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Feb 21, 2018 12:30 PM

Office Vacancies Hit 10-year Low: Transwestern

Office vacancies in major U.S. metro areas reached a 10-year low in December, according to commercial real estate firm Transwestern, GlobeSt.com reported Feb. 12. The nationwide vacancy rate was 11.5 percent. The Dallas/Fort Worth area had the highest quarterly and annual net absorption rates.

Feb 21, 2018 12:30 PM

CRE and Multifamily Originations Are Expected to Decline: Report Shows

Commercial and multifamily originations this year are expected to total around $549 billion, a 3 percent drop from last year, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Feb. 15. Factors contributing to the decline include rising interest rates and pressure on capitalization rates.

Feb 21, 2018 12:30 AM

Fannie Mae Says Tax Cuts Hurt, $3 Billion in Treasury Assistance Needed

Fannie Mae will need $3.7 billion from the U.S. Treasury to prevent its net worth from becoming negative in March, Bloomberg reported Feb. 14. The government-sponsored enterprise hasn’t required taxpayer funding since 2012, but newly passed cuts to corporate taxes led to a $6.5 billion fourth-quarter loss.

Feb 14, 2018 12:30 PM

CFPB Strategic Plan Shows Limited Responsibilities and Enforcement Goals

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Feb. 12 released its five-year strategic plan that states its goal is to “fulfill the Bureau’s statutory responsibilities, but go no further.” The plan draws directly from the Dodd-Frank Act and refocuses the CFPB’s mission as regulating consumer financial products and services under existing federal law.

Feb 14, 2018 12:30 PM

FHFA Announces New Fannie, Freddie Housing Goals

The Federal Housing Finance Agency on Feb. 6 announced new housing goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for 2018-20. The goals for single-family homes remain largely unchanged, but the goals for multifamily properties call for increased mortgage purchases for properties with affordable units.

Feb 14, 2018 12:30 PM

US Takes Lenders to Task Over VA Loans

The U.S. warned nine lenders that they may be kicked out of a top mortgage program unless they stop rapid refinancing of veterans’ mortgage loans, Bloomberg reported Feb. 8. A probe by Ginnie Mae found that some lenders are enriching themselves through repeated, unnecessary and costly refinancing actions.

Feb 07, 2018 12:30 PM

Appeals Court Reverses Itself, Says CFPB Structure is Constitutional

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Jan. 31 ruled that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is constitutionally structured, reversing a 2016 decision in which the court ruled that the CFPB's structure gave the director too much power — more than any other government agency, ABA Banking Journal reported.

Feb 07, 2018 12:30 PM

FHFA Releases 4-year Strategic Plan

The Federal Housing Finance Agency on Jan. 29 released its strategic plan for 2018-22, which calls for safe and sound operation of its regulated entities, ensuring liquidity and accessibility in housing finance and managing its conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Feb 07, 2018 12:30 PM

Massachusetts Has Most LEED-certified Space Per Capita: USGBC

Massachusetts topped the list of states with the greatest amount of green, reporting 130 LEED certifications that equate to 4.48 square feet of LEED-certified space per resident, the U.S. Green Building Council reported Jan. 31. New York and Illinois rounded out the top three on the list.

Jan 31, 2018 12:30 PM

Leaked CFPB Memo Reveals New Mission, End of Regulation by Enforcement

A leaked Jan. 23 memo attributed to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Acting Director, Mick Mulvaney, said the bureau’s mission going forward will be ending regulation by enforcement and its focus will shift from protecting consumers to protecting the industry, HousingWire reported.

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