Loan Think

Yesterday news broke from HUD secretary Shaun Donovan that a robosigning deal was imminent. Today, we learn that maybe a deal isn't as close as Donovan portrayed. Then again, the 'State of the Union' address is next week and there is some talk that President Obama wants to mention the robo settlement using the speech as yet another opportunity to bash the mortgage banking industry.

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Insurance companies have become more sophisticated in the face of the housing crisis, hiring teams specifically to investigate and adjust hazard claims filed by the mortgage servicers. This has resulted in an increase in hazard denials.

Home prices fell 3.5% in the past year and mortgage rates are at record lows. One would think that borrowers would be flocking to their nearest real estate agent to buy the next home they can find. However, homebuyers are not coming out of the woodwork - yet.

Remember that 10 basis point increase in g-fees that will pay for the payroll tax break (at least until February 28)? Well, guess what? It appears that some lenders and secondary market investors are hiking their rates a lot more than 10 bps, or so we're told.

Traditionally field economists would focus on economics and finance leaving political economy to academics. The crisis is changing that demanding more politically sensitive outlooks that capture the complexity of major socio-economic events of today.

"If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live." —Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here's a riddle for you: What can you buy at record low prices, that you can't buy at record low prices? Answer: A home. That's right, despite interest rates not seen in nearly 50 years, home sales in the U.S. are sluggish at best. How can that be? Simple really. Most home sales are dependent on mortgage financing, but getting that financing can be a real challenge.

The Mystery of Banking The bank has ten billion this year, But the money is simply not Here--

As Bank of America and other megabanks - except Wells Fargo, of course - continue to scale back their presence in residential finance a rebirth in mid-sized firms is underway, or so we're told. One veteran investment banker we know said there are now many nonbank funders that are producing $3 billion to $5 billion a year in new product.