Yesterday I was driving across Northern California to the coast (Gualala), and in Sacramento I asked the McDonald’s drive-through clerk (hey, only the best for me!) why the medium French fries were 30 cents more than the double cheeseburger ($4.29 versus $3.99). She immediately launched into an explanation of farming inequalities and Keynesian economics, and how aggregate demand does not necessarily equal the productive capacity of the economy. I shot back with, “Whoa, sister, where’s my extra catsup packet?” Okay, that exact exchange didn’t take place, but it did remind me of supply and demand, and mortgage rates, and there is an explanation of the current forces is in the capital markets section. There are a myriad of other things that CEO and owners are watching, many of which will be discussed today at 11AM PT during the Mortgage Matters podcast (register here) when Mark Jones, President of Union Home Mortgage and Chairman of the MBA, is the guest
My notes from the MBA’s conference this week continue, including talk about new home sales being +4.1 percent for the month (+11 percent year over year, bringing a smile to builders everywhere). Although most of the focus of the conference was on the secondary markets (although let’s face it, there isn’t a plethora of new investors or products), the primary markets continue to be a discussion topic. Some lenders have seen LOs move into the broker world, some have seen them come back. The transition to being a broker is not always “rainbows and unicorns.” It appears to have better “top line” revenue but what about the “bottom line” when a shop has to pay for their own benefits, marketing, IT support, etc. (STRATMOR has a fine write up on the subject below.) Lenders continue to examine the branch model, whether it is traditional or P&L (revenue) based. The MBA defines an “expense management”
Tip-jar humor seen here in Chicago at a coffee shop: “Afraid of Change? Leave It Here.” Sure recessions typically mean lower rates, but are you okay waiting until that happens? TransUnion tells us that 196 million people in the United States use credit cards. Credit cards can be a valuable tool but for nearly everyone who keeps a balance on them, their rates are moving higher. On the flip side, here’s a way to add a little value to your clients. Thank you to Cory Tona who sent, “At Hometown, we have to send uncashed checks to the state of CA. The state holds them for two years or so until they are claimed. If they are not claimed, CA keeps the money. I did a quick search using my name and I had a few checks to claim. Same with my partner. It has gone around the office and some folks are finding thousands of dollars! In a time when a lot of mortgage folks are laid off, sharing this website might really help some folks. They may have money they didn’t k
MLO Jobs; Broker, Underwriting, Non-QM, Processing Tools; Does the Fed Expect a Fast, Hot Recovery? Mar 17 2021, 8:40AM
Many years ago I asked my father about why we didn’t have a home gym. He replied, “Want exercise? Jog to the liquor store and get me a beer, then do a 100 pushups, and we’ll talk about it.” Okay, he didn’t really say that, but up until recently, health and wellness factors in housing were way down the priority list for builders. That has changed for new construction. But there is plenty of old construction around, as evidenced by, in 2020, sales of previously owned U.S. homes surged to their highest level in 14 years, and many economists forecast sales to rise again this year. And in general there are millions of more home buyers every year as people in their late 20s and 30s hit their home buying stride with lots of ducats in their pockets, wondering if the new Administration will put forth tax credits but confronted with lim