Thursday, April 25, 2013

Mortgage Reform.... Complexity

Lots of detritus
being slung around...

Well, there have been some really great comments (particularly the ones I agreed with!) posted over the last three days. Thought it might be good to stop at this point and sort through some of that detritus (which is just a fancy word for... well never mind.)


Reform:
A-maze-ingly Difficult !
 
Quite often "reform" - which by the way is a synonym for "change" - gets waylaid, derailed, and defeated by the introduction of multiple, inconsequential or extraneous "concerns" - called "piling on" !!  Adding complexity always makes reform more difficult. Trying to solve just one problem is tough enough; trying to simultaneously solve several problems, geometrically explodes the degree of difficulty.  In which case, you usually end up with nothing - no change - or with a 2,200 page piece of legislative detritus which is worse than nothing !!  Comprendez?

Here's my list of the "Top 10" bits of detritus from the last few days...

Blog "Concerns" 
("Complicating Detritus")

1.    A 1973 VA loan.
2.   Ben The Magnificent and Rube Goldberg.
3.   Duke Street Mafia.
4.   Europe.
5.   Granite counter tops.
6.   Grasshoppers, ants, and Aesop.
7.   Greed, guilt, and self-deception.
8.   The New Morality.
9.   Corporate MBS Kool-Aid.
10. Dennis Moriarity !!!! ( *Just for those who may miss the point, Dennis is my favorite poster - wickedly insightful ! !) 


(All y'all be leaning just one way - CRAZY !!!)

Now come on steady, steady.... stay focused... 

Here is the one reform idea:

"Fan/Fred may only guarantee, purchase, or securitize financial assets with an indexed APR which resets at least once every 5 years."


(Alright proceed to tear it to pieces !!) 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

A one size fits all prophylactic? Only one thing worse than 2200 pages of regulations is a one size fits all solution.

Anonymous said...

The product itself and proposed exclusivity for gse securitization is a good idea but not a panacea.
Does not solve for:
Future abuse by the next wjclinton and James Johnson at FNMA.
Future bullying by the next Barney Frank, "I want to roll the dice a little bit on this idea of subsidized housing", as he bullied regulators to look away.
Future greed transactions by mortgage brokers and real estate agents.
Future ratings of crap mortgages securitized by other agents besides gse.
Lenders who can't compete on the standardized product so get creative and sell off to the other agents or hold it and blow themselves up and increase assessments for all.
Lobbyists who will take advantage of the cracks in the system above
Lawmakers corrupted by lobbyists who will find a way to take advantage of the cracks above.
Regulators that want to run for office someday like Cuomo (HUD- "everyday that FNMA is not meetings it's subprime lending goals, I will fine them $30,000").

The product, it's a good start.
Needs support.
Needs support to include true accountability.

Anonymous said...

The solution is to trust free people to embrace their right to enter into financial relationships that makes economic sense to them. Big Government solutions usually lead to Big Catastrophes.

Anonymous said...

This from the King of DETRITUS!

If it were not for being a depository of detritus matter, blog sites would have no reason for existence.

Jim Blaine said...

Amen KING !!!

Likewise here !!!!