By KIMBERLEY HAAS
The president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association said they are pushing for clarity and common sense as he criticized policymakers this week during his remarks at the Secondary and Capital Markets Conference and Expo in New York City.
Bob Broeksmit said policymakers plan to pile on more enforcement and red tape at a time when MBA member businesses are struggling.
“There seems to be a sense, at the highest levels of government, that the mortgage industry needs to be reined in,” Broeksmit said, according to his prepared remarks.
Broeksmit referred to the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank saying some policymakers are now pushing for new rules that could…
The Mortgage Bankers Association has once again adjusted its commercial and multifamily lending expectations downward as economic uncertainty continues to constrain the market.
MBA’s latest forecast shows commercial and multifamily borrowing falling 20% in 2023 to $654 billion, down from $816 billion in 2022.
This is a $9 billion reduction from its January prediction.
Multifamily on its own accounts for a 14% drop, slipping from $437 billion in 2022 to $375 billion this year. Apartment investment sales declined at the end of 2022 in response to the Central Bank raising interest rates.
“Higher interest rates, uncertainty about property values, and questions about the outlook for the cash flows of some properties led to a slowdown in commercial real estate transactions…
Mortgage applications rose last week across the board as rates dipped in the wake of positive news from the Fed.
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey shows the adjusted Market Composite Index – a measure of mortgage loan application volume – increased by 6.3%, changing course after last week’s 1.2% decrease.
Adjusted purchase applications rose by 5%, while the unadjusted index was up 5.3% from the week before and 32% lower YOY.
The average interest rate for 30-year fixed loans dipped from 6.50% to 6.48%.
Refinances also showed movement, up 10% from the week prior. They remain 44% lower than the same time last year, however, comprising only 28% of total applications.
In the past decade, refis averaged 58% of…
Mortgage applications fell last week even as rates dipped for the first time in three weeks.
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey shows the adjusted Market Composite Index – a measure of mortgage loan application volume – decreased by 1.2%, changing course after last week’s 3.7% increase.
Adjusted purchase applications fell by 2%, while the unadjusted index was down 1% from the week before and 32% lower YOY.
The average interest rate for 30-year fixed loans dipped from 6.55% to 6.50%, 114 bps higher than the same time last year.
“Elevated rates continue to both impact homebuyer affordability and weaken demand for refinancing. Home purchase activity has been very sensitive to rates and local market trends, including the very low…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
The new vice president of public policy at Rocket Central says his goal is to increase opportunities for people who have historically had difficulties achieving home ownership because of a host of barriers.
Karan Kaul, a housing finance veteran who worked as a principal research associate in the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute prior to joining Rocket, said that means focusing on first-time homebuyers, people of color, and low- to moderate-income borrowers.
In a recent interview with The Mortgage Note, Kaul said a well-documented hurdle to homeownership is a lack of an adequate down payment, especially with the increase in home prices over the last decade.
“So what can we do to make sure…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
Attendees at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s National Advocacy Conference shared concerns about housing affordability, trigger leads, and changes to the loan-level price adjustment matrix.
The conference was held last week at the JW Marriott in Washington, DC. MBA members learned about the political and market landscapes on Tuesday before speaking with their elected state representatives on Wednesday. Over 300 members from 39 states participated in those Capitol Hill meetings.
Kellie Allen, vice president of production at Synergy One Lending, was at the conference representing Idaho Mortgage Lenders Association. She was looking forward to talking about the challenges members of her association are facing.
“Affordable housing is a huge one, of course, and then one of the big…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS
Mortgage originations are expected to decline in 2023 as market factors continue to present challenges for those in the industry.
Michael Fratantoni, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s chief economist and senior vice president of research and industry technology, said during a session at the National Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC, this week that after the whirlwind of 2020 and 2021, the residential slowdown which started in 2022 will continue through this year.
“This has been an extraordinarily tough couple of years for mortgage lenders. Origination volume dropped 50% from ’21 to ’22,” Fratantoni said. “We’re forecasting another 20% decline in 2023 to a level of about $1.8 trillion.”
Although the recent banking market uncertainty has not helped, Fratantoni…
Interest rates increased last week for the first time in more than a month, pushing mortgage applications down.
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey says the adjusted Market Composite Index – a measure of mortgage loan application volume – decreased by 8.8%, outstripping last week’s 5.3% increase.
Adjusted purchase applications fell by 10%, while the unadjusted index was down 9% from the week before and 36% lower YOY.
The average interest rate for 30-year fixed loans jumped from 6.30% to 6.43% after ticking down consistently since bank failures last month.
MBA Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist Joel Kan noted that an influx of first-time buyers in the market adds to rate sensitivity, as these buyers lack the flexibility of…
Mortgage applications righted themselves last week after a brief dip as buyers took advantage of cooling rates.
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey says the adjusted Market Composite Index – a measure of mortgage loan application volume – increased by 5.3%, outstripping last week’s 4.1% decline.
Adjusted purchase applications rose by 8%, while the unadjusted index was up 9% from the week before and 31% lower YOY.
The average interest rate for 30-year fixed loans fell from 6.40% to 6.30%. This is the lowest level in two months. MBA’s SVP and Chief Economist Mike Fratantoni attributed this to slowing job market data released last week. Slowing employment leads to less demand for housing, typically pushing rates down, and vice versa.…
Industry leaders are rallying around a federal bill that would permit the nationwide use of remote online notarization.
The Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act, H.R. 1509, establishes national standards for remote and electronic notarizations. The legislation requires the creation and retention of video and audio recordings, as well as the use of communication technologies such as video chats during remote notarizations. It passed the House on Feb. 27.
Leaders at the Mortgage Bankers Association support remote online notarization on the state and national level. They say the bill’s requirements are consistent with industry standards.
“The bill’s minimum standards for RON are consistent with both the MBA-ALTA model state RON bill and the Mortgage Industry Standards…
