Thu, Nov 3 2016, 10:03 AM
With residential applications at a 5-month industry low, it’s time for a pun. "How much does it cost to buy sixty female pigs and forty male deer? One...
Tue, Oct 25 2016, 9:57 AM
The annual mortgage conference is in full swing, and I am sure that reports of “ 10 vendors for every 1 residential lender ” are exaggerated. Well, ma...
Mon, Oct 24 2016, 2:46 PM
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each announced what appear to be essentially identical changes in their loan underwriting programs - Fannie calls its new o...
Fri, Oct 21 2016, 10:11 AM
As thousands of folks prepare to head to Boston for the MBA’s conference, they may be asking, “What’s in my wallet?” Maybe a little less. The average ...
Wed, Oct 19 2016, 2:38 PM
Fannie Mae says it expect economic growth will improve on its anemic performance in the first half of 2016 in the second half of the year, rising to 2...
Tue, Oct 18 2016, 10:07 AM
Stephen Covey said, “The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." Catchy. Speaking of schedules, my cat Myr...
Tue, Oct 11 2016, 9:57 AM
Fannie Mae acknowledged last week that their form of Acknowledgement Agreement with lenders is " overly complicated and full of dense legal language" ...
Tue, Oct 11 2016, 9:49 AM
As they have following other natural disasters, both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have announced that their "full menu of disaster relief policies" will...
Fri, Oct 7 2016, 12:44 PM
Fannie Mae's Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI), which hit an all-time high of 86.5 in July, has now retreated for two consecutive months. The index...
Thu, Sep 29 2016, 9:54 AM
How is it that we only have two days left in September, and that it is National Coffee Day already? Maybe you’ll receive a free or discounted cup at K...
Tue, Sep 20 2016, 10:15 AM
Fannie Mae says that early bets on third quarter economic growth are around 3.0 percent which has the Federal Reserve talking again about raising the ...
Mon, Sep 19 2016, 10:19 AM
You’ve made it to “Talk like a Pirate” day. Many lenders are saying, “Arrggghh” when it comes to appraisals. Mike Simmons with Axis AMC put some thing...
Thu, Aug 25 2016, 9:08 AM
How’d you like to work for a company that was in the press nearly every day – rarely in a good way? How’d you like to work for a company whose future ...
Wed, Aug 24 2016, 9:57 AM
While it won't be available for more than a year, the government sponsored enterprises (GSEs), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have unveiled a new Uniform...
Fri, Aug 19 2016, 11:22 AM
Fannie Mae said it is maintaining its forecast for 2016's GDP at the same 1.8 percent it forecasted in July despite the fact second quarter growth cam...
Tue, Aug 9 2016, 9:28 AM
Fannie Mae's Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) made,
what for it, was a significant jump in July, reaching the highest level in the
history of th...
Thu, Aug 4 2016, 11:19 AM
Fannie Mae is reporting net income
and comprehensive income of $2.9 billion for the second quarter of 2016
compared to first quarter net income of...
Fri, Jul 29 2016, 10:28 AM
"Buy land - they're not
making any more of it." And the reverse is happening in Louisiana. Say what you
want about global warming, or inappropriate ...
Wed, Jul 27 2016, 8:59 AM
Fannie Mae has made changes to its HomeReady
mortgage program that allows borrowers to obtain a mortgage with as little as a
3 percent downpayment...
Mon, Jul 25 2016, 9:47 AM
Every day we have news coming out of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Some of the news is attempts at changing the structure of the two – being under gover...
Fri, Jul 22 2016, 11:24 AM
Fannie Mae's economists have upgraded projections for economic growth in the second quarter to by 0.3 percent to 2.4 percent because of unexpectedly s...
Tue, Jul 12 2016, 11:54 AM
Lou Holtz observed, "Never tell your problems to anyone....80% don't care and the other 20% are glad you have them." People who don’t understand econo...
Thu, Jul 7 2016, 4:35 PM
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has released an update on the progress made toward the Single Security that is expected to replace those cur...
Fri, Jul 1 2016, 11:24 AM
The Fourth of July is Monday...the date of the Declaration of Independence (quibble all you want about late signers); the next commentary will be Tues...
Wed, Jun 8 2016, 9:13 AM
In reviewing Fannie MORA and Freddie CORE reviews it's clear that seller/servicers continue to struggle with establishing and implementing an internal...
