The Federal Reserve released its survey of senior loan officers (SLOOS) earlier this week. On its face, the survey suggests a modest loosening of credit for prime and non-traditional lending. However, the picture is a little more mixed for those … [Read more...]
Just How Big is the FHA?
The FHA has been in the headlines a lot recently. So have assertions regarding how large of a presence the institution has in the housing market. The FHA’s significance varies based on which benchmark you are measuring it next to; the total sales … [Read more...]
Just How Big is the FHA?
The FHA has been in the headlines a lot recently. So have assertions regarding how large of a presence the institution has in the housing market. The FHA’s significance varies based on which benchmark you are measuring it next to; the total sales … [Read more...]
Restarting Mortgage Finance: Step 1
Recently the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a much anticipated rule that finally gets the ball rolling on reform of the mortgage finance industry. Investors fled the market following the housing bust, reducing the flow of … [Read more...]
REALTORS® Report Tight Financing/credit
Each month, the National Association of REALTORS® gathers up-to-date and on-the-ground incisive comments from REALTORS® who participate in the REALTORS® Confidence Index (RCI) survey. The RCI survey tracks expectations about overall market … [Read more...]
Mortgage Availability: Excessively Tight Credit Conditions
Recently released government data for 2011 from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) shows just how tight mortgage credit has been. Incomes of prospective purchasers have increased since 2004, but the loan to income ratio has declined. The median … [Read more...]