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☆ Home Buyers Could Soon Get $1 Million Mortgage With 3% Down Payment
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Veronica Dagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

To qualify for a $1 million mortgage, Americans typically have to make a down payment of at least 20% of the home’s price. Starting next year, some buyers could put as little as 3% down. The cap for home loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rises to $1,089,300 next year in a few expensive markets including Los Angeles and New York, up from $970,800, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA, said Tuesday. The higher limit means borrowers can qualify for bigger loans without needing to take out jumbo mortgages, which aren’t federally backed and have more-stringent requirements for income, credit and down payments.

☆ Premarket stocks: Consumers are keeping the economy afloat... for now
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

What’s happening: Americans appear to be indulging in a healthy dose of retail therapy despite stubbornly high inflation and the possibility of a recession ahead. Consumer spending is a major driver of the economy, and the last two months of the year can account for about 20% of total retail sales — even more for some retailers, according to NRF. But when the Federal Reserve is actively trying to squash high inflation rates, they risk becoming a fly in the ointment. “Consumers’ spending is more or less unfazed not only by high inflation, but also the rate hikes intended to get prices under control,” economists at Wells Fargo wrote. The high rate of spending could agitate investors in this good-news-is-bad-news economy because it adds to inflationary pressures.

☆ High home prices push Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to back loans of more than $1 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

As a result, the baseline conforming loan limit for 2023 will be $726,200, up $79,000 from this year’s limit of $647,200. Higher-cost areas will have a new loan limit of $1,089,300, or up to 150% of the baseline loan limit. Mortgages above these loan limits are considered “non-conforming” or “jumbo” mortgages, and typically come with higher interest rates. The baseline loan limit is the highest loan amount – not the purchase price – for a one-unit purchase. The law establishes the maximum loan limit in high-cost areas as a multiple of the area’s median home value, up to a maximum of 150% of the baseline loan limit.

☆ U.S. house annual prices slow again in September
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - U.S. single-family home prices slowed further in September as higher mortgage rates eroded demand, closely watched surveys showed on Tuesday. Monthly house prices fell in July for the first time since late 2018. House prices rose 10.6% year-on-year in September, slowing from August's increase of 12.9%. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate breached 7% in October for the first time since 2002, data from mortgage finance agency Freddie Mac showed. Tight supply will, however, likely keep a floor under house prices.

☆ US government entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were just cleared to purchase mortgages of over $1 million for the first time because home prices are still so high
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac help make mortgages available by purchasing them from lenders. The limit will top $1 million for the first time in 2023, reflecting a new norm in US housing. Fannie and Freddie are the largest buyers of US home mortgages and are credited with providing constant liquidity in the housing market through their purchases, even during downturns. Their scope in residential markets is capped by the so-called conforming loan limit, which per a 2008 law is set in accordance to changes in home prices. Outside the priciest areas of the country — which include areas around New York, Washington, DC, and coastal California — the conforming loan limit will also rise by 12.2%, to $726,200.

☆ The November jobs report and the Fed matter most to markets in the week ahead
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

November's jobs report is the big event for markets in the week ahead, and it could provide important insight into the path of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. The labor market has cooled only slightly, as other parts of the economy have slowed. But the labor market has been more resilient than expected, challenging the Fed's efforts to tame inflation by slowing economic activity. Besides the jobs report, there is the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report Wednesday, as well as the Fed's beige book on economic activity. "Holding above 4,000, as we await the jobs report and those other economic reports would be constructive for one more move before Christmas," he said.

The SEC's whistleblower program was created as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, a law passed in response to the 2008 financial crisis. Under the law, eligible whistleblowers can receive a cash award of between 10% and 30% of any monetary sanctions collected above $1 million. Hong provided further documentary evidence, helping FHFA and the U.S. Justice Department secure settlements with RBS for $5.5 billion and $4.9 billion, respectively. Hong sought an award under the SEC's whistleblower program but the commission declared him ineligible because the action against RBS was not taken by the commission itself. Hong's lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court, contending that the SEC is undermining the aim of Congress to incentivize and award whistleblowers by "coordinating enforcement efforts with other agencies and then refusing to pay an award."

☆ Mortgage Lenders Should Use FICO and VantageScore for Loans Sold to Fannie and Freddie, FHFA Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Annamaria Andriotis | Andrew Ackerman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/fhfa-says-lenders-should-use-both-fico-and-vantagescore-for-loans-sold-to-fannie-mae-freddie-mac-11666634415

☆ Stock futures are flat as investors await big tech earnings
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Stock futures were flat in overnight trading Monday as investors looked ahead to big technology earnings for further clues into the health of the U.S. economy. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded marginally higher, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.09% and 0.02%, respectively. Shares of Amazon slipped slightly in after hours trading on reports of a hiring freeze, while Discover Financial shed more than 1% on disappointing earnings results. Investors this week remain laser-focused on earnings from the biggest technology companies, with reports from Alphabet and Microsoft due Tuesday. On the economic data front, S&P/Case-Shiller August home prices, FHFA August home prices and October consumer confidence are slated for release Tuesday.

☆ Stocks could continue to break higher as Apple, big tech report earnings in week ahead
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The three major averages closed higher Friday, with the S & P 500 adding 2.37% to close at 3,752.75. Stovall said the S & P 500 had six positive moves of 1% or more in the last 17 trading days, as of Friday. Earnings, earnings, earnings About 150 S & P 500 companies report earnings in the coming week. Technically speaking Scott Redler, partner with T3Live.com, said he is watching a formation in the S & P 500 that could be positive. His first target for the S & P 500 is 3,800.

Royal Bank of Scotland signs are seen at a branch of the bank, in London, Britain December 1, 2017. RBS agreed to settle Justice Department and FHFA investigations over its sales of residential mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the financial crisis. The SEC did not pursue its own action against RBS in this instance. The petition Hong filed on Monday asks the Supreme Court to consider what constitutes an "action" within the SEC's whistleblower incentive program. "The better a whistleblower's information, the larger the sanctions, the larger the whistleblower award, and the greater the self-interested motivation for the SEC to take enforcement actions that it has conveniently placed outside of Dodd-Frank's reach," it added.

☆ US home prices climbed in July, but showed a 'forceful deceleration'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But the market showed signs of cooling as rising mortgage rates pushed more prospective buyers to the sidelines. On a monthly basis, prices fell 0.2% from June, the first month-over-month decrease for the national index since February 2012. Tampa notched the biggest gains, with home prices rising 31.8% in July from the year before. Higher mortgage rates cooled demandThe home price reports highlight the cooling effect of rising mortgage rates. As investors see or anticipate rate hikes, they often sell government bonds, which sends yields higher and mortgage rates rise.

☆ US home prices climbed in July, but showed a ‘forceful deceleration’
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

☆ Stocks could continue skittish trading until interest rate move calms down
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The S & P 500, Dow and Nasdaq were all down sharply for the week. The S & P was down 4.6%, ending the week at 3,693. Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard , St. Louis Fed President James Bullard , San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly and Fed Governor Michelle Bowman are among the speakers. Other global central banks joined the Fed in raising rates, and interest rates around the world rose in tandem. If those levels break, the S & P could touch 3,385 before the selling is over, he said.

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