If you see me talking to myself, just move along. I'm self-employed, and we're having a staff meeting. Self-employed borrowers are certainly a target of non-QM lenders around the nation. Non-bank lenders continue to grapple with 2nd mortgage program availability and the HELOC edge that some portfolio lenders have, everyone is watching the housing market. And even traditional depository lenders are trying to adapt… like this headline about Wells Fargo possibly scaling back its mortgage business. (No, I don’t have a subscription.) All real estate is local, of course, but the rate of appreciation we’ve seen is unsustainable. “For sale” listings are up; eBuyers are on the run. The FHFA, whose numbers are used for conforming loan limits, tells us that U.S. house prices rose 18.7 percent over the last year, and up 4.6 percent from the fourth quarter. Certainly, the increase in mortgage rates have had an impact and changed buyer behavior. Las
“One minute you're young and having fun. The next, you're turning down the car stereo to see better.” Gone are the days when all loan officers wanted to see from their company was decent pricing on FHA, VA, Fannie, and Freddie programs, and fast processing. Now, in an effort to do the harder deals (and they’re all harder now, right?), LOs want to see some adjustable-rate programs with decent pricing, non-QM offerings, “green” products, and affordable housing products. On a larger scale, we’re all watching the Fed try to make up lost ground in fighting inflation (+8.3 percent through April for the last 12 months), raising rates but not causing a recession. Look for the term “neutral rate” to gain some press: the point at which interest rates neither boost nor hinder economic growth. Recession? "The underlying strength of the U.S. economy is really good right now. The U.S. economy is strong, the labor m
Life is complicated. Take the Black Knight purchase by ICE. Some vendors are out there licking their chops at their company’s valuation while others are fearing for their future as “the big boys” become formidable. Taxes? The latest headline is about how TurboTax duped consumers. (Thank you, Guy S.) Was life simpler 160 years ago? Today celebrates Mexico’s victory over France in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It was a relatively minor battle (and the French reclaimed Puebla a year later) but a symbolic one because a small Mexican army defeated a larger occupying force. By 1867, Mexican troops had driven France from the country. Mexico is just one of twenty Hispanic countries, and lenders know that the rise in overall Hispanic home ownership in recent years played out in first-time home buyer numbers and many have “diversity” departments that encompass many lending facets including minority homeownership. Hispanic homeownership in the U
Lending is full of statistics. And originators follow many of them, looking for an edge in finding clients. Last year 27.1 million Americans moved, 80 percent within the same state and 20 percent interstate moves. This report showed Florida being the most moved-to state and California topping states for folks moving away from it. Originators also look for ways to add value to their clients. They might want to consider letting them know about Realm. (Nope, this is not a paid endorsement.) Homeowners often struggle to decide which upgrades will offer the biggest boost in property value. Realm helps by analyzing real estate, tax, zoning, and other data to offer recommendations after assessing the impact of different designs, materials, and financing options to calculate the return on, say, a kitchen renovation. Realm is free: A good price.  Lender and broker products & services Texas-based doc prep law firm Black, Mann & Graham, LLP recently upd
/PRNewswire/ Mitch Kider, a well-regarded counsel to mortgage banking firms and financial institutions on compliance and industry strategies, has joined the.