Attendees of next week’s MBA Secondary conference can look forward to… A giant hot dog in Times Square that spits out confetti at high noon. (Keep your risqué comments to yourself please.) They can obviously look forward to much more at the actual conference, including information about the economy, regulators, and seeing what the Agencies and aggregators are up to in terms of products. Every client is important, and originators want a full product suite from their companies and vendors. (The current STRATMOR blog is titled, “Down Payment Assistance Programs Helpful But Not a Universal Remedy.”) For good news, homeowner equity has hit almost $17 trillion, as values in March hit a historic all-time high according to a report from Intercontinental Exchange. But looking at units this year (a better measure than the estimated $1.5-2 trillion) the MBA expects the lowest production in decades. If recent conferences are any indication, look forward to atte
Who doesn’t think swearing parrots are funny? Although you wouldn’t want your parrot talking about the clap when Aunt Beatrice comes over for Sunday dinner. I’m sure that every LO has heard their share of salty words, and they deal with much more for their clients than just a loan. Working with their client’s debts, assets, rental insurance until they buy a home, even servicing after the loan funds, you name it. Everyone across the nation is feeling the brunt of seemingly usurious homeowner insurance rates, and The Mortgage Collaborative’s Rundown tomorrow has Andrew Hellard, SVP of Products with Matic, discussing why homeowner’s insurance costs have skyrocketed. IMBs have not been retaining servicing. They needed the cash. Companies like Freedom, AmeriHome, Pennymac, and Planet Home have been buying up servicing. They will retain that customer if and when refinancing kicks in. Rate and term refis will probably go to the aggregators. They bough
Everyone’s above average, right? This morning I head to Chicago where residents have the dubious honor of being the worst when it comes to estimating home values. Homes are expensive… Who knew? Apparently not the vast majority of Americans, which reminds me of the saying, “Never underestimate the intelligence of the average person.” All Star Home surveyed Americans in the most populous U.S. cities, prompting them to guess home prices in their communities to determine where people have the best and worst home value intuition, and 86 percent of people were surprised at how high home prices are in their area. Boomers (91 percent) are most surprised by high home prices, followed by millennials (87 percent), Gen X (85 percent), and Gen Z (84 percent). San Francisco locals excel in home price intuition, but Chicago residents fare the worst. (Today’s podcast can be found here, and this week’s is sponsored by Richey May, a recognized leader in providin
Whether it is an obscure band or an eatery in San Diego, a well-known palindrome is “tacocat.” Huh? Yes, it’s the same spelled backward or forward. You hadn’t heard that one? How about this one: “Rob, have you heard that when Lender XYZ funds a loan, it is sold to an investor, and usually the servicing is sold to someone else, but then Lender XYZ and its LO quickly offer to refinance the loan when rates drop. At that point Lender XYZ makes its origination fee again, and the investor and servicer lose out.” Yes, it’s everywhere as originators and lenders scramble for business. Current and previous clients are good sources, as other sources are tough to find: With the NAR verdict in Missouri being a sign of the times, where are LOs supposed to go for referral sources if not the buyer’s agent in the future? (Today’s podcast can be found here, sponsored by LoanCare, the mortgage subservicer known for delivering superior custome
Today, as I head to Chicago (from the Native American word shikaakwa, for the wild onion) on my way to Philadelphia, I received this note. “Rob, why is PenFed exiting from correspondent?” Well, you should talk to your PenFed rep. But if anyone had to make a harsh guess, it would start by asking, “Why would any member-based organization with a branch network and thousands of members, in this environment, feel the need to offer wholesale or correspondent channels to others at very low margins who may be competitors?” There will be plenty of competitors under one roof at the MBA’s Annual starting Sunday. For many IMBs, their goals by going include searching for a great HELOC and/or 2nd program, seeing what’s new with down payment assistance programs, and seeing the latest in under-served markets. Another topic will of course include inflation and interest rates. Is your car insurance up 19 percent? Yesterday’s CPI said so. How about taking