Economy

The Mortgage Bankers Association now predicts slightly more purchases even with higher rates, but the Ukraine situation could change that.

In an open letter to Sandra L. Thompson, President Biden’s nominee for Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, two longtime advocates of the Federal Home Loan banks suggest a new path forward.

In addition to hinting at a March rate hike, the central bank this week announced an intention to have Treasury securities make up a greater share of its holdings, which has implications for securitized home loans.

Yan Zhao, President of NYDIG as she exploreshow Bitcoin is experiencing wider adoption in the traditional finance world, and why that is.

Although seasonal slowing and limited inventory have temporarily reduced prospective financing, the number sales in the sector hit nearly 1 million in November, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

U.S. home construction starts strengthened in November to the fastest pace in eight months, suggesting builders are making a bit more headway on backlogs even as supply and labor constraints linger.

Former principal economist at the Federal Housing Finance Agency does the math on how the changes impact the missions of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

LoanLogics, a Sun Capital affiliate, has purchased LoanBeam, a company with approvals from major government-related housing finance investors to provide digital processing and income calculations for tax documents.

Chryssa Halley, who has been with the company since 2006, was named CFO and Jim Holmberg was named controller.

Demand for advances from the Home Loan banks has plummeted as the Federal Reserve has flooded the financial system with liquidity. But with a nudge from Congress, these government-sponsored enterprises could remain relevant by broadening their mission and opening membership to more lenders.

The two companies will integrate platforms to streamline sales in the single-family, build-to-rent property market.

The home buying process has undergone significant changes. The pandemic has profoundly altered the mortgage lending market. The continuation of remote work, relocation out of key urban areas, a growing preference for online possibilities, and the deployment of artificial intelligence applications are only a few trends that are shaping the industry. Join Heidi Patalano, Editor-in-Chief of National Mortgage News and Beth O'Brien, Founder and CEO of CoreVest Finance as they discuss how lenders can stay competitive and meet the needs of home buyers in the fast evolving mortgage business.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency should consider allowing small depositories — those defined by regulators to be below $10 billion in total assets — to again make use of structured transactions for seasoned, performing loans, writes the chairman of Whalen Global Advisors.

More aggressive pursuit of government-related agencies’ affordable housing mission is expanding product availability, but government intervention can be a double-edged sword.

With today’s generation of home buyers so rooted in a digital world, how will the financial services industry need to change to meet their needs? What new consumer technology will they need to adopt to meet consumers where they are? How will those approaches differ from how things have been done historically in the industry? Join us in a discussion with Blend’s Founder, Nima Ghamsari as we chat through how banks and financial institutions need to think through these questions.

Numbers fell across all investor types, but exits hit their slowest pace since August.

On Tuesday, lumber futures were trading around $735.70 per 1,000 board feet in Chicago, more than double the pre-pandemic five-year average around $356.

Sales of new U.S. homes increased in September to the highest level in six months, underscoring solid underlying demand.

While September's single-family starts were unchanged from the prior month, multifamily activity fell 5%, according to government data.

Changes in the Fed, including the replacement of Jay Powell as chairman, might shift the board back to a dovish economic position.