ajtj99's Market Pulse

[hunkerdown]

aj...Banking sector question

This refi frenzy thats going on was wondering if you had any thoughts on how much impact it will have for Banks down the road. They get there cut from fee`s of this 2,780 bn. pie and was wonder if you think that will be a small or large % towards earnings going forward? It still seems like a one trick pony thing because this will end too. Then again it will probably not be mentioned as something that will end whenever its reported. (no disrespect to the Pony!)



The rush of US homeowners to refinance mortgages at lower rates is creating a boom in the home lending business, prompting banks to hire thousands of new employees and put them to work on extra shifts to process mountains of paper. “Many of them work all day, go home and have dinner with their families, then go back to the office and put in a few more hours, because there’s work to be done,” said Greg Gwizdz, national sales manager of the Wells Fargo home mortgage unit. Lenders could originate up to $2,780bn of new mortgages this year, the Mortgage Bankers Association says. Statistics from mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac suggest 80 per cent of that activity could involve refinancing. With interest rates for 30-year fixed rate mortgages at around 5 per cent, US homeowners could save close to $18bn on their mortgage repayments this year if they refinance, according to economists at Freddie Mac. Ken Lewis, Bank of America chief executive, said on Monday his company was adding 6,000 workers to beef up its mortgage capabilities. Wells also has added mortgage staff, although it won’t give out specific numbers.


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