General World News

Inflation cools slightly ahead of Fed meeting

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The Federal Reserve has some positive news about inflation as it heads into its June meeting on Wednesday afternoon. The Consumer Price Index cooled slightly in May, with the all items index posting a 3.3% annual increase before seasonal adjustment, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This is down from a 3.4% annual […]

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Open Mortgage has FHA direct endorsement authority terminated in Iowa

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has terminated the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) direct endorsement approval for Open Mortgage in Iowa.  “HUD placed Open Mortgage on credit watch for the Des Moines HOC [homeownership center], which only impacts our loans in Iowa,” Christopher D’Auria, president and CEO of Open Mortgage, told HousingWire.   […]

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Despite financial insecurities, retirement may be easier than you think: Forbes

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An article written by an Atlanta-based certified financial planner and published Tuesday by Forbes indicates that retirement may not be as difficult as many Americans think. Wes Moss, who hosts the “Retire Sooner” podcast and has 20-plus years of experience as an investment adviser, offered advice that reverse mortgage professionals and their business partners might […]

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VA issues temporary fix to allow buyer-paid broker fees

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Tuesday issued a temporary fix that will allow homebuyers using VA loans to pay for their real estate agent’s commission — i.e., the buyer-broker fee. The change, a result of the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) commission lawsuit settlement agreement, was anticipated late last month and commented on […]

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What’s new in QC and Compliance

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In a market where every dollar matters, revenue retention areas like quality control and compliance are more critical than ever. Thus, keeping abreast of regulatory and investor updates and trends is vital to maintaining loan quality and compliance. Trevor Gauthier, chief executive officer at ACES Quality Management provides us with an update on the latest […]

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Liberty Reverse parent completes rebrand to Onity Group

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The parent company of top 10 reverse mortgage lender Liberty Reverse Mortgage has completed its shareholder-approved rebranding initiative, transforming the former Ocwen Financial Corp. into The Onity Group. The initiative has also transitioned the company’s New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) ticker symbol to “ONIT” as of the market opening on Monday. “Today marks the start […]

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Dunmor adds to its business-purpose lending team

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Los Angeles-based Dunmor, a technology-enabled lender that specializes in loans for residential real estate investors, has added a pair of experienced executives in the business-purpose lending space. The company announced Monday that it hired Tuam Pham as chief marketing officer and Steve Huff as senior vice president of asset management and servicing. Pham has 23 […]

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Mortgage veteran Joe Tyrrell named CEO of Optimal Blue

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Mortgage veteran Joe Tyrrell will succeed Scott Smith as CEO of Optimal Blue, the company announced Monday. Tyrrell has more than 25 years of experience in mortgage, finance and technology, serving as president of ICE Mortgage Technology for three years after ICE bought Ellie Mae in 2020. For the past 18 months he has served […]

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Thousands turn out for LA Pride Parade, events

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LOS ANGELES — Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Hollywood on Sunday for the L.A. Pride Parade, one of the biggest events during a month of celebrations honoring the LGBTQ+ community in and around Los Angeles.  Rainbow flags ruled the day as revelers cheered the lively procession that featured “Star Trek” star and […]

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Meloni joins cultural elite celebrating Italian opera’s recognition as a world treasure

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VERONA, Italy — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni joined top political and cultural figures at Verona’s ancient Arena amphitheater Friday night for an open-air celebration of Italian lyric opera’s recognition by UNESCO as a global cultural treasure. Conductor Riccardo Muti presided over an orchestra of 170 musicians from Italy’s 14 opera houses, joined by over 314 choral […]

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US shocks cricket world with win over powerhouse Pakistan

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The United States cricket team beat Pakistan — a former world champion — on Thursday, achieving one of the biggest upsets in T20 Cricket World Cup history. This year’s tournament is being hosted by the United States and the West Indies. Saqib Ul Islam has more from the games in Dallas, Texas. details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com […]

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Bidens feted for France state visit, where fashion did the talking

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PARIS — U.S. President Joe Biden capped his visit to France by being feted with a tres-chic state visit Saturday — finishing with a flourish a trip that launches a frantic six-week diplomatic push that analysts say could radically alter Europe’s security architecture, right as the continent holds parliamentary elections that could shift the politics sharply […]

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The month in reverse mortgage rates: June 2024

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Graphics by Dan Hultquist. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s Almost all Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) originated today utilize the adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) option. In stark contrast to traditional mortgage lending, the reverse mortgage business is dominated by ARMs, representing over 99% of Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured reverse mortgages originated today. […]

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Newrez to lay off 317 employees in Colorado

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Another round of layoffs hit hundreds of Newrez employees in Colorado, the second so far this year in the state. It follows the the lender’s recent acquisition of Computershare Mortgage Services and its affiliate Specialized Loan Servicing (SLS).  Newrez, owned by asset manager Rithm Capital, is imposing a workforce reduction of 317 employees at its […]

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Wholesale lender OCMBC calls lawsuit from HMAC ‘baseless’

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Wholesale lender OCMBC Inc., which was recently sued by direct lender Home Mortgage Alliance Corp. (HMAC) over the alleged poaching of both key personnel and a wholesale lending brand, issued a statement this week that called the allegations “baseless” and added that any employment changes have been made “independently and lawfully.” The case was first […]

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Moody’s reaffirms ‘above-average’ quality rating for reverse mortgage servicer Celink

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Bond credit-rating organization Moody’s Investors Service has reaffirmed its “above-average” rating for the reverse mortgage servicing performance of Celink, which is the current holder of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) servicing contract and is a HECM subservicer for several major lenders. The Moody’s assessment of “SQ2” […]

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Fannie Mae’s Doug Duncan on Fed ‘overcommunication,’ ‘dormant’ lenders and second mortgages

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Doug Duncan, the chief economist at Fannie Mae, believes pressures from fiscal and monetary policy have brought volatility to the secondary mortgage market, creating a “higher-for-longer” scenario in the U.S. economy that mortgage companies should be ready to face. “Every indicator that comes out, the market judges which way would the Fed move with it. […]

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Mortgage credit availability increased in May: MBA

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Mortgage credit availability saw a slight increase in May, according to an analysis of ICE Mortgage Technology data by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI) rose by 0.1% to 94.1 in May. The index was initially benchmarked to 100 in 2012. The MCAI measures how tight or loose lending standards […]

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loanDepot adds Andrews, Wilkish to its sales leadership ranks

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California-based mortgage lender loanDepot (LDI) has made two additions to its sales leadership team. On Wednesday, the company confirmed that Justin Andrews has been hired as the new area sales manager in the Seattle region. Andrews comes to loanDepot with 25 years of mortgage industry experience, including a recent stint as national director of branch […]

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HUD launches manufactured home community loan program

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this week announced the launch of a new program designed to allow for the purchase, refinance or renovation of manufactured housing under a loan program sponsored by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The Manufactured Home Community loan product will “will help entities to preserve, stabilize, and […]