Events

Renters and homeowners do not see the same rosy picture when it comes to houses for sale, but if homeowners were to follow through with their optimism, the housing market could become a healthy one.

On Tuesday, the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Indices for April will be released, showing the state of prices in the housing market on a national level, a 20-city composite, and a 10-city composite. With inventory continuing to dwindle, will home prices continue on their current upward trend? Time will tell...

Fannie Mae announced on Tuesday that they have sold 13,500 loans with a cumulative unpaid principle balance of $2.99 billion in their third reperforming loan sale. Loans were divided into three pools, and sold to a single bidder: DLJ Mortgage Capital, Inc. Fannie Mae expects to close on the bid of this sale July 21.

Monday Pamela Patenaude appeared before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for her nomination hearing for Deputy Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Patenaude believes her history as the Assistant Deputy will set her up well for this position, if confirmed. The rumors of the intent to nominate Joseph Otting for the Comptroller of the Currency were also confirmed recently in a statement from President Trump.

For four months, the Department of the Treasury, GSEs, and Federal Housing Finance Agency have been in disagreement with Fannie and Freddie investors on where profits should be directed. Though the D.C. Circuit affirmed a lower court’s ruling that actions taken under the FHFA’s conservatorship of the GSEs cannot be challenged in court, the shareholders are now taking matters to the full D.C. Circuit for a rehearing. The FHFA and Treasury are now urging the D.C. Circuit not to modify its original ruling.

Ocwen Financial Corporation sued the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in late April claiming Ocwen had failed borrowers in every stage of the mortgage servicing process. Though the two went back and forth about getting the ruling on the CFPB’s constitutionality expedited, ultimately the request was denied. Ocwen's bid to test the constitutionality of the CFPB has now been delayed.

The House will vote on the Financial CHOICE Act, a Dodd-Frank “off-ramp”, this coming Wednesday. Republicans proposed this reform to the financial system in mid-April to free the U.S. from government micromanagement when it comes to excessive regulations on the financial system. See what else will take place in the upcoming week here.

Thanks to one of REO’s biggest professional groups, the mortgage industry has taken a significant step in diversity and inclusion. The Federation of REO Certified Experts announced the launch of its Diversity Council on Wednesday, a group that aims to “advance conversations on diversity and inclusion.” The group is made up of six committees, including ones for Latino, African American, women, LGBT, veteran, and Asian REO professionals.

With nearly 40,000 American veterans homeless, the nation is finally starting to take notice. From new bills and big housing projects to events across the nation, parties from all over are taking at aim at veteran homelessness. The Five Star Institute’s upcoming Military Heroes Keys for Life event is just one such effort.

Thursday, a fast-track foreclosure law expediting the foreclosure process was signed by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. With the intent to reduce community blight, this bill was signed in the footsteps of a similar bill in Ohio. Industry experts provide commentary on the impact this bill may have, including being the push for other states to move forward with their own fast track foreclosure bills.