Mortgages

Both the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Federal Housing Administration are extending relief for homeowners and renters due to the pandemic crisis.

Party polarization and racial equity issues make it tougher for trade groups to manage internal divisions while ensuring the field supports those who get their hands on the levers of power.

Mortgage application volume decreased 6.5%, falling for the second consecutive week with refinance activity at its lowest since early July, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

If it makes landfall as a Category 3 storm as was initially projected, damage from Hurricane Laura's surge could potentially devastate 432,810 residential properties in Texas and Louisiana, according to CoreLogic.

The mortgage giants were criticized earlier this month for a plan to charge an "adverse market fee" to protect against losses resulting from the pandemic.

If Trump is reelected, his administration would likely move forward with privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and relaxing key rules, while a Joe Biden presidency would likely try to expand homeownership access and borrower protections.

While cutting losers to buy winners is an age-old investment proposition, the Covid-19 pandemic may create even more openings than the past crises that became bonanzas for real estate investors.

As interest rates tumbled throughout July, prepayments climbed to the highest monthly rate since 2004, but 90-days-or-more delinquencies were on the rise from June, according to Black Knight.

Positive payment behaviors in conjunction with CARES Act measures kept mortgage delinquencies from rising, but the number of borrowers facing hardship grew exponentially from last year, according to TransUnion.

Lenders initially won't be able to pass on the cost of the Federal Housing Finance Agency's "adverse market fee" to borrowers whose rates on GSE-backed mortgages and refinances are already locked in.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says the proposal would increase access to credit, but consumer groups argue that it will encourage lenders to make high-cost loans while protecting them from legal liability.

The number of loans going into coronavirus-related forbearance decreased for the ninth consecutive week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Dana Wade, a former OMB official, says a strong capital footing will help the Federal Housing Administration weather an uptick in delinquencies and ensure the mortgage market is viable once the economy recovers.

With the moratorium still in place, mortgage foreclosure activity fell 83% in July compared to the year before and 4% from June, according to Attom Data Solutions.

Borrowers will likely have to put more assets on the line to get forbearance extensions.

But the 30-year fixed remains below 3%, which should continue to support increased demand.

The new “adverse market fee” for refinanced mortgages resembles steps the companies took to combat the 2008 mortgage crisis. But critics charge it isn’t necessary and will hurt borrowers’ ability to tap into low rates.

A survey conducted throughout the second quarter found knowledge gaps based on race and income.

In a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Mortgage Bankers Association recommended adding six more months to the latest GSE patch proposal.

A second-term Trump administration would likely continue its deregulatory efforts, focus on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's exit from conservatorship, and seek to facilitate fintech participation in the banking system.