Innovation is the new buzz word in mortgage lending. The talk at this year’s MBA conference in Boston was all about technology and what can be done to streamline operations, reduce costs and improve loan quality. What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time we were just entering into the new TRID era. All eyes and ears…
The Ups and Downs of Housing and Mortgage Opportunities
The Mortgage Bankers Association has forecasted a sharp rise in home purchases in 2017 and 2018. As a result, based on their most recent predictions, home purchase mortgage originations in 2017 will be about $1.1 trillion, growing to around $1.18 trillion in 2018. Great news for the housing markets! On the flip side, as the purchase volume grows, the refinance…
MBA Focuses on Technology, Diversity & Regulations
All the big hitters from the mortgage community gathered this week in Boston to discuss and learn about what’s happening in mortgage lending and where do we go from here. In the opening session, the theme was set. The economy is improving (or so they say) and the outlook for housing and mortgage lending is strong. In fact, in the…
Do TRID Changes Go Far Enough?
The comment period for the changes to the CFPB “Know before You Owe” rule, better known to the industry as TRID, was up October 18th. The industry groups, i.e. MBA, ABA, CBA, etc. all submitted their comments. Did you? CFPB proposed several changes to the TRID rules based on issues raised by the industry and others. One key element they…
In Other CFPB News; QM Safe Harbor and PHH Response
Besides the recent ruling in the PHH case, there are other things happening with the CFPB. First, some good news. Dodd-Frank requires the CFPB to review and assess the effects of any rules implemented under the Act. Accordingly, even though it’s only been 3 years since we got the QM rule, they are already hard at work evaluating its effect…
Are These Low Rates a Thing of the Past?
I recently attended the Northeast Conference of Mortgage Brokers and Professionals at Harrah’s Resort and Casino in Atlantic City. I sat in on a presentation where the general gist of the conversion was that we have seen rates go about a low as they’re going to go for a while. After the election, they said, we should see a Fed…