Inaction is easy. It’s quiet; unwritten; immune from critique. It sits undone; confidently static. But if buyers and sellers were compelled to transcribe their inaction, it would read like a sociopath’s diary entry: “We could have watched you grow up, but your grandpa and me weren’t willing to give up our 2.875% rate to move […]
WASHINGTON — The Keke Palmer buddy comedy “One of Them Days” opened in first place on the North American box office charts on a particularly slow Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. The R-rated Sony release earned $11.6 million from 2,675 theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday, beating Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” by a hair. […]
It is one of the 20th century’s most memorable images: a naked girl, screaming, running from a napalm bombing during the Vietnam War. More than a half-century later, a new documentary is calling into question who took it — and the retired Associated Press photographer long credited for the photo insists it was his, while […]
As the dust settles from the confirmation hearing of Scott Turner to serve as the new secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are logging their reactions in official statements and social media posts ahead of an expected Senate vote. While reactions largely fall […]
A notice implemented into the reverse mortgage servicing process that is designed to flag potential foreclosures if they are in a federally declared disaster area could prove to be beneficial for any borrowers currently impacted by the Los Angeles-area wildfires, according to a servicing industry expert. Colorado fire and Ed Sharp After a reverse mortgage […]
Joel Kan, MBA’s vice president and deputy chief economist, highlighted a rise in government loan activity as a key factor behind new-home mortgage growth. “Applications for newly built homes increased 9 percent compared to a year ago in December, while the FHA share of applications reached its second highest level in the survey’s history at […]
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) this week published Mortgagee Letter (ML) 2025-06, which codifies “updates to FHA’s permanent loss mitigation options based on learnings from its temporary COVID-19 policies and feedback received on the draft policies” from a proposal published this past November. Published on Thursday, the letter extends existing COVID-19 recovery options to February […]
Florida-based non-QM lender A&D Mortgage announced Friday that it has acquired the wholesale and nondelegated correspondent lending businesses of Mr. Cooper Group. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed but it is expected to close by the end of March 2025. A&D reported that the two entities being acquired funded more than $10 […]
In a changing real estate market, mortgage lenders face increasing demand. If high mortgage rates and increased liquidity management aren’t challenging, then regulatory changes, operation inefficiencies, and economic uncertainty are enough. With high mortgage rates and stagnated origination, many financiers are focusing on mitigating risk and boosting efficiency. This occurs while they manage the heavy […]
Attom‘s year-end 2024 foreclosure report revealed that 322,103 properties in the U.S. had some type of foreclosure filing — default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions — last year. The data solutions company also reported that in fourth-quarter 2024, one in every 1,671 properties had a foreclosure filing. Attom also noted that foreclosure filings were […]
Many housing insiders often characterize the topic of housing as a bipartisan one that is somewhat insulated from the acrimony of more divisive issues during a historically polarized political era. This was mostly on display during the Senate confirmation hearing for Scott Turner to be the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and […]
LOS ANGELES — David Lynch, the filmmaker celebrated for his uniquely dark vision in such movies as “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” and the TV series “Twin Peaks,” has died just days before his 79th birthday. His family announced the death in a Facebook post on Thursday. The cause of death and location was not immediately […]
Bill Pulte, a private equity professional, philanthropist and grandson of the late homebuilding icon William Pulte, will be Donald Trump‘s nominee to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), according to reports from multiple outlets on Thursday. Trump confirmed the nomination on his Truth Social account. “I am pleased to announce that Bill Pulte will […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this week warned consumers in all 50 states that fraudsters are posing as mortgage lenders by calling homeowners and asking them to pony up on payments. The scam, dubbed “Green Mirage,” involves callers contacting homeowners who oftentimes “have previously sought relief from their actual mortgage lender and may expect to […]
MUMBAI — Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was stabbed repeatedly by an intruder at his home in Mumbai on Thursday, but doctors treating him said he was out of danger after surgery. Khan, 54, was “on the path to complete recovery” after receiving stab wounds on his spine, neck and hand, the doctors told reporters. “He […]
