Yes, calendars have changed over a few thousand years. But the Ides of March is a day on the Roman calendar that corresponds to 15 March, marked by several religious observances, and then became notorious as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. Speaking of history, want to buy a house with a cannon ball still lodged in the wall from 1861? Here's your chance!
Capital Markets
Any rate sheet price to a borrower is composed of many things: the mortgage-backed security price, value of servicing, buyups or buydowns based on coupon, and so on. One of those is the guarantee/guarantor fee. Where do those fees go? Well, shouldn't they go to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, rather than to pave a highway or pay an entitlement? The MBA and other trade groups endorse the G-Fee Bill. The Mortgage Bankers Association led a joint letter with more than a dozen other industry trade groups endorsing a House bill that would prohibit use of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guarantee fees to pay for unrelated government spending.
Another factor in mortgage pricing is expected delinquencies or losses. As an example, Moody's reports that increasing pool losses and rising shares of seriously delinquent loans backing outstanding Countrywide residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) have muted the positive credit effects of the $7.35 billion of settlement proceeds to the trusts from the June 2016 distribution.
Ginnie Mae has posted a bulletin regarding disclosure information for its Platinum New Issuance disclosure files.
Ginnie Mae has extended the time for implementation by 1 month for its Pool and Loan Disclosure Files and new issuance Platinum Enhanced and Collateral Files.
Upcoming events
If you could spend 90 seconds to answer these three short questions and mail the results to Jeri Yoshida, Founder and President of Yosh Communications, it would be a great help to her. a) Why do you attend conferences? (List top 1-2 reasons.); b) What type of conference do you think the industry needs? (Theme/focus.); and c) How do you decide whether to attend a specific conference?
Guaranty trust is reminding everyone that the MBAs of AR, MO, MS, and TN invite you to join them for the annual Great River Conference. The 2017 Great River Conference promises 3 full days of impactful sessions, motivating speakers, and endless opportunities for networking. Represent your state, your market, and your company. And position yourself for great things in 2017. Sessions include: Day 1 Certainty, Consumer Direct and Retail Marketing, Loan Officers Sales Training, Fraud, Trended Data and Podcasting! The conference will be May 9-11th at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN. To register or for more information visit our website or email. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.
Are you tired of losing loans to a competitor over as little as 1/8? With the increased competition, many loan officers are struggling to win the business. On Thursday, March 23rd at 1 p.m. EDT Ron Vaimberg, nmpU President and Head Coach and one of the nation's leading loan officer trainers, will be presenting a 90-minute private live training broadcast titled How to Win the Rate Battle Against Your Competition sponsored by REMN Wholesale. This is a live streaming video broadcast, not a webinar. Master in just 90 short minutes the sales presentation that keeps borrowers from shopping you against other lenders. It is very possible to win the business even when you don't have the lowest rate. You or your entire office attends for one discounted site license. Use discount code "Chrisman" and Save $100. Click Here for Details
What impact will the new HMDA rule have on your company? How can you ensure Fair Lending at the point of sale, particularly when you're underwriting portfolio loans? What are the best practices for implementing processes and technology that will help you comply with HMDA and Fair Lending? Discover the answers to these questions and more during the Fair Lending in a New HMDA World webinar, held on March 21st at 11AM CT and March 22nd at 2PM CT. This webinar will be presented by Ben Wu, Executive Director of LoanScorecard, a leading provider of automated pricing, underwriting and compliance solutions. To learn more about this webinar or to register, click here.
Join Central Florida Chapter of the Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals for its April 5 Workshop and Luncheon.
Discover new ways to grow your business. Attend one of the three available free 30 minute webinars hosted by Steve Richman & Genworth MI and find success with first time homebuyers: Tuesday, March 21: 8:00-9:00 PST. Wednesday, March 22: 10:00-11:00 PST. Thursday, Mach 23: 9:00-10:00 PST.
On March 21st, Plaza's financial planner guide webinar will provide a better understanding to Financial planners and loan professionals on how Plaza's Reverse Mortgage can be used as a vital part of an overall retirement strategy and not just a loan of last resort.
On March 29, Wells Fargo's economics team will host a conference call on the U.S. housing outlook. Senior Economist Mark Vitner will quantify the new normal for housing and when the housing market will get there. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer period.
Get ready for OMBA's May 24th & 25th Annual Conference in Cartoosa, OK. If you are interested in sponsorships, trade show booths or conference registrations, contact Carol Clark for more information.
