With unprecedented volatility in the financial markets that’s been brought on by the international spread of coronavirus, and the economic backlash associated with it, is potential systemic risk to the global financial system lurking ‘out there’ in an obscure and often little understood investing vehicle (even for its buyers)… DERIVATIVES! Back in 2015, then reposted […]
An April 2015 headline here told the story of the onslaught that faced the traditional taxi industry from technology-driven competitors like Uber and Lyft… ‘Because Of Uber, Are Taxi Medallion Lenders A Shorting Opportunity?‘ ‘In other words is the competition from Uber decreasing the demand for taxi medallions causing the price of the medallions to drop […]
Summary: Did you know about… The state of the housing market post-financial crisis, subprime lending making a comeback, the Top 10 luxury hotel suites from around the world or why the opinions of real estate appraisers seem so often to vary widely from the opinion of value that’s in the mind of the property owner. This […]
Before you ask yourself the question’ What is the Baltic Dry Index and why should I care if it drops?’, consider… Consider that the article titled ‘The Baltic Dry Index Falls To Historic Lows! One Question Though….‘ was written only ONE MONTH AGO when the BDI broke 400 for the first time ever (Note: The peak of […]
Derivatives…Derivatives? D-E-R-I-V-A-T-I-V-E-S! Most if not everyone who reads this article has heard the term derivatives at some point in time. And when they have, it’s likely been in the context of how these financial instruments that are not typically seen and not really understood by the masses are actually fiscal time bombs that, if ever detonated, could bring […]
Whatever industry you happen to be working in, a healthy and consistently growing US economy will likely be one of your most important keys to success! Certainly my business of providing the title insurance for buyers and refinancers of real estate depends heavily on a growing economy, consumer confidence, a vibrant transactional marketplace and available financing […]
But is what’s good for the consumer necessarily an easy thing for the mortgage industry to actually implement? While the new mortgage disclosures will be easier for consumers to read and understand compared to the jargon of today, for the many players in the mortgage industry that come together to make-up a successfully closed loan, […]
If you’ve been listening to the reporting of financial or political pundits, falling oil prices have typically been touted as a ‘major tax cut’ for consumers! They speak of the fact that the drop in the price of a barrel of oil (WTI currently in the low $60/barrel range) puts money into the consumers pocket […]
At the beginning of 2014 rules went into effect that differentiated between qualified mortgages (QM) and non-qualified mortgages (non-QM)! The purpose of making the distinction between the two was the governments methodology to try and avoid the scourge of the bad loans that helped lead to the 2008 financial crisis. This ‘toxic debt’ that was […]
For anyone shopping for a new home, the prospect of qualifying for a mortgage is a key component and can often be a concern, a source of high-anxiety and a daunting task! In many areas around the country there’s a scarcity of homes for sale necessitating that potential buyers show the current owner that financing is not […]
