Mortgages

The country's largest credit union is learning the hard way that failure to assure inclusivity in lending practices is a recipe for both financial and reputational damage.

Mike Weinbach, a former Wells Fargo and JPMorgan leader, will replace president Chris Marshall who's expected to retire at the end of this year.

The top five banks and thrifts have nearly $96 billion in combined home equity loan portfolios as of September 30, 2023.

Southern Bancorp in Little Rock, Arkansas, plans to put $250 million in equity capital it received from the Treasury Department to good use making mortgages and acquiring banks.

But this week the 30-year fixed rate mortgage average increased for the first time in two months.

The real estate investment trust — which counts the private equity firm C-III Capital Partners among its top shareholders — owes more than $100 million to creditors but has less than $50 million of assets, according to a Chapter 11 petition.

Rates that have been below 7% for two consecutive weeks have given originators a gift at what's typically a slow time of year, Freddie Mac said.

The banks' resistance to changes being recommended by the Federal Housing Finance Agency do not bode well for their future or that of the industry.

The Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are suing a real estate developer over an alleged bait-and-switch land-sale scheme near Houston. The developer used TikTok and other social media sites to lure Hispanic immigrants into predatory loans, the government alleges.

The lawsuit accuses Navy Federal of violating the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act after a CNN report that the lender approved a lower percentage of Black and Latino mortgage applicants.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is appealing a lower court ruling that the agency exceeded its authority in bringing an anti-discrimination enforcement action against a Chicago mortgage lender after he made disparaging remarks about Blacks and Hispanics.

A Connecticut-based couple sued the bank and Cavanaugh Appraisals, LLC for denying them a refinance in 2021 because of racial bias.

The world's largest credit union reported a 5% increase in total loans in the third quarter while lending at the largest banks was almost stagnant. However, the Vienna, Virginia, institution's charge-offs also jumped significantly.

The Fed's announcement is responsible for a 19 basis point drop in the 10-year yield over a two-day period, pushing the 30-year fixed under 7% for the first time since August, Freddie Mac said.

Recent economic data pushed investors toward Treasurys over the past week, driving 10-year yields to as low as 4.1%.

The number of government-backed home loans transferred from one borrower to another is up significantly this year as prospective buyers look for ways to avoid elevated interest rates. Some say this is the beginning of a larger movement, but others say regulatory hurdles will get in the way.

Anne Marie Pippin, associate director in the Federal Housing Finance Agency's Office of Financial Technology, weighs the forces shaping the industry's future.

The 30-year average declined for the fifth consecutive week, as purchase demand picking up at the same time, according to Freddie Mac.