News

Inventory has dropped yet again, declining 14 percent over last year and 25 percent since 2015. Seattle was hit the worst as far as inventory, coming in with a 1.75, the lowest Months Remaining Inventory index of all metros measured. An MRI between six and 10 indicates a balanced market.

Black Knight has partnered with Lender Price to offer a completely digital loan application process on its LoanSphere Empower LOS. The platform lets consumers apply for mortgage loans via their mobile device, and it can even verify income, provide property valuations, and deliver real-time interest rates on the spot.

Though prices are up and mortgage rates are rising, housing is still pretty affordable—at least by historical standards. According to new data, the beginning of 2017 saw steady credit access, rising borrower FICO scores, and a decline in refinance transactions. The average FICO score of a first-time GSE buyer in January was 739.7.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Federal Reserve Board announced that Wells Fargo had remedied the deficiencies in its 2015 resolution plan. Wells Fargo will no longer be subject to the growth restrictions which were imposed last year. The Dodd-Frank act requires resolution plans, commonly known as “living wills” which describe the company’s strategy for rapid and orderly resolution under bankruptcy in the event of material financial distress or failure of the company.

Mortgage fraud risk is up across the country, according to the CoreLogic National Mortgage Application Fraud Risk Index (FRI) for Q1 2017. The FRI is a measure of loan-application level fraud risk in the mortgage industry, based on residential mortgage loan applications processed by CoreLogic Loan Safe Fraud Manager. The index jumped 8 percent in Q1, up to 132 from 113 a year ago and 122 last quarter.

With the federal funding running out on Friday and a potential government shutdown looming, expect to see an impact on the mortgage industry. Access to tax documents and other government paperwork may prove difficult in the event of a shutdown. CNBC noted that “non-essential” employees, such as those that process paperwork through the Internal Revenue Service, would be furloughed during a shutdown, causing roadblocks for those applying for mortgages.

Schiller, Knapp, Lefkowitz & Hertzel, LLP, (SKLH) a law firm specializing in the default servicing industry, announced the promotion of long-time associate Daniel Young to partner rank. Young will continue to provide foreclosure and litigation support from SKLH’s Waitsfield, Vermont office.

According to a new home price index, national housing prices have appreciated to a new post-crisis high as of February. With an index of $268,000 for the month, the U.S. saw its highest home price growth since June 2006. Prices rose 0.8 percent for the month and 5.7 percent over the year.

HouseCanary has partnered with RE/MAX to provide its agents with powerful pricing insights. As a part of the partnership, RE/MAX agents can now access HouseCanary Value Reports through the organization’s Approved Suppliers portal. The reports offers accurate home valuations and three-year pricing forecasts.

In the wake of President Trump’s executive order targeting Dodd-Frank and Consumer Protection, the Financial Services Committee (FSC) will hold a hearing to discuss the Financial CHOICE act. Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling first unveiled the rules and principles guiding Financial CHOICE last June, and the act was approved by the FSC in September. At the center of the act is a plan eliminate bailouts and hold Wall Street accountable. Additionally, the act calls for banks to be better capitalized, and to reduce the strain of regulation on smaller banks.