General World News

EasyKnock wins arbitration case in Texas

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EasyKnock, which offers sale-leaseback solutions to homeowners, announced a legal victory in Texas on Wednesday as it was awarded more than $153,000 by an arbitrator. The company has been fighting legal battles on multiple fronts through a series of consumer-initiated lawsuits and actions by regulators in several states. The arbitrator’s decision, issued in U.S. District […]

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SitusAMC sells majority stake in mortgage risk management biz

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SitusAMC has struck a deal to sell a majority stake of two subsidiaries focused on mortgage risk management to investment firm VineLight Venture. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The transaction involves the loan insurance firm Securent Risk Retention Group along with its data, brokerage and services business, Risk and Insurance Services. It […]

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Understanding PPC (pay-per-click) advertising

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In today’s digital marketing landscape, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising has emerged as a powerful tool for real estate and mortgage businesses seeking immediate visibility and results. According to recent studies, businesses make an average of $2 in revenue for every $1 spent on Google Ads, highlighting PPC’s potential to drive growth and profitability. Additionally, 75% of […]

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HUD counseling head says partnership with reverse mortgage industry ensures seniors’ safety

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David Berenbaum, deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Housing Counseling at the U.S.  Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), addressed industry attendees at the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) Annual Meeting and Expo in San Diego last week. He emphasized the important role that the public-private partnership between the industry and HUD […]

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Arc Home adds OptifiNow’s advanced CRM to aid sales, marketing efforts

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OptifiNow announced the implementation of its high-tech customer relationship management (CRM) platform with nonqualified mortgage (non-QM) lender Arc Home LLC on Tuesday. The platform offers a new broker scoring system designed for better account management and a tagging system to improve email marketing campaigns. The CRM company launched in 2016 to provide third-party origination (TPO) […]

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UWM beefs up AI chatbot with instant feedback on products and comp

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United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) announced new enhancements to its artificial intelligence-based chatbot on Wednesday, including the ability for brokers to “chat with documents,” calculate income immediately and help identify products that match borrowers’ needs.  The wholesale lender launched an AI-powered search engine dubbed ChatUWM in May 2024. The chatbot provides instant responses to clients — […]

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At the Hard Rock Hotel, FHA’s Gordon talks reverse mortgage observations, possible enhancements

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Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner Julia Gordon offered her insights on the agency’s Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program at this year’s National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) Annual Meeting and Expo, reflecting on her journey toward greater understanding of both the program itself and the industry that utilizes it. Gordon also offered some perspectives […]

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80% of older adults can’t afford to age in place

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As many as 80% of the 60-and-older population are unable to afford either long-term care or basic necessities like food, reflecting the serious financial challenges faced by older Americans despite their overwhelming preferences for aging in place. This is according to reporting by Phoenix-based National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate KJZZ, based on data from the […]

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FHA reiterates loss-mitigation options as Helene devastation continues

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The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) on Tuesday issued an informational notice to mortgage lenders in which it reiterates various loss-mitigation options afforded to companies and borrowers who are engaged in FHA lending programs in presidentially declared major disaster areas (PDMDAs). The guidance applies to origination and servicing for both traditional forward mortgages as well as […]

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Rocket closes subservicing deal with REIT Annaly

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Rocket Mortgage has struck a deal to handle the servicing and recapturing activities for a portion of the mortgage servicing rights (MSRs) of real estate investment trust Annaly Capital Management, the companies announced on Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.  Annaly has $75 billion in assets invested across its agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS), […]

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loanDepot closes $300M warehouse securitization 

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California-based loanDepot on Monday announced it has closed a $300 million offering of notes backed by a revolving warehouse line of credit and secured by mortgages. loanDepot said this is the 10th time it has closed a transaction of this kind. It follows other strategies to strengthen its financial position, including selling mortgage servicing rights […]

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‘Megalopolis’ flops, ‘The Wild Robot’ soars at box office

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New York — Francis Ford Coppola’s decades-in-the-making, self-financed epic “Megalopolis” flopped with moviegoers, while the acclaimed DreamWorks Animation family film “The Wild Robot” soared to No. 1 at the weekend box office. “The Wild Robot,” Chris Sanders’ adaptation of Peter Brown’s bestseller, outperformed expectations to launch with $35 million in ticket sales in U.S. and Canada […]

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NRMLA conference provides ‘a new energy,’ spawns hope for industry growth

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The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) concluded the 2024 edition of its Annual Meeting and Expo on Thursday afternoon. Those in attendance told HousingWire’s Reverse Mortgage Daily (RMD) that the event provided ample opportunity for networking and educational content while boosting hopes that the industry can grow in the coming years. Different kinds of […]

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Women’s choir promotes Ukrainian culture in Brussels  

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After Russia invaded Ukraine, Yuliia Lebedynska moved to Brussels with her daughter and granddaughter. She was an entrepreneur in Ukraine but in Belgium, she found herself in a Ukrainian women’s choir.  Valentina Vasileva has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: David Gogokhia   details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this content from this noted web source: […]

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Signs of housing demand surge after interest rate cut

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The question from the housing industry after the Federal Reserve’s half-point interest rate cut is simple — will this bring buyers back to the stalled housing market? A new report from Redfin suggests that it is already happening. The company analyzed mortgage rate-lock data from Optimal Blue and found that locks have risen 68% this […]

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Is housing affordability improving? Two new reports say yes

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Elevated mortgage rates have strained housing affordability for more than two years. With rates now falling — and more downward movement expected after the Federal Reserve‘s recent interest rate cut — two new reports suggest that affordability is getting better too. The third-quarter 2024 housing affordability report from Attom says that falling mortgage rates, rising […]

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Simplist launches streamlined mortgage origination platform

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New York-based Simplist Technologies, which has developed a consumer-facing mortgage platform, introduced a new software solution on Thursday for mortgage professionals that combines a loan origination system (LOS) with a point-of-sale system (POS). The integrated platform, known as Sonar, has artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to automate rote tasks and speed up workflow processes. Sonar was […]

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Opinion: Restoring the American Dream: How 40- and 50-year mortgages could reignite homeownership

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The American dream of homeownership is slipping away for many, as the gap between wages and home prices continues to widen. In the 1970s, home prices aligned more closely with income levels. Today, escalating real estate costs—particularly in high-cost areas—are pricing millions of Americans out of the housing market. One potential solution? Extending the traditional […]

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After industry criticism, FHFA revises changes to Suspended Counterparty Program

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The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced on Wednesday it has changed its proposal to amend the Suspended Counterparty Program (SCP), offering a less severe version after several trade groups raised concerns about its impacts on the mortgage market.  The SCP, established in June 2012 during the Obama administration, requires that entities report to FHFA […]

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The mortgage industry is hiring again – but at different terms

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Applicants hoping to get a mortgage job in 2024. (Image created by AI in Midjourney.) ” data-image-caption=” Applicants hoping to get a mortgage job in 2024. (Image created by AI in Midjourney.) ” data-medium-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/waitingroom.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/waitingroom.jpg?w=1024″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” src=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/waitingroom.jpg?w=1024″ alt=”Applicants hoping to get a mortgage job in 2024.” class=”wp-image-483302″ srcset=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/waitingroom.jpg 1200w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/waitingroom.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/waitingroom.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/waitingroom.jpg?resize=768,432 […]