Developers at the University of Maryland are using a holographic camera to capture people’s movements in three dimensions for what could be high-impact training, education and entertainment. It is technology with the power to transform how we learn and entertain ourselves. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. VOA footage by Adam Greenbaum. details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this […]
A new campaign for Myanmar led by the son of imprisoned democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Kim Aris, is using tattoos as a publicity tool to raise humanitarian aid for the millions displaced following the 2021 military coup. People in Myanmar’s diaspora are getting tattoos of a Burmese water dragon as a symbol of […]
After about a week of chaos at Fidelity National Financial (FNF) due to a cybersecurity attack, the firm said the incident was contained on Sunday, November 26. In an updated filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, Fidelity disclosed the company became aware of a cybersecurity incident that impacted some of its systems […]
Mortgage rates headed lower this week as the 10-year Treasury yield dropped below 4.3% for the first time since September, according to new data from Freddie Mac. The 30-year, fixed mortgage rate averaged 7.22% for the week ending Nov. 30, according to Freddie Mac‘s Primary Mortgage Market Survey. That’s down significantly from last week’s 7.29% […]
Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler sat down with Kenon Chen, executive vice president of strategy and growth at Clear Capital, to talk about appraisal modernization and how technology is just part of the solution. Sarah Wheeler: What are some of the biggest challenges right now? Kenon Chen: The challenge that’s in front of everyone continues […]
Shane MacGowan, the boozy, rabble-rousing singer and chief songwriter of The Pogues, who infused traditional Irish music with the energy and spirit of punk, died Thursday, his family said. He was 65. MacGowan’s songwriting and persona made him an iconic figure in contemporary Irish culture, and some of his compositions have become classics — most […]
Government-owned corporation Ginnie Mae announced on Wednesday that it has revised its definition for high-balance loans, conforming to new limits announced earlier this week by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), according to All Participants Memorandum (APM) 23-13. “Under the new definition, effective for pools or loan packages submitted on or after Jan. 1, 2024, […]
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has accused his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis of public “grandstanding” over the ownership of Parthenon sculptures. The two leaders have been at odds with one another after Sunak canceled a scheduled meeting between the two just hours before it was set to take place. In a weekly question period with […]
Today, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), a division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced a partnership to distribute free COVID-19 tests to schools across the country. In a letter sent to local education agencies (LEAs) today by ED, school districts […]
Lower mortgage rates have brought increased mortgage demand. Total home loan applications increased 0.3% for the week ending Nov. 24 compared to the previous week, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Mortgage rates for the 30-year fixed loan averaged 7.29% as of Nov. 22, falling 15 basis points in one week, according […]
In another odd twist for 2023, the ability to split up after a divorce seems to be another casualty of the high mortgage rate environment. Couples who may have locked in a very low mortgage rate in previous years — but who are now seeking to end their marriages — are finding themselves needing to […]
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is increasing the “floor” and “ceiling” FHA loan limits in 2024 to $498,257 and $1,149,825, respectively, the FHA announced Tuesday. The new FHA loan limits apply to forward mortgages for a one-unit property and take effect on Jan. 1, according to the publication of FHA Mortgagee Letter (ML) 2023-21. In […]
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced today that it will publish a notice in the Federal Register establishing a negotiated rulemaking committee that will meet to rewrite regulations that address some of the “nuts and bolts” of Title IV program integrity and institutional quality under the Higher Education Act. In the notice, the Department […]
Nonbank mortgage companies increased their profitability as a group in the third quarter of 2023, compared to the previous quarter, due to the performance of their servicing and origination businesses. It’s good news in the current shrinking market. Analysts at the credit rating firm Moody’s Investors Services wrote in a report on Monday that they don’t expect […]
Rapidio, a mortgage underwriting technology provider, on Monday released the income assessment component of its underwriting product, FlexStack Component System. The new tool is an automated income verification feature, which is available across various types of loans, including conventional loans, FHA and VA loans. It validates, verifies, calculates and assesses guideline eligibility before presenting the […]
