Mortgages and Banking

Mortgages and Banking

• Foreclosures Plummet on California Legislation

  The new restrictions drove foreclosure starts to a 79-month low in January.

   

• NAHB Calls for Overhauling the Appraisal System

  Its “blueprint” for reform focuses on streamlining standards and their enforcement, expanding education and training, and upgrading real estate data.

   

• FHA to Tighten Underwriting, Raise Premiums

  The effort to boost capital reserves also includes changes to reverse mortgage offerings.

   

• Foreclosure Activity Hit 68-Month Low in December

  Foreclosure filings were down 3% in 2012 from 2011, and down 36% from the peak of 2.9 million properties in 2010.

   

• Housing in 2013: What’s In, What’s Out

  What a difference a year makes. 2012 was the year the housing recovery came to life – with the market now stronger than anyone dared hope for a year ago. Here’s what 2013 has in store.

   

• Foreclosure Starts Plummeted in November

  Repossessions, however, marked a nine-month high and registered the first year-over-year gain seen since the robo-signing controversy came to light.

   

• New Ad Campaign Seeks to Extend Mortgage Relief's Reach

  The government's latest push to spread the word about the Make Home Affordable Program seeks to assuage owners' anxieties about seeking help.

   

• Foreclosures Up as Outside Influences Sway Data

  Hurricane Sandy is the latest addition to a growing list of factors obscuring the data on distressed properties.

   

• Will FHA’s Latest Capital Shortfall Require a Taxpayer Bailout?

  An audit report is said to show delinquent loans evaporating the agency’s cash reserves.

   

• The Future of Mortgage Finance Might Not Look Too Different From the Present

  Builders insist a government backstop remains critical to the continued flow of home buyer credit.

   

• Right Away, Housing Challenges for Obama

  Fiscal cliff negotiations may include homeowner tax breaks.

   

• What Obama’s Re-Election Means for Housing

  Refinancing, new mortgage regulations, and the mortgage interest deduction all won on Tuesday. But the best shot at more principal reductions might have been lost.

   

• Changes to MID Seen as Increasingly Likely

  The consequences of eliminating or limiting the tax break for mortgage borrowers are being debated.

   

• Fannie Mae Recongizes NGBS Certification in Multifamily Green Initiative

  Certification by the NAHB Research Center to the National Green Building Standard is applicable for the secondary mortgage lender's green mortgage backed security designation.

   

• Foreclosures Up in August as Legal Issues Resolve

  For the first time in years, judicial states took the top spots for foreclosure activity.

   

• Buying Is 45% Cheaper Than Renting, Trulia Says

  In every one of the 100 largest metros in the country, savings for homeowners are staggering.

   

• Mortgage Interest Deduction in Jeopardy

  Both presidential candidates indicate they may be open to eliminating or reining in MID.

   

• Presidential Candidates Mostly Mum on How They'd Fix Housing

  Industry officials are perplexed at Obama's and Romney's unwillingness to assume leadership positions on this sector's problems.

   

• Growth in the Rental Market Comes Down to Economics

  Can younger Americans afford to buy, and will they want to?

   

• Price Gains Lift 400,000 Homes Above Water

  Equity rates have improved in 29 of the 30 largest markets, according to Zillow data.