Tue, Apr 14 2015, 11:26 AM
As a reminder, many in the industry know that as of April 1 new rates kicked in under the National Flood Insurance Program . Policy premiums increas...
Mon, Apr 13 2015, 9:51 AM
We're approaching the home buying season. What could $412k pick up in Detroit during the last home buying season? Here you go . Thanks to Brian B. fo...
Thu, Apr 9 2015, 9:40 AM
According
to the U.S. Census Bureau, the national mover rate has remained stable
(between 11.5 and 12.5 percent) since 2008. In 1948, about 1 in...
Wed, Apr 8 2015, 9:10 AM
The Census Bureau published a
table showing median earnings and a wage comparison for men and women
depending upon occupation. In 2013, there were...
Tue, Apr 7 2015, 10:29 AM
Things
have a way of changing - even appearances. (Ray W. sent me news that
recently there was a Kenny Rogers look-alike contest. Kenny Rogers cam...
Mon, Apr 6 2015, 10:19 AM
Late last week someone asked me about HUD's Equal Access Rule .
A month or so ago Bankers Advisory released a notice regarding HUD's
update to eq...
Fri, Apr 3 2015, 10:11 AM
Mergers and acquisitions
valued at $811.8 billion have been announced this quarter globally, up
21% compared with Q1 of 2014, according to Thomso...
Thu, Apr 2 2015, 9:36 AM
The MBA tells us that independent
mortgage banks and mortgage subsidiaries of chartered banks "average
production volume totaled $417 million per ...
Wed, Apr 1 2015, 10:00 AM
Residential
lenders across the land wonder at their good fortune for great
origination volumes in March, with many setting records, and they are t...
Tue, Mar 31 2015, 10:57 AM
Amelia
Earhart was quoted as saying, "Never interrupt someone doing something
you said couldn't be done." Few thought that the refi boom could hav...
Mon, Mar 30 2015, 9:38 AM
In
like a lion, out like a lamb? Usually folks say that about March's
weather, not the economy. But economic data so far in the first quarter
ha...
Fri, Mar 27 2015, 10:35 AM
I
love it when I receive an e-mail warning me, "You've had unusual and
suspicious activity on your American Express Card." I don't have an
Ameri...
Thu, Mar 26 2015, 10:20 AM
Fannie announced some important news to any changes in the way self-employed income is considered. Sure enough, the folks on Wisconsin Avenue (soon ...
Wed, Mar 25 2015, 10:02 AM
Don't
think the gap between the haves and have-nots is widening? USA Today
reports the world's richest 1% of people control over 50% of total
gl...
Tue, Mar 24 2015, 11:11 AM
Thank you to Carol Kimball who sent along this site of " inexplicably terrible real estate photos ." My guess is that every underwriter has seen their...
Mon, Mar 23 2015, 11:02 AM
Today
I head off to Austin, Texas for four days of MBA STRATMOR Peer Group
Program meetings - a great opportunity to sit in a room with the MBA,
...
Fri, Mar 20 2015, 10:49 AM
Pro
Teck Valuation Services' Home Value Forecast (HVF) examined the impact
of lower oil prices on home values. Perhaps to no one's surprise, the
...
Thu, Mar 19 2015, 10:48 AM
"Rob,
with the Fannie price changes Tuesday, does the securities market still
charge a premium for high balance conforming? " Yes it does - pools...
Wed, Mar 18 2015, 10:40 AM
What is the Willis Tower? I don't know, but the $1.3 billion Sears Tower , complete with a $775 million loan, was sold to Blackstone.
The WSJ repor...
Tue, Mar 17 2015, 10:26 AM
Happy
St. Patrick's Day! Irish or not, many celebrated last Saturday instead
of tonight, although in honor of today Hal M. writes, "The Irish
in...
Mon, Mar 16 2015, 9:44 AM
Practically
everyone has been involved in failed business ventures. Some go away
entirely, but some try to bounce back. Anyone who has ever flown ...
Fri, Mar 13 2015, 10:51 AM
Last
month I had the privilege of spending some time at the Florida Ellie
Mae Encompass event with CEO Jonathan Corr. I was reminded that he had
...
Thu, Mar 12 2015, 10:43 AM
Charles Dickens walks into a bar and asks for a martini. The bartender asks, "Olive or twist?"
Some things have a clever twist, others not so much -...
Wed, Mar 11 2015, 10:50 AM
"Most mortgage bankers know that if they're attacked by a mob of clowns to go for the juggler."
And most mortgage bankers know whether or not the co...
Tue, Mar 10 2015, 10:17 AM
The
mortgage industry continues to deal with unintended consequences of
over-regulation, including higher prices for borrowers. The barrel
indus...
