Mortgage defaults

Real estate investor Tom Barrack said predicted a “domino effect” of catastrophic economic consequences if banks and government don’t take prompt action to keep commercial mortgage borrowers from defaulting.

As financial hardships mount with the COVID-19 outbreak, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac released their plans for mortgage borrowers impacted by the pandemic.

Fannie Mae completed its first two Credit Insurance Risk Transfer transactions of 2020, shifting $1 billion of single-family loan credit risk to insurers and reinsurers.

Any impact from the coronavirus outbreak on commercial and multifamily loan delinquencies won't be known for some time, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

While the overall foreclosure rate fell, the share of zombie properties grew in the first quarter of 2020, according to Attom Data Solutions.

Black Knight introduced a model to gauge prepayment speeds and credit risk for investors that purchase commercial mortgage-backed securities.

The number of new foreclosure lawsuits filed in Hawaii declined in 2019 to mark a sixth consecutive year of fewer cases mostly against homeowners struggling with mortgage debt.

Equifax has released a series of bundled services aimed at helping financial institutions use data and analytics to manage tasks associated with the process of servicing mortgage loans.

For the first time in 15 years, fewer than 2 million mortgaged properties lie in default or foreclosure status as of the end of January, according to Black Knight.

Despite a healthy economy and booming real estate market, 2.2% of Orange County, Calif., mortgages were "seriously underwater" at year's end, Attom Data Solutions says.

Mortgage delinquencies dropped to a 40-year low in the fourth quarter as strong employment bolstered borrowers' ability to make timely payments, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Mortgage refinancings made up slightly under one-third of MGIC Investment Corp.'s new insurance written during the fourth quarter, contributing a significant percentage of its business.

The number of large-scale natural disasters continued to proliferate in 2019, creating new situations where local mortgage delinquency rates could stay inflated for the following 12 months, according to CoreLogic.

The nationwide mortgage delinquency rate had its best October in at least two decades, while the foreclosure rate remained at a 20-year for the twelfth straight month, according to CoreLogic.

A bankruptcy court judge denied a lender's motion to foreclose on properties controlled by an Austin real estate investor. But the judge then issued a warning, saying an exit plan better be ready by Feb. 2.

A lender that provided more than $388 million to finance one of Plano's biggest real estate developments has filed to foreclose on the project.

The delinquency rate for commercial mortgage-backed securities ended 2019 at its lowest point in nearly 11 years, aided by increased issuance and the resolution of legacy transactions, Fitch Ratings said.

November's foreclosure starts hit their lowest level since Black Knight started tracking this data in 2000, while the foreclosure rate reached a 14-year low.

Mortgage prepayment levels were at their highest in over six years during October, as existing homeowners took advantage of the lower rates to refinance, or to a lesser extent, purchase a new residence, Black Knight said.

The third-quarter delinquency rate fell to its lowest point since 1995, according to the MBA. However, Attom Data Solutions' numbers show foreclosure filings experienced a near-term growth spurt in October.