Daily Dose

Experian Information Solutions Inc., a global information services company, recently released its latest analysis on U.S. lending trends related to home-equity lines of credit (HELOC). The study found that HELOC loans that originated between 2005 and 2008, representing $265 billion, are outstanding and are nearing the end-of-draw repayment phase.

The financial costs of delaying or forgoing a home purchase in today’s unexpected market have become very high, according to the inaugural Opportunity Cost Report released by Realtor.com, a leading provider of online real estate services operated by News Corp subsidiary Move, Inc.

Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (D-New York), Andy Barr (R-Kentucky), along with 252 other House Members have wrote a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) requesting a grace period that would help lenders and home buyers comply with new TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure regulation. Congress members argue that the rule will place challenges on the entire housing industry and families that are looking to buy a home before the school year begins.

​Interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages decreased from March to April, according to several Federal Housing and Finance Agency (FHFA) indices of new mortgage contracts. The FHFA conducted a Monthly Interest Rate Survey (MIRS) to find interest rate data, which provides monthly information on interest rates, loan terms, and house prices by property type, loan type, and by lender type, as well as information on 15-year and​​​ 30-year fixed-rate loans.

A federal judge has approved JPMorgan Chase's $500 million settlement with four pension funds over the sale of faulty mortgage-backed securities by Wall Street investment firm Bear Stearns before the financial crisis, according to media reports. JPMorgan Chase, the nation's largest bank, acquired Bear Stearns in March 2008 at a stock-only price of $236 million, or $2 per share. In their lawsuit, the pension funds accused Bear Stearns of selling $17.6 billion worth of toxic mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the crisis.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently reported in their Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) that, pending home sales increased in April for the fourth consecutive month and reached their highest peak in nine years. All four major regions saw growth in April, led by the Northeast and Midwest.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) reported in a recent press release that commercial banks and saving institutions insured by the corporation aggregate net income was $39.8 billion for Q1 2015, a 6.9 percent or $2.6 billion increase from the previous year.

In the National Association of Home Builder’s (NAHB) Eye on Housing blog, Robert Dietz, VP for tax and market analysis, found that the volume of residential AD&C loans outstanding expanded 4.8 percent during the first quarter of 2015. This will mark the 8th consecutive quarter of growth.

Individuals' optimism regarding future financial prospects increased substantially from 2013 to 2014, while perceptions of current financial well-being improved only modestly, according to a survey conducted by the Federal Reserve released Wednesday. The Fed's 2014 Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, which was completed by about 5,800 individuals last fall to provide insight into various aspects of Americans' personal finances such as economic security, banking, credit access and usage, housing, household debt (including education and student loan debt), savings, and preparedness for retirement.

According to a recent survey from Experian Consumer Services, 95 percent of homebuyers are aware that credit scores play a significant role when purchasing a home, and those who know their credit scores feel more prepared to buy. In addition, 45 percent of future homebuyers say they put off buying a home in order to work on their credit so that they can qualify for better interest rates.