Just How Accurate Is Housing Data?
REQUIRED READING: How much home prices are changing depends on which data source you seek out. The Standard & Poor's (S&P)/Case-Shiller Home Price...
Jaynie L. Smith: In Pursuit Of Superior Salesmanship
PERSON OF THE WEEK: There is an old joke that says somebody is a great salesperson if he or she can sell refrigerators...
A Throat Lozenge For Richard Cordray?
BLOG VIEW: Can somebody please send a medical professional to Richard Cordray's office? It appears that the director of the Consumer Financial Protection...
Rethinking Federal Guarantees For Reverse Mortgages
WORD ON THE STREET: Beginning in 1995, the U.S. began extracting equity from its housing in ever-growing numbers. This effectively removed the equity...
Mortgage Banking Is Ready For A High-Tech Overhaul
REQUIRED READING: For more than a decade, the industry has foretold a day when mortgages will be originated, closed and delivered in a...
Nonprofit Groups See Increase In Donated REO Properties
REQUIRED READING: Call it the ultimate act of charity - nonprofit housing groups are receiving an increased volume of real estate owned (REO)...
Cathy Blaszyk Grades The CFPB
PERSON OF THE WEEK: Love it or loathe it, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) appears to be here to stay for the...
Loosening Access To Mortgage Credit
WORD ON THE STREET: Some buyers who would like to purchase a home are unable to do so because they are unable to...
Adding A Touch Of Green To Mortgage Underwriting
REQUIRED READING: Fans of the Muppets know that Kermit the Frog's theme song is 'It's Not Easy Being Green.' But if the celebrated...
The Challenge In Preserving REO Pre-Sale Values
REQUIRED READING: From December 2011 to January 2012, there was an approximately 3% increase in foreclosure filings, according to data from RealtyTrac Inc....
David Tobin On The State Of The CMBS Market
PERSON OF THE WEEK: Two months after matching its lowest reading in a year, the delinquency rate for commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) reached...
Obama’s Aversion To Housing Equality
BLOG VIEW: During the past few weeks, President Obama has been at the center of a political dust storm after he voiced his...
Housing Lessons From The Los Angeles Market
WORD ON THE STREET: I'm not sure when you last found yourself in a planetarium. At the start of my most recent visit,...
Addressing Problems That Obscure A Property’s True Value
REQUIRED READING: Servicers trying to maintain the value of the properties they own face many challenges, among them what to do when those...
Taking A Second Look At Today’s Technology Risks
REQUIRED READING: Every organization takes risks, but sometimes there are hidden cracks below the foundation of a company that pose serious problems. During...
D. Dowd Muska: Housing’s Role In The Presidential Race
PERSON OF THE WEEK: In less than six months, Americans will be heading to the polls to either re-elect President Obama or replace...
Can The Lacey Act Be Used To Seize Homes?
BLOG VIEW: Imagine receiving a frantic telephone call from a borrower whose home was seized by federal law enforcement agents. The reason for...
What The CFPB Is Really After
WORD ON THE STREET: The calamities of the last decade - even the crisis caused by the calamity in mortgages - do not...
Vacant Properties: The New Ticking Time Bomb
REQUIRED READING: Last November, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report entitled 'Vacant Properties: Growing Number Increases Communities' Costs and Challenges.'...
The Paperless Environment: Still A Work In Progress
REQUIRED READING: The benefits of a paperless mortgage process have been discussed for years. As far back as 2005, accelerated turnaround times, decreased...