Headlines

Sustainable homeownership is the “gateway to the middle class” for many Americans and is the primary source of wealth creation for many, which is why increasing the homeownership rate is so critical to a healthy economy, according to a panel at a housing forum in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.

According to Smoke, 32 percent of millennials were homebuyers this year, while 18 percent were sellers. On the one other hand, 40 percent of millennials own a home, while 60 percent rent.

On a national level, several economic conditions influence today’s market such as home price growth outpacing rent growth since 2012 (favoring the rent side of the equation) and interest rates returning to historic lows after reaching 4 percent of higher in 2013 and 2014.

Robinson contends that despite posting record losses for 2007 and the first half of 2008, shortly before the government seized control of them, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were always capable of paying their debts and were never in danger of insolvency. The complaint contends that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac took a relatively conservative approach to investing in mortgages during the years 2004 to 2007, the so-called “housing bubble,” during which many institutions were not conservative where the mortgage market was concerned.

Last week, NAC met with the offices of two U.S. Senators and testified in front of the Appraisal Qualifications Board to deliver the group’s comprehensive solution for effectively training new appraisers, while ensuring the process is reasonable for both trainers and trainees alike.

The percentage of delinquent mortgages (loans 30 days or more overdue but not in foreclosure) rose by 1.7 percent over the month in September, reaching 4.87 percent—the highest level since May 2015. This percentage represented about 2.45 million mortgages nationwide, with the monthly increase totaling about 44,000.

Arch Mortgage Insurance Company (Arch MI), a provider of private mortgage insurance based in Walnut Creek, California, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Arch Capital Group Ltd., recently introduced Arch MI RateStar, the company’s new risk-based pricing program.

The current data for foreclosures and mortgage delinquencies shows significant improvement compared to data from five years ago, the universally accepted peak of the mortgage crisis, according to HOPE NOW, a private sector alliance of mortgage servicers, investors, mortgage insurers, and non-profit counselors.

“Throughout this Congress, we have seen examples and heard testimony about how regulatory impediments prohibit job creation, cause consolidation of community financial institutions, and decrease choices for consumers,” said Randy Neugebauer, Chairman of the Subcommittee. “Some of the proposals we have already considered have received bipartisan support.”

While no single-family securitizations came to market in July or August of this year—Morningstar attributes the slowdown to issuers’ redirection of focus from property acquisition to property management—the agency said there are two bright spots in the SFR market as of late.