A new America House is celebrating its opening in Odesa, making it the third major cultural and educational center in Ukraine supported and financed by the U.S. Embassy. America House Odesa was supposed to open in early 2022, but Russia’s invasion changed those plans. Anna Kosstutschenko visited the center and found out how the war altered its program. Camera — Pavel Suhodolskiy. details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received […]
CubiCasa, a Finland-based proptech company, partnered with OneKey MLS – a major mortgage licensing system (MLS) serving the New York Metropolitan area – to provide user-friendly floor plan creation tools. Under the motto “scan a floor plan in five minutes” CubiCasa focuses on providing value for real estate professionals through the digitization of properties. The […]
The U.S. Department of Education today announced nearly $74 million in new, five-year Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) grants to support an additional 30 local educational agencies, nonprofits, and other public or private organizations and institutions of higher education working to expand community schools including by making awards in four new states: Idaho, Missouri, New Hampshire, […]
In the wake of the landmark Sitzer/Burnett commission lawsuit case, the real estate world is in turmoil. As industry players scramble to assess the fallout, there’s a silver lining for the astute – opportunity amidst chaos. The savvy real estate agents and loan officers see this not a crisis but a golden opportunity. Now is […]
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) this week appeared to relay caution to its members about the announcement from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) last week that it had published a new, final rule on the Enterprise Regulatory Capital Framework (ERCF) related to commingled securities. “The final rule includes modifications of certain provisions of the […]
Mortgage rates have pulled back in recent weeks giving consumers and loan originators some breathing room, but headwinds in the industry are far from over. The decline in the 10-year Treasury yield and agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) yields — due to a soft jobs report in late October — led to a slight pick up […]
The Walt Disney Co.’s “Wish” had been expected to rule the Thanksgiving weekend box office, but moviegoers instead feasted on leftovers, as “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” led ticket sales for the second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Neither of the weekend’s top new releases — “Wish” and Ridley Scott’s […]
Cambodians are celebrating the return of dragon boat races at this year’s Water Festival after a three-year absence amid hopes it will bolster the tourism industry and an economy struggling to recover in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Luke Hunt reports. Camera: Luke Hunt, David Brown, Vicheka Kol details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this […]
Greece’s prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Sunday he would push for the return of the Parthenon Marbles when he meets UK leader Rishi Sunak in Britain this week. The sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, were taken from the Parthenon temple at the Acropolis in Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat […]
Pepe’s meal is so good he licks the plate clean. In any other Rome establishment, slobbering on one’s chicken and mashed potato would be frowned upon — but this is “Fiuto”, Italy’s first dogs’ restaurant. The lighting is soft, lounge music plays in the background, attentive staff show people and pets to their tables and […]
For the annual fall renewal of her shaman spirit, Mee Vang Yang will soon ritually redecorate the tall altar in her living room where she keeps her father’s ring-shaped shaman bells. She carried them across the Mekong River as the family fled the communist takeover of her native Laos four decades ago. Today, they facilitate […]
Lower mortgage rates tend to take housing supply off the market and demand has been picking up lately as rates have fallen. However, the recent drop in housing inventory has more to do with seasonality factors than lower mortgage rates. Higher mortgage rates did push inventory higher during the seasonal period when it would normally […]
New York City on Thursday hosted its 97th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, featuring 48 character and novelty balloons, 26 floats, 12 marching bands and more than 700 clowns. Aron Ranen reports. details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this content from this noted web source: VOANews.Com
In most of the United States, November and December are prime time for turkey lovers. The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association says 46 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving, with another 22 million consumed on Christmas. But in the Southern state of Louisiana, known for its decadence and creative cuisine, turkey has a competitor. For […]
Beloved characters like Snoopy and SpongeBob SquarePants soared through the skies above New York City Thursday while bands marched along the streets below as the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ushered in the holiday season. The parade started on Manhattan’s Upper West Side making its way alongside Central Park in front of big crowds and […]
