I won’t sugar coat this. Here’s some rough news for lenders and LOs: With plenty of quant jocks to slice and dice numbers, Goldman Sachs tells us that 99 percent of borrowers have a mortgage rate lower than 6 percent or the current market rate, and around 28 percent of those have rates below 3 percent. So, what are you going to do about it? A buddy and I were out to eat recently. I asked the server (in my day they were called waiters and waitresses), “Is this a bistro, a brasserie, or a gastropub?” The bearded, short-haired fellow replied, “None of those. We’re a brewpub.” Options! People have options in investing their cash, and a LO can help with financial planning. Hey, if higher rates are driving business income down, you may-as-well profit from them, even if you only have $100. If you don’t mind tying your money up for a month or more and can earn nearly 5 percent on your cash with a few keystrokes, why earn 0 percent on your
The MBA’s servicing conference is taking place, and it is an important subject, along with the impact of the 30bp cut in MIP for FHA borrowers. Owning servicing rights certainly helped the bottom lines for many lenders last year, some would say it “saved their bacon.” There are always those warning us of impending doom and gloom scenarios regarding the trillions of mortgages outstanding. But really, come on. We may see an uptick in delinquencies and foreclosures, possibly because the numbers are so low now there’s nowhere to go but up. Borrowers have outstanding credit quality, and huge amounts of equity. And investors and the government offer many loss mitigation options. The industry has other things to worry about. Meanwhile, owners of mortgage servicing rights continue to sell packages, large and small, for various reasons, not the least of which is to raise cash. For the uninitiated who’d like to know exactly what a “servicing package
Every lender or investor with an “a” in their name seems to be subject to rumors and news in recent months. (More on Flagstar and American Pacific below.) Know anyone named “Bernadette”? The name is actually Latin for, “The act of torching a mortgage.” (Yes, it is cutting edge humor like that which brings you back.) Burning liens isn’t a topic, but paying them off early is, and with mortgage rates off of their highs, early pay offs, or EPOs, were a conversation topic at the conference this week. And with it, loan officer compensation follows. Can a lender pay an originator based on pull through? Yes. Can lenders pay different originators under different payment plans, as long as the originator sticks with one plan? Yes. Can a lender, if they comply with state labor law, ask for compensation back after an EPO or EPD? Yes, and it may depend on the contract signed by both parties at the beginning of employment. As always, consult your in-ho
Ever been to Noma in Denmark? Me neither, although I did some solo bicycling there, which is so much more reliable than flying domestically this morning with the FAA’s system shut down. Apparently I have only two years to go, as the “best restaurant in the world” surprisingly announced it is closing in the winter of 2024. Cynics would say that is a publicity stunt, proponents will tell you that it is time for a change and the numbers probably don’t make sense. (Speaking of numbers, this month’s STRATMOR blog is titled, “Productivity: More Important than Ever” and discusses how important it is to manage to the numbers, and not be surprised.) The U.S. Supreme Court rejecting investor suits over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac didn’t surprise anyone. Wells Fargo certainly surprised everyone, including its own correspondent sales team and management, in announcing it is shutting down. (More on this below.) Wells isn’t the first to s
QC, Down Payment Asst., AMC, LOS Products; Readers Weigh in on Wells Shutting Correspondent mortgagenewsdaily.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mortgagenewsdaily.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.