“The standard of living of the average American has to decline,” he said. “I don’t think you can escape that.” These were the words of Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker as he testified before Congress in October 1979. Inflation was 13%. Volcker’s predecessors, Arthur Burns and William Miller, had failed to control prices. Stagflation gripped […]
Mutual of Omaha Mortgage, which rose to the No. 1 position on the reverse mortgage industry leaderboard for Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsements in 2024, has responded to a September legal complaint by competitor Longbridge Financial. Mutual is denying allegations that it misled potential customers and is demanding a jury trial and for litigation […]
An Elkhart, Indiana, resident who is a beneficiary of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assistance is poised to lose his benefits on Jan. 31 after disclosing on a form that he had ingested marijuana a single time, according to local reporting by a South Bend-based NBC affiliate. This will cause him to […]
With an adjustment for the New Year’s holiday, mortgage applications increased 33.3% from one week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey, released today. This week’s reading, for the week ending Jan. 10, 2025, is a stark difference from last week’s applications, which reflected a seasonal lull following Christmas. While […]
The year 2025 will be transformative for real estate. Rising personal home insurance rates, fueled by escalating claims costs, increasing property values and the growing frequency of natural disasters, will all have a profound impact on market dynamics — and homeowner’s insurance costs. For real estate professionals and mortgage lenders, these shifts present both challenges and […]
At the tail end of 2024, mortgage borrowers shifted their attention away from conforming mortgages and toward refinance opportunities. A report released Tuesday by Optimal Blue found that the conforming loan share sank to historic lows in December. Optimal Blue’s December 2024 Market Advantage report is a monthly study that analyzes key indicators to provide […]
Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) volume took a hit in 2024 and the HECM-backed Securities (HMBS) issuance market also saw overall reductions in output for the year, giving further context to a challenging period for the reverse mortgage industry broadly. Once again, total issuance was down in 2024, and the top 10 issuers reshuffled slightly. […]
As President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Scott Turner will be questioned on Thursday by lawmakers of both parties in his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. But ahead of that hearing, a familiar Trump foe — […]
Mortgage rates continued their ascent this week after Friday’s jobs report showed that employers added more positions than expected in December, which is likely to cement a pause on interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve later this month. HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center showed that the average 30-year conforming loan rate was 7.15% on Tuesday, […]
A Kenyan company is using the age-old art of glass blowing to recycle waste into sculptures, goblets, beads and more. Juma Majanga reports from Kajiado, Kenya. details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this content from this noted web source: VOANews.Com
Fannie Mae‘s latest Home Price Index (HPI) shows single-family home prices increased 5.8% from Q4 2023 to Q4 2024, a surprising increase from the previous quarter’s downwardly revised annual growth rate of 5.4%. Quarterly, home prices rose a seasonally adjusted 1.7% in Q4 2024, an increase from the downwardly revised 1.2% growth rate in Q3 […]
Rocket Companies, the parent of Rocket Mortgage, on Tuesday unveiled a refresh to its brand identity in an effort to unify Rocket’s many companies under a single umbrella. As part of this effort, Rocket is rebranding some of its businesses. Its title producer and appraisal management arm, Amrock, will now be known as Rocket Close. […]
Digital mortgage lender Lower on Tuesday announced the hiring of Adam Wiener as its new president. Wiener, who previously served as president of real estate services at Redfin, will lead Lower’s technology, marketing, data science and direct-to-consumer sales organizations. In an exclusive interview with HousingWire, Wiener shared that he started his new role on Dec. […]
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Monday announced that it has reached a settlement with PHH Mortgage Corp., a division of the Onity Group, over the alleged imposition of fees for borrowers making payments on their mortgages, which is in violation of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) requirements. Describing the settlement as […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has found that homeowners facing flooding from rivers and creeks are more likely to be underinsured against flood risk than homeowners in coastal areas, according to a report published on Monday. The report is based on a sample of mortgage applications from 2018 to 2022, and it examines flood […]
WASHINGTON — For more than 5,000 years, humans have adorned themselves with tattoos. In a new study, researchers used lasers to uncover highly intricate designs of ancient tattoos on mummies from Peru. The preserved skin of the mummies and the black tattoo ink used show a stark contrast — revealing fine details in tattoos dating to […]
