Good morning! Today is Tuesday, February 9. Johns Hopkins University data shows that more than 10 percent of residents in several states have received an initial dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Tesla invested $1.5 billion in Bitcoin and said it might start accepting the cryptocurrency as payment for its products. Nielsen still doesn’t have any Super Bowl LV ratings to report and isn’t saying why.
And in mortgage and housing news …
CRE RECOVERY: Commercial and multifamily mortgage loan originations were 76 percent higher in the fourth quarter than the quarter before – but remained 18 percent lower than the same period in 2020, according to a report released by the Mortgage Bankers Association.
HOUSING FEARS: Millions of Americans are feeling insecure about their housing situation, with 2.3 million renters fearing eviction and 1.2 million borrowers fearing foreclosure – or would be forced to move in the next 30 days.
REALTOR FEES: A showdown over real estate fees could upend the market.
HIGH-TECH MAKEOVER: Covid-19 is the agent of change driving advances – and acquisitions – in real estate, a sector long-resistant to tech.
BANKS LENDING: The biggest U.S. banks keep lending less and less of their money.
ZERO DOWNPAYMENT: Micro mortgage loans are helping homebuyers get mortgages with no down payment.
NEWARK RECOVERY: How can city’s hoping to revitalize erase their blight without pushing out current residents? Newark may have some solutions.
55-PLUS MARKET: Builders continue to report a strong market for the 55-plus housing segment.
COVID DESIGN: The pandemic is changing housing design trends.
FINTECH SUPER BOWL: A group of largely unregulated online lenders – now fashionably called “fintechs” – are using the Super Bowl ad platform to introduce themselves as bold disrupters in lending. What does this say about the future of lending policy?