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Chuck Grassley Sounds Off

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36 www.results-software.com powered by: VALUE ADDED SERVICES Property Maintenance Cleaning Services Landscaping Pools: Service/Repair/Maintenance Rehabs Tree Removal Remodels Plumbing Services Electrical Garage Doors Repair Services Eviction / Re-Key Services Foundations Interior & Exterior Painting Flooring Sales & Installation Roofi ng A/C & Heat Pest Control Appliances Service areas inclusive of, but not limited to: TX, OK, TN, GA, MS, LA, AR, AL, MO, KS Truly Noble Services, Inc. | www.trulynobleservices.com | (855) 898-2455 We've honed our skills for over 25 + years as a leading services provider in property preservation, rehabs, and repairs. Our commitment to bringing quality and consistency of services to the forefront shows in our dedication to training and constant technology updates to ensure our customers that we will be there for future support in services. All this commitment has laid the foundation for our long term success. From real estate agents to corporate clients who need anything from property maintenance to remodeling, we will show you why Truly Noble Services has earned the reputation as the service provider of choice. Where Servicing and Property Services Meet PROUD TO BE A VETERAN OWNED AND OPERATED BUSINESS VISIT US AT BOOTH 226 DURING THE FIVE STAR CONFERENCE AND EXPO FORECAST CALLS FOR MODERATE ECONOMIC GROWTH; HOUSING GAINING MOMENTUM Consumers' conservative financial behav- ior suggests modest economic growth for the remainder of the year, though the housing industry appears to be gaining momentum, according to Fannie Mae's Economic and Strategic Research Group's May 2015 Eco- nomic Outlook. Following a weak economic first quarter, continued negative economic fundamentals including a strong U.S. dollar and the linger- ing effects of last year's oil price decline have resulted in a downgrade in economic growth to 2.3 percent for all of 2015, down by 0.5 percent- age points from the prior forecast. e projec- tion for economic growth in 2015 is only slightly ahead of 2014's moderate pace of 2.2 percent. "Last year, we saw a strong second-quarter rebound from a weak first quarter. We expect the same pattern this year but a more muted bounceback," Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan said. "e drop in oil prices has led to a reduction in business fixed invest- ment, particularly in the mining and energy extraction space, but hasn't yet translated to a significant increase in personal spending, with consumers remaining financially conser- vative by choosing to ramp up their savings or pay down their debt. Incoming data point to some strengthening of consumption for the second quarter." Leading indicators for the housing sector have shown that despite the moderate eco- nomic growth predicted, housing may experi- ence a strong season in the spring, according to Fannie Mae. In March, existing home sales rose to their highest level in nearly two years, although Q1 existing home sales were off slightly from the previous quarter's total. Despite a slowdown in March, new single- family home sales ended the first quarter at their strongest pace in seven years. Other leading housing indicators that show a strong season may be ahead are pending home sales (increased in March for the third consecu- tive month) and purchase mortgage apps, which in early May jumped to their highest level in nearly two years. Strong home price acceleration has helped to improve equity positions and loan performance, foreclosure starts fell down to their long-run average of 0.45 percent, and the early-stage delinquency rate for single-family mortgage loans declined to their lowest level since 1972, indicating an improvement in the current quality of out- standing mortgage debt and tightening labor market conditions. "We also are seeing positive develop- ments in the housing space, supporting our forecast of moderate but broad-based improvement in 2015 compared to last year," Duncan said. "Purchase mortgage applica- tions have moved up consistently for a couple of months, and while refinance applications have recently pulled back, the actual volume of both purchase and refinance originations earlier in the year came in stronger than we had projected. As a result, we have raised our mortgage origination forecast to $1.46 trillion for the year."

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