Tag Archives: Service Providers

On Friday, after years of bills from lawmakers to reform Fannie and Freddie, the Treasury Department unveiled a plan to finally ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├àÔÇ£wind down├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├é┬Ø the mortgage giants. According to a release, the Treasury Department will end a past ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├àÔÇ£circular├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├é┬Ø arrangement with Fannie and Freddie that allowed the companies to repay the agency with the very funds it received in the first place. The new agreement requires that Fannie and Freddie divert any new quarterly profits back to Treasury in order to repay taxpayers for their losses.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau strikes once more ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô against the little guy, according to recent reports. One of those came from analysts with Moody's Investors Service on Thursday. Their report suggests that a tide of new rules from the credit bureau will likely impose "costly" and "challenging" new costs on small to midsize servicers. As for the bigger guys? Analysts say they may just walk away from the rules without a scratch. And theirs isn't the first report to say as much. Read more to learn why.

According to a recent report by J.D. Power and Associates, home buyer satisfaction with national real estate companies fell to its lowest level in the history of the five-year-old survey, a record low on par with mortgage rates. The firm said that overall satisfaction slipped to 789 on a 1,000-point scale, down from 797 in 2011. Seller satisfaction followed the trend by averaging 768, down from 779 from the same time frame. The study tied real estate companies viewed more favorably by buyers and sellers to the frequency with which these companies capture a sizeable proportion of the listing price.

Integra Group Real Estate found a reason or two to celebrate recently. According to a release, the firm posted a 28 percent increase in REO property transaction volume over the first half of this year.

Could mortgage rates be on their way back? That's what today's mortgage rates just may suggest. Freddie Mac reported that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage ticked up by a few basis points to arrive at 3.62 percent, up from 3.59 percent last week. The GSE also found interest rates for the 15-year home loan averaging 2.88 percent, with 5-year and 1-year adjustable-rate mortgages crawling to 2.76 percent and 2.69 percent, respectively. Bankrate.com likewise saw upward-bound changes in mortgage rates this week.

Massachusetts-based Mortgage Master is extending its industry footprint. The company recently announced the opening of a new operations center in Maitland, Florida, as well as the expansion of its current operations centers in Sea Grit, New Jersey and its corporate headquarters in Walpole.

Financial industry organization, Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), is welcoming a new vice president. ICBA recently announced the appointment of Andrea Bona as VP of marketing for the association.

Despite continuing improvement in builder confidence, housing starts slipped in July to 746,000 with single-family starts accounting for decline, the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development reported jointly Thursday. Housing permits though improved to 812,000, the highest level in almost four years. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected 750,000 starts and 766,000 permits in July. Total housing completions in June rose to 668,000, the highest level since June 2010.

The estate once belonging to Golden Globe-winning actress and singer Pia Zadora is back on the market, just one year after the new owners purchased the abode from Zadora for around $5 million. However, the newly listed abode now boasts a much higher price tag, and according to Trulia, the Pacific Palisades property is for sale at a stunning $26 million.

Mortgage applications decreased 4.5 percent over the week last week with most of the decrease occurring among refinance applications, according to the latest survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Refinance activity fell 5 percent compared to the previous week, while purchase activity declined 2 percent. Refinance applications continue to make up a majority of applications, taking an 81 percent share of total mortgage application activity for the week ending August 10. Adjustable-rate mortgages made up 4 percent of total applications for the week.