Mon, Mar 9 2015, 10:25 AM
Occasionally
I am asked about how the agencies handle certain types of debt. As a
reminder, Fannie Mae requires that all deferred installment debt...
Fri, Mar 6 2015, 11:04 AM
Daylight
Savings commences for many parts of the U.S. dark and early Sunday
morning. For many this means spring is around the corner, with improve...
Thu, Mar 5 2015, 10:49 AM
At
this time of year mortgage bankers everywhere are asking the same
critical question: "Is it acceptable to make an entire lunch out of Girl
Sc...
Wed, Mar 4 2015, 9:45 AM
Nothing
ruins your Friday like realizing it is only Wednesday! I lose track of
what we're celebrating this month: I was all geared up for the Iris...
Tue, Mar 3 2015, 10:52 AM
Irish-American Heritage is celebrated throughout the month of March and St. Patrick's Day is on March 17 th .
Once again our Census Bureau has its f...
Mon, Mar 2 2015, 9:59 AM
National MI recently added a Homebuyer Education
course to its offerings. This online course will help first-time
homebuyers navigate the home ...
Fri, Feb 27 2015, 11:06 AM
Zillow published an article
indicating that low-income renters have moved away from living in
rural, dense communities and into more affluent su...
Thu, Feb 26 2015, 12:10 PM
Here
in North Dakota, at -9 degrees this morning, appraising properties is a
walk in the park, right? What about for appraisers in the Lake Erie ...
Wed, Feb 25 2015, 9:27 AM
Although
the focus of this 6-day a week commentary is residential, it is good to
have an awareness of commercial lending - especially as it compet...
Tue, Feb 24 2015, 10:55 AM
Zelman and Associates published its January Homebuilding Survey ,
indicating that 2015 is off to a strong start. Order growth increased
32% year-...
Mon, Feb 23 2015, 10:34 AM
Young adults are stacking up, but not shacking up -
according to a recent Zillow analysis .
Most young adults are living with their parents or l...
Fri, Feb 20 2015, 11:00 AM
I
have been speaking with plenty of mortgage bankers in recent weeks -
what are they saying? The refi biz is alive and well but slowing
markedly...
Thu, Feb 19 2015, 10:50 AM
Quicken
Loans recently released its monthly Home Price Perception Index (HPPI)
and Home Value Index (HVI). According to the HPPI, appraiser's ho...
Wed, Feb 18 2015, 10:20 AM
Bank
tellers and other bank employees are very aware of elder abuse, and
train regularly to spot it. (Hopefully I won't be accused of it - my
ne...
Tue, Feb 17 2015, 10:16 AM
Here's
the riddle of the day. What is "165"? Answer: it is the number of
business days until August 1, when the RESPA-TILA rules go into place . ...
Fri, Feb 13 2015, 10:58 AM
Friday the 13 th comes three times this year, and this is one of them.
I
can think of three more companies that won't be sending chocolate to
...
Thu, Feb 12 2015, 10:11 AM
A
Pew survey finds the typical middle class family could only replace 21
days of income with readily accessible funds. What is even scarier
perh...
Wed, Feb 11 2015, 10:27 AM
There
are plenty of states with plenty of mountains. In fact, while many say
it is "as flat as a pancake" in Kansas, you might be interested to kn...
Tue, Feb 10 2015, 10:32 AM
Tonight
I head to Houston for a couple days, and the city certainly has its
share of coffee houses. What if purchasing your next house near a
St...
Mon, Feb 9 2015, 10:59 AM
Next Monday is a Federal Holiday. When I was a kid we had
both Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays off, and it serves as a
reminder that we got g...
Fri, Feb 6 2015, 11:00 AM
"Rob, do you know where I can find a list of
the largest credit unions?" Yes I do: credit union ranking .
Credit unions in the United States serv...
Thu, Feb 5 2015, 10:55 AM
In
the last few weeks I have had the opportunity to visit Florida, Oregon,
Colorado, Southern California (its own state), Arizona, Texas, and
Fl...
Wed, Feb 4 2015, 9:43 AM
Appraisers, and pet lovers, will find this house dedicated to felines
of interest. Personally, I view it as somewhat quirky. Maybe not so
quirky...
Tue, Feb 3 2015, 10:20 AM
What's
ahead of us this month? Valentine's Day, that's what. "The Hallmark
Holiday" is quickly approaching and hopefully you have bought your love...
Mon, Feb 2 2015, 10:18 AM
The economy is filled with surprises , and people warning us about them
- and us not listening. Every time we fill up our gas tanks we are
remi...
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