The Indian side of Kashmir is home to very few Christians, but people from the region put their blood and sweat into preparing gifts for Christmas celebrations. For VOA, Muheet Ul Islam has more from Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir. Camera: Wasim Nabi details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this content from this noted web source: VOANews.Com
Fidelity National Financial (FNF) was attacked by a “cybersecurity incident” that led the system to shut down some of its network, the company said. FNF blocked access to certain systems, which resulted in disruptions to title insurance, escrow and other title-related services, as well as mortgage transactions and technology for the real estate and mortgage […]
Mike Cagney’s financial technology firm Figure Technologies has taken another step to go public with its lending division, LendCo, hiring investment banks to coordinate the initial public offering (IPO), per a Bloomberg report. People familiar with the transaction told Bloomberg that Figure is working with Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Jefferies Financial Group Inc. for the IPO. […]
Mortgage rates dropped significantly in the last few weeks, but the cost of borrowing remains high prompting many homebuyers to wait for even lower rates. The 30-year, fixed mortgage rate averaged 7.29% for the week ending Nov. 22, according to Freddie Mac‘s Primary Mortgage Market Survey. That’s down significantly from last week’s 7.44% and up […]
While foreclosure completions remained relatively flat in October, foreclosure starts rose to 33,000, hitting their highest level in 18 months, according to the ICE Mortgage Monitor report. In October, there were 217,000 loans in active foreclosure, up 3,000 since September. However, this remains 25% under the pre-pandemic levels. The national delinquency rate fell three basis […]
Mortgage applications rose to their highest level in six weeks after the 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 7.44% last week. Total home loan applications increased 3% for the week ending Nov. 17 compared to the previous week, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Mortgage rates for the 30-year fixed loan averaged […]
Seemingly forever, the average time between reaching a sales agreement and closing on that property has hovered around 45 days — a month and a half. It’s not something consumers think about much when they set out to buy a first home or plan to upsize to accommodate life changes. In fact, if you were […]
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) on Tuesday published a final rule that amends several provisions of the Enterprise Regulatory Capital Framework (ERCF) for government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The final rule is primarily related to guarantees on commingled securities, multifamily mortgage exposures secured by properties with government subsidies and derivatives and […]
California-based mortgage lender CMG Financial announced the integration of Shamrock Home Loans’ origination team, which will boost its presence in New England. That’s not the first addition to CMG this year. In March, the company struck a deal to acquire Homebridge Financial Services‘s retail division to grow its retail lending business footprint. CMG makes its services and products available through wholesale and correspondent […]
HousingWire Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler and Brena Nath, director of HW+ and events at HousingWire. On HousingWire branding calls earlier this year, someone asked us what our tagline, “Moving Markets Forward,” means to me. Having referred to this phrase for over 10 years, the explanation we’ve used is as adaptable and forward thinking as […]
California-based retail lender American Pacific Mortgage (APM) has named vice chairman Bill Lowman as its chairman of the board, succeeding APM founder Kurt Reisig. Lowman will continue his daily work as an adviser to the APM senior management while more fully guiding the company through his work on the board, the company said earlier this […]
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is pausing foreclosures on homes financed with VA loans for six months to help military borrowers in danger of losing their homes, a department spokesperson said in a statement to HousingWire on Monday. The Veterans Assistance Partial Claim Payment program — which began July 2021 — allowed military borrowers […]
Russia has placed a Ukrainian singer who won the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest on its wanted list, state news agencies reported Monday. The reports said an Interior Ministry database listed singer Susana Jamaladinova as being sought for violating a criminal law. The independent news site Mediazona, which covers opposition and human rights issues, said Jamaladinova […]
Pope Francis’ recent gesture of welcome for transgender Catholics has resonated strongly in a working class, seaside town south of Rome, where a community of trans women has found help and hope through a remarkable relationship with the pontiff forged during the darkest times of the pandemic. Thanks to the local parish priest, these women […]
Country singers, romance novelists, video game artists and voice actors are appealing to the U.S. government for relief — as soon as possible — from the threat that artificial intelligence poses to their livelihoods. “Please regulate AI. I’m scared,” wrote a podcaster concerned about his voice being replicated by AI in one of thousands of […]