Tax reform

The lower mortgage interest deduction cap in House Republicans' tax bill would create a disincentive for existing homeowners to sell and add to already tight housing inventory concerns, according to Black Knight.

A provision in the original Senate tax reform bill would have required companies acquiring mortgage servicing rights to pay taxes upfront for their anticipated servicing income.

A provision in the tax bill passed by the House of Representatives would only intensify the housing crunch by crippling affordable housing construction, developers and local government officials say.

The financial services industry has cheered a proposed reduction in the corporate tax rate, but a lower rate could force Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to write down assets, increasing the odds that the companies will need Treasury support.

The Senate tax reform proposal could force servicers to pay tax upfront on income that is currently tax deferred, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association and the Consumer Mortgage Coalition.

Sales of previously owned U.S. homes rose to a four-month high, indicating demand was firming at the start of the quarter as the impact from the late summer hurricanes faded, according to a National Association of Realtors report.

Mortgage rates moved to their highest mark since July and the 10-year Treasury yield ticked up 6 basis points, according to Freddie Mac.

As Congress debates tax reform and which deductions to remove, a majority of homeowners from both parties worried that rising property taxes could force them to sell.

The Senate tax proposal released Thursday would cap the mortgage interest deduction for properties worth $1 million, a reversal from the House plan that would have limited the deduction to $500,000.

The elimination of private activity bonds “would throw gasoline on a housing shortage," said John Chiang, California's treasurer.