Fed’s Policies Take Center Stage At MBA Convention In Philadelphia

By KIMBERLEY HAAS The president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia knew he was facing a tough crowd when he took the stage during a Monday morning session at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s annual convention and expo. “I stand here this morning fully aware of the mood in this room and I am also fully aware of the way the actions we on the FOMC have taken over the past 18 months in our efforts to tame inflation to get it back to a 2% annual target have, in their own way, contributed to the current mortgage climate,” Patrick Harker said. Harker said he met with community members this summer to see firsthand the impacts that monetary…

MBA Annual Convention And Expo Kicks Off In Philadelphia

By KIMBERLEY HAAS The Mortgage Bankers Association’s chief economist and his team had some good news for those in attendance of their annual convention and expo on Sunday afternoon. Total mortgage origination volume is expected to be $1.95 trillion in 2024, up from the $1.64 trillion projected for 2023. At the same time, volume is predicted to increase 19% by loan count, with 5.2 million loans expected next year. Michael Fratantoni, chief economist and senior vice president of research and industry technology, said members just have to make it through the winter. “In terms of origination volume, we think 2023 is the low point,” Fratantoni said, adding that many lenders have had five or six quarters of production losses. In…

Impacts Of Office Space Changes Continues To Be Hot Topic In Commercial Real Estate

By KIMBERLEY HAAS As companies work to determine what their office demands will be post-pandemic, commercial real estate experts continue to debate the impacts on the industry and the banking system. With office vacancy rates hitting an all-time high in August, it is feared that if office buildings become obsolete, banks will be left to weather the losses. But during a webinar hosted last week by Marcus & Millichap, a California commercial real estate firm specializing in investment sales, financing, research, and advisory services, it was agreed that office commercial real estate loans make up a small percentage of total bank outstanding loans. Jeffrey DeBoer, founding president and CEO of The Real Estate Roundtable, a nonprofit public policy think tank…

Rocket Pro TPO Raises Conforming Limits

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Rocket Pro TPO has increased the limits for conforming loans, and in doing so, leaders there say getting ahead of the curve will benefit mortgage professionals and their clients. Officials at the Federal Housing Finance Agency won’t be announcing the 2024 conforming loan limits until November, but starting today, broker partners of Rocket Pro TPO will be able to take advantage of them, according to Executive Vice President Mike Fawaz. Fawaz spoke with The Mortgage Note on Friday. “We’re very, very excited about this one. As you know, last year Rocket Mortgage was the very first lender that was able to implement the 2023 conforming loan limits, and this year it’s no different,” Fawaz said. “I think…

Getting College Students Into Coworking Spaces

By KIMBERLEY HAAS As the future of traditional office spaces remains unclear, the coworking industry is seeing growth, and college students could boost this market while benefiting from the opportunity to work alongside established professionals and entrepreneurs. According to a CoworkingCafe market study released last week, 80% of the top 100 universities in the country have at least one coworking space close to campus. Analysts found a total of 926 coworking spaces within two miles of the schools they looked at. New York University has 220 coworking spaces around its campus, George Washington University in Washington, DC, has 74, and the University of Illinois at Chicago rounds out the top three with 66 coworking spaces within two miles. The median…

One-On-One With CEO William Tessar Of CV3 Financial Services

CV3 Financial Services, a private lender providing financing for fix-and-flip and rental properties in more than 20 states, was recently launched and CEO William Tessar says they aim to be leaders in the business purpose loan industry. Tessar, who is the former president of Civic Financial Services, has a team behind him that originated and funded more than $10 billion in private money loans over the last five years. That includes 150 originators, operations, and business support staff, according to a press release. CV3 Financial Services is based in Los Angeles County. Using a digital lending platform, all processing, underwriting, and funding is completed under one roof. Tessar recently sat down with Editor Kimberley Haas to talk about his career,…

Low Income Housing Getting Solar Panels, More From Program Established By Inflation Reduction Act

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Officials at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have awarded funding from a program established by the Inflation Reduction Act to owners of assisted multifamily housing properties and the money is going to climate-related investments. The act, signed into law by President Joe Biden on Aug. 16, 2022, has done little to reduce inflation but is considered the most significant policy action on clean energy in United States history. It established the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, providing HUD with $837.5 million in grant and loan subsidy funding and $4 billion in loan commitment authority. According to a press release issued on Wednesday, money from the program will enable building owners to invest in geothermal…

Alternative For Credit Invisible Borrowers Finds Success

By KIMBERLEY HAAS A case study by FormFree highlights how one of the nation’s largest independent mortgage lenders is serving the credit invisible. Leaders at FormFree estimate that millions of adults in the United States are credit invisible or credit unscorable. That makes it difficult for these potential homeowners to qualify for a mortgage. Manual processes exist to underwrite mortgages for these borrowers but they are seldom used because people without a credit score often assume they cannot qualify for a home loan and industry professionals may be unaware of their options, according to the case study. To provide loans for qualified credit invisible customers, San Diego-based Guild Mortgage Company introduced a Complete Rate program in July of 2022 that…

Listen To The Mortgage Note’s Fall Podcast

The Mortgage Note’s team has been tracking the housing crunch as low inventory, coupled with high interest rates, creates challenges for homebuyers and mortgage professionals. Editor Kimberley Haas interviewed industry leaders to learn more about what they are seeing and what products are being offered for this podcast. If you would like to participate in future episodes, please email us at [email protected]. Listen Here: Read Articles Featuring The Guests: Learn About The Eastern Tennessee Market With Loan Officer Matt Ronne Rocket Pro TPO EVP Talks About Current Successes, Challenges Bonzo Leader Says Success Starts With Personalized Messaging More Audio: FormFree’s Chief Customer Officer Christy Moss sat down with The Mortgage Note to talk about the company’s Residual Income Knowledge Index,…

The Future Of Build-For-Rent Single-Family Communities Is Bright

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Build-for-rent communities have been growing in popularity as the housing landscape changes in the United States. According to leaders at the National Association of Home Builders, developers are exploring new ways to meet continued housing demand and single-family build-for-rent properties provide a stepping stone between renting and buying for young families, as well as a good downsizing option for aging adults. They say many of the people who choose to live in these neighborhoods are renters by choice. The concept has been getting national attention as people want the flexibility of renting but the amenities that come with homeownership such as more privacy and backyards. It is estimated that hundreds of build-for-rent communities are coming to the…