BlogTalkRadio Podcast – May 24, 2010

2017-12-20T17:34:18+00:00 May 25th, 2010|Categories: BlogTalkRadio Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Mortgage rates made a nice move lower last week.  In fact, they have moved lower each of the last four weeks, to the lowest level of the year.  Many of us thought mortgage rates would head higher after the Fed stopped buying mortgage-backed securities (MBS) at the end of March.  Mortgage rates did move higher just prior to and just after March 31st,   but new circumstances entered the market in April.   Uncertainty has pushed investors out of riskier assets like stocks (the Dow is well off its recent highs) and into less risky assets like government insured MBS.  Several things are contributing to this uncertainty.  The European debt crisis and a tightening monetary policy in China have made investors very uncertain about future economic growth in the US.   In addition, the passage by the Senate of a financial reform bill has many investors questioning how freely banks will make capital available to US businesses to finance their expansion.  This uncertainty combined with very low inflation rates have made MBS an attractive alternative. Dave Lykken hosted today’s show from the exhibit floor of the MBAs National Secondary Market and Expo.  He reported that the conference was well attended and the [...]

In The News: Loan Officer Compensation and Senate Bill 3217

2017-12-20T17:34:18+00:00 May 21st, 2010|Categories: In The News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It is being reported that Senate Bill 3217 Restoring American Financial Stability will soon pass out of the Senate.  There are many things in this bill which will effect the mortgage industry.  In an earlier blog post I discussed the likely impact of the "Skin in the Game" provisions of this bill.  In this post, I will discuss the provisions in this bill which will restrict Loan Officer compensation. Glen Corso, Executive Director of The Community Mortgage Banking Project, discussed on the BlogTalkRadio/Lykken-on-Lending show on Monday that the amendment to Senate Bill 3217 which, among other things, prohibits loan originators from receiving compensation based on the terms of the loan.  He explained that the amendment was introduced late Tuesday evening May 11th and was passed on Wednesday morning May 12th, giving himself and other industry advocates no chance to weigh in on the amendment.  The intent of the amendment is to remove any incentive for an originator to charge more in origination fees to a borrower or to give a borrower a higher mortgage rate than the basic rate and price as established by his or her origination company.  So this amendment essentially prohibits companies from paying loan officers a [...]

In The News: “Skin in the Game” – Risk Retention Amendment to Senate Bill 3217

2017-12-20T17:34:18+00:00 May 21st, 2010|Categories: In The News|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Senate Bill 3217 Restoring American Financial Stability is working its way through the Senate and is expected to be passed in the coming weeks.  Certain provisions of this bill will have a significant impact on the mortgage industry. As you may recall, the Senate Bill 3217, as originally proposed, included a provision which would have required 5% of the risk on all loans originated be retained by the originator upon sale to investors.  The provision was not clear as to which entity or entities in the origination chain would be required to retain the risk.  It was not clear whether the risk that was to be retained would be an ownership interest in the loan or reserves supported by cash.   It was also not clear how long the originator would have been required to retain the risk.  The original provisions would have been devastating to the mortgage industry.  The 5% risk retention would have forced many mortgage originators from the business and would have driven mortgage rates much higher.  After significant industry efforts, this provision was amended last week. The amendment, as passed by the Senate, does very little to answer these questions, but what it does do is exempt [...]

BlogTalkRadio Podcast – May 17, 2010

2017-12-20T17:34:18+00:00 May 20th, 2010|Categories: BlogTalkRadio Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Senate Bill 3217 Restoring American Financial Stability was the focus of discussion on the show Monday, particularly two recently passed amendments which are of great interest to the mortgage banking industry.  The amendments deal with risk retention and loan officer compensation.  One is good for the industry and the other is not.  Glen Corso, Executive Director of The Community Mortgage Banking Project, joined the show to bring a first hand understanding of the amendments and their status. The amendment that is good for the mortgage industry deals with the risk retention provisions of the original  bill.  The original bill would have required mortgage originators to retain “skin in the game.  It would have required originators to retain 5% of the risk on all the loans they originated and sold to investors.  The amendment exempts from the 5% risk retention requirement certain mortgage loans which meet the definition of Qualified Mortgage Loans.  Since 90% or more of today’s loans will meet the definition of Qualified Mortgage Loan, the amendment significantly reduces the number of loans on which originators will be required to retain risk. The amendment that is not good for the mortgage industry restricts how loan originators are to be [...]

BlogTalkRadio Podcast – May 3, 2010

2017-12-20T17:34:18+00:00 May 5th, 2010|Categories: BlogTalkRadio Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

“Skin in the game.  Most mortgage bankers, especially those who have experienced a loan buyback, feel like they have some.  If Senate bill S3217, Restoring American Financial Stability Act, is passed in its current form mortgage bankers will learn what “skin in the game means to the current Administration.  This bill calls for mortgage bankers to retain the risk on 5% of the loans they originate.  The language in the bill is not clear, but some have suggested that retaining risk means funding a reserve with cash.  Lets do some math.  If a mortgage company is really efficient, it might earn 1% on the loans it originates and sells.  If they are required to hold 5% as a risk reserve, it will not take long for mortgage bankers to originate themselves into bankruptcy.  Who would participate in this business? Glen Corso, Managing Director of Community Mortgage Banking Project, joined the show today to discuss his efforts to lobby the Senate to add an amendment to the “skin in the game provision of S3217.  The amendment would exclude “well underwritten loans from the risk retention requirement.  Think Ginnie, Fannie, or Freddie loans.  They cannot be defined that way because we may [...]