Mike Rawls “Since taking on the role of CEO in 2020, Mike has skillfully led Xome to become the powerhouse Mr. Cooper Group named former vice chairman and President Chris Marshall as the new CEO of subsidiary real estate solutions firm Xome. Marshall will replace former CEO Mike Rawls, who is set to retire effective […]
Top 20 U.S. mortgage lender loanDepot announced the promotion of regional sales director Bart Evans to regional vice president for the Southeast region. Evans will help manage retail business in states like Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee. He will report directly to senior vice president of production Paul Ramos. The new regional vice president brings a […]
Government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are aiming to remind homeowners and renters impacted by the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles of various relief options. These include forbearance and other payment deferral plans, as well as disaster recovery counseling programs through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “The number one […]
Egypt hosted a historic number of tourists last year —15.7 million, despite regional challenges — surpassing records set in 2023 and 2010. Around the city of Luxor, Cairo-based photojournalist Hamada Elrasam captured newly unearthed antiquities showcased this month. Captions by Elle Kurancid. details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this content from this noted web source: VOANews.Com
In a new episode of 10 Minute Talks, HousingWire President Diego Sanchez sits down for an in-depth conversation with Rob Pieklo, president and chief operating officer of American Financial Resources (AFR). During the 10-minute conversation, Pieklo explores his new focus on developing AFR’s wholesale lending strategy, the competitive landscape of the mortgage market, and the […]
London — Hundreds of Londoners headed down to the Underground on Sunday afternoon, stripped down to their underwear and travelled around a bit, trying to look as though nothing unusual was going on. As if. This was the Official No Trousers Tube Ride, an annual event with no point other than injecting a little levity into […]
New York — On a quiet weekend in movie theaters, while much of Hollywood’s attention was on the wildfires that continue to rage in Los Angeles, Lionsgate’s “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” debuted atop the box office with $15.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Mid-January is often a slow moviegoing period, and that was slightly […]
MAPLE GROVE, Minnesota — Ice crystals clung to the eyelashes, parka hood, beanie hat and headscarf of Ruqayah Nasser as she took a break after her first-ever snow tubing runs in a Minnesota park on a -18 Celsius January morning. She had joined two dozen other members of a group founded by a Somali-American mother in […]
LOS ANGELES — After ripping through thousands of buildings, wildfires in Los Angeles were looming Saturday toward the celebrated Getty Center and its priceless collection. Nestled in the mountains above Los Angeles, the famed art museum is within a new evacuation warning zone as the Palisades Fire roars east. Dubbed a “beautiful fortress” and constructed of […]
BETHANY BEYOND THE JORDAN, JORDAN — The Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on Friday consecrated a new church at a place on the banks of the Jordan River that the Catholic Church officially recognizes as the site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Parolin inaugurated and consecrated the Church of the Baptism of the […]
With more than 153,000 people currently under evacuation orders in the Los Angeles area due to multiple wildfires, an estimated 10 deaths and thousands of structures burned, the reverse mortgage industry at multiple levels is mobilizing with a clear, overarching message: Impacted borrowers must get in touch with their loan servicer and insurance carrier as […]
The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs announced that it will hold a confirmation hearing on Thursday, Jan. 16, for Scott Turner to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Scott Turner, the nominee to lead HUD under President-elect Donald Trump. ” data-image-caption=” Scott Turner ” data-medium-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/scottturner_hud.jpg?w=201″ data-large-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/scottturner_hud.jpg?w=534″ src=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/scottturner_hud.jpg?w=534″ […]
ISLAMABAD — A high court in Pakistan prohibited authorities Friday from forcibly deporting Afghan musicians and singers until their asylum cases are resolved within the next two months. The ruling comes amid a crackdown on hundreds of thousands of refugees from neighboring Afghanistan who either lack legal permits to reside in the country or have overstayed […]
Wayne Brown “Kat and Wayne are both strategic problem solvers,” Duffy said in a statement. “Our clients appreciate their ability to internalize their core challenges, and apply their comprehensive industry knowledge to solving them.” Brown brings 20 years of experience to his new role, including 12 years at Freddie Mac, where he served as senior […]