Archive for May, 2008

Lenders Facing Repurchase Demands from Investors

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that mortgage lenders are facing an assault on yet another front as the mortgage debacle rolls on. Investors, including Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, are taking a long look at loans they have purchased from lenders over the last few years and the contracts that ...

Economist Calls April U.S. Durable Goods Report “Awfully Strong”

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

The surprising 2.5% increase in April durable goods excluding transport as well as the 4.2% advance in core capital goods makes for a strong report that contrasts with the ISM manufacturing data, economists say. Eric Lascelles, senior economics and rates strategist at TD Securities, said the release is an "awfully ...

Economic News Impacts Both Short- and Long-Term Rates; Applications Drop

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

Long- and short-term interest rates each moved slightly during the week ended May 22 on the basis of larger economic news according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey. Mortgage application volume decreased... Read More Now

U.S. Treasury’s Steel Calls for More Financial Education

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

Increased financial literacy from consumers would have helped dampen some of the effects of the subprime housing crisis, according to Robert K. Steel, U.S. undersecretary for domestic finance, on Wednesday. Read More Now

Weekly Mortgage Applications Decline 4.6%

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

Weekly mortgage applications in the United States fell in the week ending May 23, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers' Association (MBA) on Wednesday, which said applications declined by 4.6% week-over-week. In the previous week, applications fell by 7.8%. The portion of fixed-rate mortgages... Read More Now

Wednesday’s Events: U.S. Durable Goods, Fed Speakers, Mortgage Applications

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

Some weekly U.S. retail and mortgage data kicks off the day followed by the release of durable goods orders and some Fed speakers. The Canadian economic front looks light with some tourism reports from Statistics Canada and a 23-year bond auction from the Bank of Canada. Meanwhile, Europeans will be ...

Meeting Minutes Say FOMC to Maintain Discount Rate to Slow Inflation

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008

The release of the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) March 31- April 30 minutes show seven district banks had voted for no change in the discount rate in an effort to slow inflation. The Boston Fed was the lone bank to vote for a half-point cut in the discount rate. Four banks ...

Reader Offers Simple Plan to End Foreclosure Turmoil

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008

Mortgage News Daily received an email this week from a reader with an intriguing idea for, if not solving, at least lessening the foreclosure crisis. What we loved about it was its simplicity. The reader said that she works with a real estate attorney in Florida, one of the three states ...

Fed’s Yellen Says Current Rates “Appropriate” to Stimulate Growth

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008

San Francisco Fed President Janet Yellen (non-voter) said rates are "appropriate" for encouraging growth and that the real Fed funds rate is near zero. In a Q&A session following her speech, Yellen said some negative scenarios for the housing market remain and that the extent of the drop in housing ...

Tuesday’s Events: U.S. S&P/CS, New Home Sales, Cons Conf; Cdn Emp Insurance

Tuesday, May 27th, 2008

Some Fed speakers, the U.S. S&P Case-Shiller house price index, new home sales and consumer confidence will complement the release of Canadian employment insurance data on Tuesday morning. At 8:15 a.m. EDT, Fed Governor Randall Kroszner (voter) will speak on U.S. mortgage markets... Read More Now