Crypto and blockchain technologies have some valid applications but when it’s just for investment, there are tons of scams. (And what would we do for passwords if it weren’t for our pets?) Since the dawn of history people have been trying to take things of value from others. The industry is discussing the latest breach, especially as it seems, once again, that “it is not a matter of if but of when.” “Flagstar Bank recently became aware of a privacy breach that occurred during December 2021 involving unauthorized access to Flagstar Bank’s network. Flagstar Bank is in the process of providing their impacted customers with written notice of this privacy breach. The written notice includes an offer of free credit monitoring by Kroll, subject to the customer’s enrollment in the monitoring offer. Impacted customers can call Flagstar Bank at (855) 503-3384, or impacted customers may also obtain additional information online.” (Today
Vice President Dan Quayle sagely observed, among other things, “If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." Is our housing market in danger of failing? Hardly. But lenders, big and small, continue to engage in personnel cutbacks, and grappling with companies offering all-cash programs as highlighted in the STRATMOR Group piece. But, like a marathon runner hitting mile 20, there are signs of weariness and the press is flooded with housing news. Attom Data reports a “jump” in foreclosures: 259,000 properties around the nation are in some stage of foreclosure, up nearly 13 percent from the 1st quarter. (The nationwide foreclosure moratorium, imposed early during the Coronavirus pandemic, was lifted at the end of July 2021.) On the builder side of things, what lender or LO doesn’t want their business? “Toll Brothers closed 9,986 homes in 2021… the 11th largest home builder in the U.S. based on closings had between 200,000 and
As the nation ruminates on the court ruling on the mandatory mask mandate, remember, “You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.” It is a safe bet that the Federal Reserve will raise short term rates more than twice before summer. This month’s STRATMOR blog is titled, “A Primer on the Federal Reserve and Mortgage Rates.” Here in Atlanta, in the MBA-STRATMOR Peer Group Roundtable meetings, much of the conversation revolves around interest rates, as one can imagine. The Federal Reserve is going to have a hard time bringing down inflation without triggering a recession, according to Goldman Sachs Group who believes that there is about a 35 percent chance the U.S. will fall into a recession over the next two years. Another topic is the population migrating due to tax reasons. Property taxes aren’t good, but fall into the “interesting” category as some states’ taxes have been rising while
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