Mortgage applications for new home purchases increased 1.0% compared to a year ago. Compared to July 2025, however, applications decreased by 6%. That’s according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Builder Application Survey (BAS), which shows data for August 2025. “Applications to purchase newly constructed homes remained higher than last year, although the monthly pace […]
Key Mortgage Services Inc. on Tuesday announced the launch of Key Mortgage Affinity, a partnership program designed to help credit unions and community banks expand their mortgage offerings without losing their own branding. The Chicago-based lender, which is also part of the Baird & Warner family of companies, said that Affinity provides back-end support — […]
The reliability of Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) has been thrust into the spotlight in recent weeks, following groundbreaking changes in the way these models are now being tested. The implications for home equity lenders, who rely heavily on AVMs to determine property values, could be far-reaching, especially as the industry grapples with new regulatory questions […]
In a narrow 48-47 vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed economist Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors on Monday evening ahead of a highly anticipated FOMC meeting. Miran, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, was approved by the Senate Banking Committee last week with all Republicans voting in favor and […]
New construction drives market with $2.29 million average price tag as future builds signal even higher luxury premiums Miami’s real estate market continues to outpace national trends with average home prices reaching $1.13 million, nearly triple the national average of $647,307, according to the latest market data. The city’s luxury segment is driving much of […]
As Social Security benefits face an increasingly uncertain future and living expenses for seniors continue to rise, a larger share of American workers and employers believe that “retirement confidence is fragile and divided.” That’s the key takeaway from the 10th annual iteration of BlackRock’s Read on Retirement survey, released last week. BlackRock — the world’s […]
Affordability remains one of the biggest hurdles in today’s housing market. Yes, macroeconomic forces like the Fed’s policies shape the overall rate environment, but mortgage lenders aren’t powerless passengers on this ride. In fact, you hold tangible points of influence that can directly impact borrower affordability and your own business competitiveness. The question is: are […]
Mortgage documents have been at the center of an effort by President Donald Trump to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook over alleged mortgage fraud, but a loan estimate from 2021, first seen and reported by Reuters on Friday, seems to undermine those allegations. The loan estimate for an Atlanta condo Cook bought in 2021 shows […]
Welcome back to Tech Pulse — HousingWire‘s weekly series rounding up the latest in technology news, including tools, integrations and trends that impact mortgage and real estate. Here’s what happened this week: Can AI help real estate teams stand out or make them all look the same? Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming real estate marketing and workflows, but agents are […]
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, sent two letters this week that seek investigations into actions by President Donald Trump at the Federal Reserve. One letter was sent to John Allen, the acting inspector general of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), while the other was addressed French […]
Even with options in place to prevent them, reverse mortgages can end in foreclosure. But Byron Batres thinks his company can offer a solution to reduce these outcomes. While more recent numbers aren’t available, a 2019 analysis by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) data found that the share of Home […]
Amid recent reporting that President Trump is weighing a $500 billion stock offering for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and that he might be considering a merger of the two mortgage giants, Mortgage Bankers Association‘s CEO and President Bob Broeksmit authored a blog post highlighting the benefits of having two government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs). In his […]
After talking with and interviewing hundreds of mortgage professionals, I can say with certainty: the loan officers who win in this market aren’t the ones with the best/lowest rates.They’re the ones who know their database. The reality is most loan officers treat their database like a phone book. Names and emails stored away, touched only […]
Griffin Funding has launched an internal artificial intelligence-driven platform designed to help loan officers navigate the complex world of non-QM lending. The tool, known internally as “LIA,” pulls hundreds of pages of program guidelines into a single system and uses AI to deliver tailored answers to loan qualification questions, according to Chloe Shubin, vice president […]
On Thursday, mortgage rates data from Mortgage News Daily (MND) showed that the 30-year fixed rates for government loans fell below 6%. As of Thursday afternoon, the average Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan rate was 5.97% and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rate was 5.99%. Mortgage News Daily also reported 15-year fixed rates […]
