Mortgage Bankers Association

Refinance application activity last week was the highest in nearly seven years, with more than triple the volume from one year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

After maintaining a $250,000 exemption threshold for real estate appraisals for nearly 20 years, the National Credit Union Administration is set to raise that limit to $400,000.

Lower rates spurred a lot of unexpected mortgage business in 2019 but credit unions need to prepare themselves for what happens once the boom ends.

As lawmakers tackle Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, any revamp must lessen risk to the mortgage system and U.S. taxpayers.

With the ongoing issue of the affordable housing crisis, the Mortgage Bankers Association – which many credit unions are members of – got behind the Build More Housing Near Transit Act, a bipartisan bill introduced in the House of Representatives.

Large banks had huge losses from originating mortgages in 2018 as costs were three times higher than similar-sized independent lenders, according to research conducted by Stratmor and the Mortgage Bankers Association.

While regulation and nonbank competition are spooking some banks and credit unions, others believe low funding costs and the right relationships can help them succeed.

While regulation and nonbank competition are spooking some banks, others believe low funding costs and the right relationships can help them succeed.

The Senate Banking Committee will hold two hearings at the end of March on Chairman Mike Crapo’s most recent framework for housing finance reform.

The Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Realtors and 26 other groups warned the agency not to pursue steps reducing the scope of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that could upset the mortgage market.

The Milken Institute's plan to address the housing finance system proposes a number of measures that could be carried out by regulators, after years of stalled legislative attempts.

The proposal by Fannie and Freddie’s regulator to impose bank-like capital requirements would be relevant only if the companies leave conservatorship. But that hasn’t stopped lenders from requesting changes.

Real estate and mortgage industry groups outspent proponents 3-to-1 to defeat Proposition 10, a measure to allow California municipalities to set local rent control laws.

The consumer bureau’s interim chief told an industry conference that “regulation by enforcement is done.”

The Federal Housing Administration is looking to streamline its single-family loan servicing requirements to align them with industry standards and upgrade outdated technology.

Proposition 10 would give local jurisdictions a freer hand to restrict rents, but critics say that would lead to property devaluations. Some see an effect regardless of whether the measure passes.

Members of the American Credit Union Mortgage Association will receive discounted access to most of the Mortgage Bankers Association's training products.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's practice of "regulation by enforcement" and use of nonbinding guidance materials makes its regulatory efforts "unfair and ineffective" to lenders and servicers, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Robert Broeksmit has a tough act to follow succeeding David Stevens, the CEO revered for navigating the Mortgage Bankers Association through one of its most tumultuous eras on record. But in doing so, Broeksmit has a distinct advantage over many of his predecessors: inheriting an organization on the upswing.

Robert Broeksmit, a career mortgage industry executive, will succeed David Stevens as the president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association.