It’s one of those things that bug me. I see all these ads on TV by big pharmaceutical companies advertising drugs you can only get by prescription. Why advertise directly to consumers for something they cannot buy? There must be a reason. Do they believe, or does market research show, that this information will lead to the consumer to request…
In today’s housing market, with its shortage of homes for sale, will sellers look poorly at a buyer making an offer tied to obtaining a mortgage requiring a low down payment? Not so, according to a recent survey done by Redfin of more than 800 of its real estate agents. A larger down payment may help but it…
According to recent MBA forecasts, loan originations will drop in 2017 by about 15%. This shouldn’t be a big surprise. This decline is mainly due to a drastic decrease in refinances, resulting from the gradual rise in rates, and a potential for a rate spike, if the Fed discontinues purchasing mortgage-backed securities. Although forecasts are for a stronger economy driving…
Consumers who are discouraged to apply for a mortgage because of fear of rejection increased to 7.1% from 5.7% in October of 2016, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s February 2017 survey. That means that more consumers are not looking for homes, or applying for refinancing because they believe they won’t get the mortgage. Not surprisingly, the…
I’ve heard it said over and over that the mortgage banking business may be in jeopardy as the average age of a loan originator is somewhere north of 55. The industry just ain’t attracting any new talent these days. This was one of the main topics of discussion that I participated in at a recent town hall meeting at the…
By now, I think that mortgage lenders realize the refinance market has run its course. Although some limited refinance opportunities may still exist, for the most part with rates rising and many having already refinanced. Lenders now need to look to the purchase market for their business. To service the needs of today’s buyers in the current housing market, lenders…