Mortgage rates remain below the 50-year average, but most homebuyers see them as unusually high — a perception that is driving stress, delaying purchases, and reshaping major life decisions, according to a nationwide survey conducted in August. The survey of more than 1,000 buyers, released this week by Tomo Mortgage, highlights the gap between economic […]
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s monthly Mortgage Credit Availability Index rose 10 basis points in August to a reading of 104.0. The MBA‘s index, which relies on ICE Mortgage Technology data, rose for a second consecutive month. July’s index increased by 0.2% to a reading of 103.9 and was driven by the increased availability adjustable-rate […]
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte’s criminal referrals against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over alleged occupancy fraud — shared publicly on social media — have pushed mortgage data privacy into the spotlight. The case also underscores how Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac operate in a regulatory “gray area” when it comes to […]
When it comes to real estate, the best outcomes rarely happen by chance. The buyers who succeed are usually the ones who prepare early, long before they walk into their first showing. Preparation starts with understanding what a lender is willing to offer, and that can take one of two paths: a simple pre-qualification or […]
Cost optimization is key to creating success in the world of mortgage servicing. Mortgage servicers have dedicated significant resources in pursuit of optimized processes and prices, as every fraction of the cent saved contributes to the bottom line. Servicers are laser-focused on enhancing throughput efficiency, applying advanced technology to automate and streamline every step from […]
Borrowers rushed to refinance in August as mortgage rates eased, pushing rate-and-term refi lock volume up 70% from July, according to Optimal Blue’s Mortgage Market Advantage report released Wednesday. “Borrowers are responding quickly to rate improvements, driving the strongest month for rate-and-term refinances we’ve seen this year,” Mike Vough, head of corporate strategy at Optimal […]
Mortgage lending fintech LitFinancial announced on Wednesday the launch of litUSD, a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin built on the Ethereum blockchain in partnership with Brale and Stably. The company said the token is designed to “modernize” mortgage lending, streamline treasury operations and increase transparency in mortgage finance. It also complies with the federal GENIUS Act, a […]
California-headquartered mortgage technology firm DocMagic on Wednesday announced the launch of DocMagic One, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform that aims to make the loan manufacturing process more efficient. DocMagic One is designed to improve coordination between various parties in the mortgage process by allowing document preparation, compliance checks and other tasks to occur in a […]
National reverse mortgage lender Traditional Mortgage Acceptance Corp. (TMAC) recently announced the promotion of Chase Kinder to vice president of its wholesale division. Kinder, who previously served as a senior account executive and started at the company in late 2023, was instrumental in expanding the wholesale footprint at TMAC — dba Goodlife Home Loans — […]
UWM Holdings Corporation has closed the issuance of $1 billion in senior notes, an oversubscribed transaction that comes just two months before the maturity of its existing notes. The company initially planned to issue $600 million. Proceeds, due November 15, will be used to repay $800 million in senior notes that carry a 5.5% coupon, […]
As the home equity market continues to heat up, Better Home & Finance Holding Co. announced on Wednesday that its home equity line of credit (HELOC) product has collectively helped customers pay off more than $193 million in debt. Better said that its HELOC product has enabled nearly 50% of borrowers to consolidate debt —primarily […]
The number of consumers whose rent payments are reported to credit reporting agencies rose to 13% in 2025, according to TransUnion‘s latest Rent Payment Reporting analysis, released on Wednesday. That number is up from 11% in 2024. In a press release, the company suggested that this trend may gain momentum after the July 2025 directive […]
Lower mortgage rates prompted mortgage applications to increase 9.2% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Sept. 5. Last week’s results include an adjustment for the Labor Day holiday. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 3% compared with the previous […]
A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s effort to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, granting Cook’s request for a preliminary injunction on Tuesday evening. In her ruling, Judge Jia Cobb said that Trump’s reasons for removing Cook did not meet the standard for sufficient cause, noting the alleged conduct occurred before her tenure as […]
Fintech Aven has raised $110 million in a Series E funding round, expanded into mortgage refinancing and added heavyweight advisers Lawrence Summers and Patrick McHenry to its board, the company announced Tuesday. The San Francisco-based fintech, best known for its home equity-backed credit card, is now valued at $2.2 billion following the round led by Khosla […]
