With rates increasing, loan refinancing decreasing, and fewer affordable homes on the market, lenders may face some challenges in 2017 to generate business. Challenges that can be overcome with an eye toward purchase business, an expansion of products available for home financings and a trained staff to originate quality loans. Many companies have introduced new, online, automated verification systems that…
Category: Mortgage Industry Trends
What’s Your Plan for 2017?
With the recent election, rising rates, improving the economy, more job opportunities, and wage growth, things could be looking up for housing and mortgage lending in 2017. Then again…maybe not. It all depends to which economist or so-called expert you listen. Here are some recent headlines about housing and home-financing: Borrowers brush off rising rates, pushing mortgage applications 2.5% higher…
We Knew It Wouldn’t Last Forever
We all knew that those extremely low mortgage rates couldn’t go on indefinitely. The time has come for rates to rise but it appears they may not have such a devastating effect on the housing market. Although forecasts for 2017 and 2018 are being adjusted down, the decrease is not that substantial. The good news is that we are…
Alternative Credit: The Opportunities and Challenges
Interesting that someone who does not have what has come to be known as a ‘traditional’ credit score finds it difficult to get a mortgage. It wasn’t that long ago (some of us still remember) when there wasn’t such a thing as a traditional credit score. Loans were underwritten based on the applicant’s profile, including how they paid their debts.…
Despite Rising Rates Optimism for Housing
Some believe that the rising mortgage rates may spell a real problem for the continuance of a housing recovery. That may be. However, based on the results of the recent Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ Homeowners Sentiment Survey (the BtripleHdoubleS), many are still optimistic about the state of the housing market. Ironically, the most optimistic group are the Millennials. About 74% have…
Defect Rates Improve but TRID Still Leads the List
Recent reports from lenders and QC vendors show that overall loan defects are on the decline, including defects related to the TRID rules. This is good news for lenders, the secondary markets, and the housing industry. Fewer defects mean better loans, better loans mean fewer delays with better performance and fewer delays with good loan performance contributes to a much…