This morning I head to Kansas, greeted by the news that Southwest is raising drink fees for the holidays. Has the “Let’s circle back after the holidays” season officially begun in your office or in your meetings with vendors? Chortles aside, one of the discussion topics in KC will certainly be the impending move in credit prices as lenders everywhere move toward charging borrowers up front. Whether the cost change is driven by Fair Isacc or the credit bureaus, and then being passed along by the CRAs, it doesn’t matter. It’s coming, and the jungle drums are saying the price changes will impact soft credit pulls, which (or course) many lenders implemented to reduce their costs with the amount of credit reports run as it’s cheaper than the full hard credit pull. Some lenders may use Freddie or Fannie AUS. (Today’s podcast can be found here, sponsored by LoanCare, the mortgage subservicer known for delivering superior customer experience thr
The full name of this program is USDA Rural Housing Guaranteed Loan Program . We’ll simplify its name here to the USDA Loan . If you prefer, our office calls it the Meat Loan. This is the first of two articles. Article number one introduces the program’s benefits . Article two covers the qualifying aspect, which is easier than most consumers anticipate. We’ll need a program to compare to USDA, so we’ll use its closest relative, the FHA loan program. Let’s get to the first USDA loan benefit: 1. No down payment required That’s right, USDA loans require no down payment and have a standard 30-year fixed term. 2. Nominal mortgage insurance In 18+ years of lending I’ve encountered zero home buyers who want or like mortgage insurance. Compared to similar down payment options across other programs, USDA loans require lowest-in-class mortgage insurance. Government loans split their mortgage insurance (MI) between an upfr
“The human brain is the most amazing organ in the human body. It works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, from birth up until the moment that you buy your first NFT.” Money, some say, makes the world go ‘round. Last week we all learned that net production income for independent mortgage bankers fell to a $301 loss (13 basis points) for all of 2022, according to the MBA, a series low for the index which began in 2008. Marina Walsh, CMB, MBA’s VP of Industry Analysis, sagely observed, “The stellar profits of the previous two years dissipated because of declining volume, lower revenues, and higher costs per loan (which hit $10,624 per loan).” True: 1.5 closed loans a month per production employee stinks. LD knows a thing or two about rough times, and the industry took note of loanDepot’s settlement and cooperation agreement with Anthony Hsieh, its founder, chairman, former CEO, and largest shareholder. (LD is now trading around $1.52/share af
In the words of former Vice President Dan Quayle, “We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur.” Around the world, soaring borrowing costs are squeezing homebuyers and property owners alike. So, what does the public see in terms of headlines and the housing market? There was billionaire CEO of private equity company Starwood Capital Group, Barry Sternlicht, warning that the housing market is headed for a major crash. Moody’s Chief Economist Mark Zandi is more optimistic, saying that house prices will soon undergo a ‘correction, but not a ‘crash.’ Almost one-third of homes sold in July were paid for entirely with cash. Wealthy U.S. homebuyers are charging in with all-cash purchases even as the broader housing market is slowed by rising mortgage rates. One thing is certain for those financing or looking to finance their real estate. Households with loans are tightening their belts, while rising mortgage payments discourage wou
Start the day with a little something non-mortgage? Ira S. with U.S. Mortgage, on his time off, of course, found “River Runner.” One can basically click anywhere in the United States, and it will tell you, and your kids, where a raindrop will flow to the ocean. (No stories of you stopping at the Continental Divide with your drunk buddies, please!) This is cool technology, as opposed to ads that pop up on my computer from something I bought two years ago online. While on technology, here’s something else that anyone working with builders, or having a new home built, will find interesting: “Three Technologies that Buyers Will Expect from Home Builders in the Future.” Technology helped Zillow, which has never set foot in a house, determine that homes that have a front door that is either black or gray, can increase the home’s value by at least $6,271. (Today’s podcast is available here and is sponsored by Black Knight, providing innovative