Mon, May 23 2016, 9:50 AM
My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports nearly 20% of Ameri...
Fri, May 6 2016, 10:48 AM
In releasing its first quarter financial results on Thursday Fannie Mae surprised some by not following Freddie Mac down the rabbit hole. The larger ...
Thu, May 5 2016, 9:45 AM
May is Older Americans Month. Underwriters probably know that about 21% of the labor force is comprised of men 65 and older and only 13.5% of women in...
Fri, Apr 8 2016, 12:20 PM
onsumer pessimism appears to be eroding Fannie Mae's Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) which this month posted its lowest reading in 18 months. Th...
Tue, Mar 22 2016, 10:29 AM
Fannie Mae's Economic Summary for March reports an improvement in financial market conditions and reduced concerns about an imminent risk of reces...
Fri, Mar 11 2016, 9:48 AM
Regarding the darned time change Sunday, from Georgia Jim Bedsole writes, “Which is why I continue to advocate that, if we are going to be forced to ‘...
Tue, Mar 8 2016, 11:36 AM
The most dramatic change in responses to Fannie Mae's most recent National Housing Survey was in the net number of Americans who think home prices are...
Wed, Feb 24 2016, 10:44 AM
Here's your IT lesson for the day. The NSA's Skynet program utilizes metadata to identify suspected terrorists. The system uses mass surveillance of...
Wed, Feb 24 2016, 3:59 PM
Fannie Mae is updating its Selling Guide to include changes several areas. The changes include elimination of the continuity of obligation policy ...
Wed, Feb 3 2016, 9:08 AM
I
spent some time at the Texas Mortgage Banker's event earlier this week
in Houston, and some of the discussion revolved around another refi
bo...
Fri, Jan 15 2016, 1:02 PM
Two factors appear poised to positively affect
the ability of households to purchase a home according to Fannie Mae's economists. In their initial...
Wed, Jan 6 2016, 10:15 AM
The Wall Street Journal reports banks are beefing up cybersecurity defenses
by taking actions that include banning employees from using USB drives...
Thu, Dec 17 2015, 12:04 PM
Fannie Mae said Thursday there are indications
that easing lending standards may help mitigate some of the loss of housing
affordability moving into...
Fri, Dec 4 2015, 10:33 AM
A Fannie Mae vice president wrote
recently about some of the company's products designed to help existing
homeowners move up or improve their homes...
Fri, Dec 4 2015, 9:50 AM
Hiring
quick-thinking candidates is important, and Martin H. contributed,
"There's another great answer to the traditional interview question,
'...
Thu, Dec 3 2015, 10:55 AM
Once
again we can all listen to the yammering about the Federal Reserve's
Open Market Committee meeting. But for those who would actually like to ...
Fri, Nov 27 2015, 11:28 AM
There
are 50 states in the U.S., and 3007 counties in those states. (The
numbers of counties per state ranges from the 3 in Delaware to 254 in
T...
Tue, Nov 24 2015, 10:45 AM
Nonbank online lender CashCall
has paid $2 million in restitution and fines to settle California state
allegations that the company duped consum...
Fri, Nov 20 2015, 9:45 AM
With the year nearing an end Fannie Mae's chief
economist Doug Duncan and his Economic & Strategic Research (ESR) Group are
holding to their most r...
Tue, Nov 10 2015, 10:27 AM
Consumer attitude appeared more
volatile or perhaps indecisive according to their responses to October's National
Housing Survey. Fannie Mae sa...
Wed, Nov 4 2015, 3:28 PM
Fannie Mae has released another set of changes to its Selling Guide. The changes are in the following categories:
Refund of Loan-Level Price Ad...
Thu, Oct 22 2015, 10:46 AM
If
anyone out there wants to be buy a big office building, Fannie has one:
the company is preparing to move to its new HQ downtown and is selling...
Tue, Oct 20 2015, 5:25 PM
Fannie Mae has announced three enhancements of data used
through its Desktop Underwriter (DU) system which it says will bring more certainty and sim...
Thu, Oct 8 2015, 10:14 AM
Who
says that financial reporters don't have a sense of humor? I caught
this recent headline about a story on Alcoa Aluminum splitting into
mini...
Wed, Oct 7 2015, 9:43 AM
How
long has your staff been on their jobs? The Fed has kept short term
rates unchanged for 6 years and 9 months at this point. Does your senior
...
