As we all well know, sometimes the headlines are written to grab our attention but the story reveals something a little different. Take the headline on this article appearing in last Tuesday’s MBA NEWSLINK; “Survey: Consumers Still Report Slower Closings, ‘Surprises’ Under TRID” (Survey). This headline would lead one to believe that closings are being delayed, and consumers are being…
FREE USDA Training Opportunity
It is rare these days to have one of the Federal Government’s Housing Agencies (HUD, VA and USDA) offer in-depth technical training geared towards underwriters and loan processors that will result in a better understanding of the rules and regulations in effect for the programs that they administer. One such opportunity is now available to anyone interested in USDA’s Single…
No “One and Done” for the Fed
They may not be one of the 68 teams that made it to the big dance for March Madness, but like each team in the NCAA tournament, the FED says it “ain’t gonna be one and done”. They want to play on…(Fed Rates). In the December FOMC meeting, Janet Yellen, and the Fed, raised the short terms slightly. No real surprise…
There’s More to Do Than Gamble in AC
I’m attending the 33rd Annual Regional Conference of Mortgage Bankers Associations at Harrah’s new convention center in Atlantic City. Nice place. The residential segment opened yesterday with Barry Habib, Chief Market Strategist of Residential Finance Corp., giving his forecast for interest rates, what will happen to affect them and where the lending opportunities may be in 2016. A great start…
FHA’s Revised Loan Level Certification – What Lenders Need to Know
Yesterday, HUD has officially rolled out their revised 92900-A Form which will be effective for loan transactions that obtain their FHA case numbers on or after August 1, 2016 (Mortgagee Letter 2016-06). In comments accompanying this Mortgagee Letter, Ed Golding, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing, stated that “FHA is clearly identifying what lenders will be held accountable for –…
Refi’s: Good News or Bad?
Here we go again. The Fed raises rates but the mortgage rates drop. Rates are up; rates are down. Now is a good time to buy; now is a good time to refi. Which is it? The mortgage market is a crazy business. When rates start to rise, it’s time to get off the fence and buy. However, when rates…