Well, it happened. As some have been forecasting a stock market crash, the DOW broke the 20,000 mark on Wednesday, showing continued strength. Whether from the “Trump Bump” or not, things are looking up for the markets. What does that mean for mortgage rates and mortgage lending? Not all outlooks are so rosy. If rates continue to rise it may…
The DOJ strikes again. JPMorgan Chase is paying $55 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of discrimination in their mortgage lending practices. (DOJ Fine) According to the complaint filed by the US Department of Justice, Chase allowed Brokers originating loans for them to charge minority borrowers higher rates than rates charged to white borrowers. Chase did not directly charge…
Home Builders may be bucking the old adage to not change horses in the middle of a stream. With the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Millennials’ entry in home ownership, builders are once again courting good old Baby Boomers. The number of 55 and older homebuyers continues to increase. These are home buyers that have homeownership experience, stable income, assets and equity…
Over the past few years, lenders should have realized the importance of the quality of the loans they originate and why these need to be done in compliance with all the rules. We’ve seen that lenders originating large volumes of poor quality loans are susceptible to huge fines, loan indemnifications, and repurchases. In some cases, such lenders have originated themselves…
In case you haven’t heard, President Trump officially suspended the reduction in the annual FHA premium previously announced by FHA. With the stroke of a pen, Mr. Trump made one of his first official presidential acts to officially suspend the rate cut indefinitely. This action has caused quite a stir in the housing and mortgage communities. Some say it is…
In case you weren’t aware (and you should be), the CFPB is at it again. This time they propose to institute a system to allow consumers to rate the service they received from lenders when handling their complaints. (Complaints) Once the complaint is closed, the consumer could rate the lender with a score of 1 to 5 (1 being the…
