Tag Archives: Attorneys & Title Companies

After falling in April and May, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI) resumed its upward trend in June, NAHB reported. According to the association, the number of U.S. housing markets showing sustained growth in housing permits, home prices, and employment rose to 263 in June, five more than May's total. The index grew for several months to a record high of 274 in March before falling to 273 in April and then 258 in May.

While it├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós no secret that the recovering job market has helped to lift housing, a study from CareerBuilder shows the benefits work both ways.

First time claims for unemployment insurance fell back to 346,000 for the holiday-shortened week ended June 1, dropping 11,000 after increasing 13,000 one week earlier the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists expected initial claims to drop to 345,000.

The nation's economy grew at a "modest to moderate pace" from early April through the end of May, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday in its periodic Beige Book. The report cited growing strength in the housing and residential construction sector and the impact on the broader economy, with residential real estate and construction activity increasing "at a moderate to strong pace in all Districts." In addition, "overall bank lending improved modestly since the previous report."

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released updated procedures for examinations of financial institutions and mortgage lenders, which will begin taking place in January of next year. The new procedures, which will be published in regulatory manuals, cover a range of topics, including compensation for loan originators, qualification standards for mortgage professionals, consumer rights, arbitration, and appraisals.

In Michigan, United Shore Financial Services (USFS) announced the appointment of Mat Ishbia to CEO. Ishbia currently serves as president of USFS and its wholesale operation, United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), which has become the fourth largest wholesale mortgage lender in the United States under his leadership.

Total Mortgage Services, LLC announced it has been approved as a Ginnie Mae issuer for the GNMA I and II single-family mortgage-backed securities (MBS) program.

A House panel is investigating what it believes is an attempt by Federal Housing Administration (FHA) officials to cover up the full details of the agency's financial troubles regarding its Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee reviewed emails between FHA and IFE Inc., the firm that conducted the agency's actuarial report. The messages reveal FHA's losses could be as high as $115 billion under the most extreme conditions.

According to Capital Economics' data, total mortgage application volume fell 2.0 percent from April to May, the first monthly drop since February and the biggest decline since January.

Regional prices increased across the nation over the three-month period ending in May, according to Clear Capital's most recent home price report, but metro prices were mixed. According to Alex Villacorta, VP of research and analytics, "the diversity in price performance at the local level is mainly a function of the severity to which a particular housing market was hit during the housing crash." Consistent with this observation, Las Vegas and Phoenix continue to lead the recovery at the metro level.