It’s that time of year. Pitchers and catchers are reporting for spring training and a new baseball season is about ready to get underway. Each team is preparing for what is to come and looking forward to competing for an appearance in the playoffs with the ultimate goal of winning the World Series. Spring training is here and with it…
Author: Michael Vitali
One Lender’s Trash is Another Lender’s Treasure
Over the past few years, the source of home financing has steadily shifted from the big Banks over to non- bank lenders. Lenders like Independent Mortgage Lenders, Credit Unions and smaller Community Banks. In 2007, the Commercial Banks held a 74% share of mortgage loans, 3 of every 4 homes were financed by a large Bank. Lately, things have changed.…
FHA Premium Goes On and On…
Some in the housing and lending industries are clamoring for a further reduction in the initial or annual FHA mortgage insurance premiums. The belief is that with the increase in FHA insured loans, helped greatly by the last reduction in the annual premium, FHA has achieved and maybe surpassed the 2% capital reserve requirements. The Community Home Lenders Association (CHLA)…
TRID the Competitive Advantage
With TRID about 4 months old, we continually hear of the horror stories; delayed closing, consumer confusion, investor rejections and now adverse effects on the private label securities. What’s next? Maybe, why Carolina lost the Super Bowl, or why Hillary lost in New Hampshire. Does this now present opportunity? You bet it does. The lenders that figure out how to…
The Devil Made Me Do It
Welcome to America; land of opportunity. That includes the opportunity to defraud mortgage lenders and banks when getting a loan. (Chicago Tribune article on Liar Loans) Individuals found guilty of participating in the creation of fraudulent loans say they shouldn’t have to pay any restitution to the BofA for losses because the bank should have known better. After all, the…
Some Housing Policy News Out of DC
Recently, I noted that we haven’t heard much talk about housing policy from either the sitting President or those seeking to take his seat. But lo and behold, we get some news out of Congress that the House, by a vote of 427 to zero passed legislation that would reform FHA’s condo approval rules (FHA Condos). Wow 427-0, that’s pretty…