Data

While the nation's negative equity rate continues to diminish--falling an estimated 7.4 percentage points since the start of the year through October--Lender Processing Services (LPS) says a new threat looms in the form of home equity loans. According to LPS' data, the average credit score for a borrower with a home equity line of credit (HELOC) originated in 2007 has fallen about 20 points since then, posing a threat to lenders who "are often on the hook for almost all of 2nd lien losses."

In 1998, the top ten mortgage loan originators held around 40 percent of the market. By 2010, their share increased to nearly 80 percent; since then, it's dropped down to around 60 percent. Why the decrease? Because only five of the top 20 single-family mortgage originators in 2006 remain active today. So what's driving the big guys out--market cycles or market restructuring? And will the current trend of favoring smaller lenders last forever? Fannie Mae's Gerry Flood and Patrick Fischetti explored the topic in a recent commentary.

The Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of San Francisco has elected Pacific Premier Bancorp CEO Steven R. Gardner to its board of directors.

LoanSifter, a Wisconsin-based company specializing in technology for loan originators and secondary departments, is hosting two industry panels this week to address concerns and strategies revolving around the soon-to-be-implemented qualified mortgage (QM) rule.

Growing amounts of housing permits, improving home prices, and positive job numbers are leading to a stabilized housing market according to analysts. Recent studies revealed that markets in 54 out of the approximately 350 metro areas nationwide returned to or exceeded their last normal levels of economic and housing activity, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/First American Leading Markets Index (LMI). However, policymakers still need to watch their footing.

Rising prices may be bringing some homeowners out from underwater, but tight credit will still preclude many traditional buyers from the market, according to a recent report from DataQuick.

Online marketplace Trulia released the latest findings from its Price and Rent Monitor reports, showing a shift in market trends as the housing market prepares for 2014. While price increases for the last few months have slowed down at the national level, numbers suggest the greatest drag is coming from the same markets that only a few months ago were giving the biggest boost to the market. "Price gains are cooling in 2013's hottest markets ... but heating up in markets that haven't been in the limelight," said Trulia chief economist Jed Kolko.

The national unemployment rate sank from 7.3 percent to 7.0 percent in November, with 203,000 new jobs added to employer payrolls, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Friday.

Zillow expects conditions next year to be a bit friendlier to homebuyers--but that doesn't mean we'll necessarily see more owner-occupied housing, experts at the real estate marketplace say. Looking at ongoing trends, Zillow made four major predictions about the course of housing over 2014: a 3 percent increase in home values, a rise in mortgage rates to 5 percent, a clearer road to credit for borrowers, and a decline in homeownership to normal levels.

CoreLogic and the Urban Institute have formed a strategic alliance to power further economic and social policy research, the two groups announced. Through the alliance, CoreLogic's data will be used to power the research conducted by the Urban Institute's newly formed Housing Finance Policy Center.