-heavy language reflects what is likely to be a strong progressive policy push from Brainard and Fed leadership in the near future. That assessment is bolstered by last year’s proposed revisions to the federal Community Reinvestment Act—an effort spearheaded in part by…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS Mat Ishbia is helping to privately fund a new contract for the Michigan State University football coach, who was the punchline of many jokes on social media last weekend after his team lost to Ohio State in a blowout game. The Detroit News confirmed from a source close to negotiations last week that coach Mel Tucker and officials at Michigan State University were closing in on a new 10-year, $95 million contract that would make him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. That agreement was made possible by financial commitments from Ishbia and Shift Digital CEO Steve St. Andre. After the embarrassing 56-7 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Sports Illustrated reported some Michigan…
Mortgage rates rose again after several weeks of small declines, reaching 3.10%, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.10%, up from last week’s 2.98%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 2.72% “The combination of rising inflation and consumer spending is driving mortgage rates higher,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “Shoppers looking to buy a home are fueling strong demand while ongoing inventory shortages are not improving in the presence of higher home prices. This reality illustrates the challenging situation facing the housing market.” Though the holidays are usually a slow period in the industry, homebuyer demand has remained high. Redfin’s latest Homebuyer Demand…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS When the holiday season starts, people are typically reluctant to put their homes on the market due to a lack of potential buyers. But this could be the year when that changes. In a recent article at Realtor.com, the company’s Chief Economist Danielle Hale said sellers can expect to see plenty of buyers this winter. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors, agreed. He expects there will be more home sales this winter than there were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. That is good news for sellers, especially since CNN Business reported last week that the median price of single-family existing homes rose in 99% of the 183 markets tracked by employees at the…
By Kimberley Haas Veterans throughout the country are being gifted homes or renovations to their existing houses as lenders and other business leaders come together to honor the service and sacrifices of the men and women who served in the U.S. military. On Wednesday, Veterans United Home Loans in Columbia, Mo., announced they are giving away 11 homes to 11 veterans to celebrate Veterans Day. Actor, comedian, and retired United States Marine Officer Rob Riggle has teamed up with Veterans United to be part of the project. “These veterans have continued to live the military value of ‘selfless service’ even after they’ve hung up their uniforms,” Riggle said in a statement. Veterans United is surprising 10 veterans with new houses…
By Kimberley Haas More than 250 rural, suburban and urban communities will benefit from $36 million earmarked to produce about 8,000 units of affordable housing throughout the country. U.S. Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman held a virtual press conference on Tuesday morning to announce the “capacity-building” awards, which are expected to stimulate nearly $150 million in total investments. “We are really focused on building strong and vibrant communities through grants like this and through the work of our local and state leaders,” Todman said. Todman said it has been thrilling to work with leaders at the White House and HUD to stand up these initiatives “that we know will pay dividends for our children and grandchildren in…