Up some, down some. Yesterday was down slightly, despite the impending Fed increase today in short term rates. Yes, some called it a "curve-flattening trade" as global equities and oil prices moved lower. Today we will most likely see the third rate hike from the Federal Reserve of the tightening cycle that began in December 2015. Agency MBS prices hardly budged yesterday aside from some minor scuffling between coupons, securities, and maturities.
Prior to the Fed this afternoon we have plenty of news. We began with the weekly mortgage activity from the MBA (+3.1%, but 12% below a year ago; at 46% of all apps refis are 27% lower than a year ago). We've also had the Consumer Price Index (+.1%, core +.2%), Retail Sales (+.1%, as expected), and March Empire State Manufacturing Survey (16.4, higher than forecast). Coming up is the March NAHB Housing Market Index.
So...the Fed. In the late morning, Pacific Time, the FOMC announces its decision followed by Fed Chair Yellen's press conference. The Fed is expected to increase the range of fed funds 25bp to 0.75 to 1% with no change to the current reinvestment policy. But MBS investors will closely watch for talk of changes to their balance sheet strategy. With all this going on we start Hump Day with the 10-year yielding 2.59% and MBS prices a shade better than last night's close.
Jobs and Announcements
M&T Bank, a top 20 US based commercial bank, is hiring the Head of its Albany Loan Production Office. Responsibilities include managing multiple direct reports and indirect management of 100+ employees as well as the overall responsibility for the processing, underwriting and closing mortgage loans for Retail, Reverse, and Renovation loans. This individual will also manage our Third Party channel and will be responsible for the development and enhancement of production metrics, KPI's, favorable unit costs/loans per FTE and overall operational profitability. This individual will be accountable for coaching and developing a high performing team and has experience managing a fluctuating business with fixed and variable resources. This individual will be responsible for adherence to state, investor, and regulatory compliance and must adhere to the requirements of federal registration under the SAFE Act. Minimum requirements include 10+ years of mortgage/operations experience, 7+ years of supervisory/management experience and the ability to relocate to Ballston Lake, NY (suburb of Albany). For further consideration, please send your confidential resume to Kelly Butch.
In product news, Special Agent X is waiving setup fees on its mortgage intelligence platform for you! The mortgage technology company Special Agent X is offering readers of this commentary a special discount on its X-Ray platform. For a limited time, our readers will have their setup fees waived. X-Ray transforms massive amounts of information on loans, leads and accounting, as well as information from CRM systems and loan operating systems, into easy-to-understand, readily available analytics and reports that drive top-level decisions at mortgage companies/branches. It also features benchmarking tools that help you quickly get accurate reads on the close of loans and projected close rates, as well as a goal report based on historical performances. This allows for mobile forecasting in real time. For more information on this special offer and to schedule a free demo, click here (specialagentx.com/rob-chrisman/). Mention you heard about it on robchrisman.com!
The National Warehouse Lending Division at PlainsCapital Bank is committed to helping and promoting first time homebuyers in the market. As the purchase market continues to grow the need for affordable housing programs will have a larger role in helping first time homebuyers purchase their home. FNMA HomeReady, FHLMC HomePossible, USDA, State funded Mortgage Bonds, and Down Payment Assistance programs can help these borrowers. "PlainsCapital Bank Warehouse Lending is excited to offer our originating partners extended aging (dwell) periods for affordable housing programs. We believe in providing our originating partners the additional time needed to get these unique and beneficial programs purchased. We are committed to creating great opportunities and strong relationships with our mortgage banking partners. If you are interested in a new residential warehouse lending experience, please contact Pamela Robinson, National Sales Manager, or apply online through our website: PlainsCapital Bank National Warehouse Lending Division. Get to know the PlainsCapital Bank SWAGGER on LinkedIn at PCB NWL.
Freedom Mortgage, named the #1 FHA/VA Lender by Inside Mortgage Finance (3Q2016), is actively recruiting experienced top-producing Wholesale Account Executives nationwide, with a specific focus in the Pacific Northwest markets of AK, CO, IA, ID, MN, MT, ND, NE, NM, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY, and in OH, NV, and Northern CA. The Northwest Regional Sales Manager, Steve Hamerski, who has been successfully leading the region for 12 years, is excited to speak with you about joining the Freedom Mortgage team. To learn more, contact Steve at (612) 801-9901. If you are interested in markets outside the Northwest, including OH, NV, and Northern CA please contact Keith Bilodeau, SVP, Freedom Mortgage Wholesale Lending Division.
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