Figure Technology Solutions, Inc. announced on Tuesday that it has upsized its initial public offering by 5.2 million additional shares. Originally, the company planned to offer 26.3 million (26,315,789) shares of Class A common stock to the public. Now, they’ve increased that number to 31.5 million shares, of which 26,645,296 shares are being offered by […]
Wire fraud prevention firm CertifID is looking to further prevent fraud by streamlining the mortgage payoff ordering process. The firm announced that it is rolling out a mortgage payoff ordering solution on Tuesday. The solution enables title professionals to order mortgage payoffs with just one click. The solution is fully autonomous and enables title professionals […]
Longbridge Financial has officially launched a home equity line of credit (HELOC) program that’s designed for homeowners ages 62 and older, offering approval and funding in as little as five business days. The move marks an expansion beyond the company’s core reverse mortgage business while staying focused on older borrowers. This demographic collectively holds nearly […]
Homeowners are spending a growing share of their mortgage payments on property insurance, which is now rising faster than principal, interest and taxes, according to the September ICE Mortgage Monitor. Data shows that annual property insurance payments for single-family mortgage holders now average nearly $2,370. That amounts to 9.6% of monthly mortgage-related expenses, the highest […]
Mortgage rates at their lowest levels in nearly a year are driving a wave of refinance opportunities for lenders ahead of the Federal Reserve’s expected rate cut next week. The shift is encouraging more borrowers to leave the sidelines, with small rate moves already triggering meaningful activity. “Refinance businesses increased significantly from the first quarter, […]
Assurant Inc. on Monday announced the launch of HOIVerify Origination, an API-enabled solution that streamlines and automates insurance verification during the mortgage origination process. “Assurant’s HOIVerify product suite modernizes the complex mortgage loan process,” Greg Tuttle, senior vice president of Assurant Lending Solutions, said in a statement. “HOIVerify Origination is a proprietary platform that automates […]
Homeowners are currently sitting on an unprecedented amount of equity, resulting in higher demand for home equity loans and lines of credit. And with interest rates expected to decline, refinancing and even new home purchases are on the rise. For lenders, retaining existing customers can be just as important as acquiring new ones. However, in […]
President Donald Trump on Friday signed the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (H.R. 2808), establishing a nationwide ban on the abusive use of trigger leads beginning in March 2026. The legislation had broad mortgage industry support. It cleared the House in June and the Senate by unanimous consent in August, with bipartisan sponsorship from Reps. John […]
A growing number of U.S. housing markets face elevated risks from high foreclosure rates, underwater mortgages and rising costs, according to a new report. ATTOM analyzed 579 counties nationwide for its second-quarter Housing Risk Report — with ranking criteria including affordability, foreclosure activity, mortgage equity and unemployment. California and Florida counties were heavily represented among […]
A coalition of 46 independent mortgage banks (IMBs) is calling for guarantee-fee parity and a competitive cash window in a letter sent Friday to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte. The push comes as the Trump administration signals plans to move forward with a stock offering for […]
In an interview on Thursday with CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte addressed the “for cause” definition tied to the attempted firing of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook while rejecting the notion that his crusade against mortgage occupancy fraud was “political weaponization.” “I do believe there is a very strong cause,” […]
Last month, Texas-based Finance of America (FOA) announced that it would be offering a dual listing of its common stock on the newly created NYSE Texas, which is headquartered in Dallas. As a result, FOA — a leading reverse mortgage lender — is among the handful of founding members that also include Intercontinental Exchange and […]
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Thursday issued a public request for information on noncompete agreements as it seeks to identify practices it considers “unfair” and “anticompetitive,” a topic that has drawn attention across the mortgage and real estate industries. Under the Trump administration, the FTC said it will take a case-by-case approach rather than […]
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has revised residency requirements for the Section 184 Indian Housing Loan Guarantee program to exclude non-permanent resident aliens. “This update aligns HUD’s requirements with recent executive actions that emphasize the prioritization of federal resources to protect the financial interests of American citizens and ensure the integrity […]
DossDocs on Thursday announced the launch of Seller Financing Docs, a product aimed at homeowners locked into low mortgage rates who have delayed a home sale rather than trading in their low rate for a higher one on their next home. The product allows sellers to transfer their low-rate mortgage, often in the range of […]