General World News

Rocket promises brokers 15-day loan closings

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Rocket Pro TPO has launched a program that will guarantee financing to close in 15 days, a move to entice mortgage brokers and their real estate agent partners in a scorching-hot housing market. It also represents yet another sweetener designed to convince brokers to choose them over rival United Wholesale Mortgage. Dubbed the “Fast 15 […]

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Redfin closes $138M deal for mortgage lender

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Redfin completed its acquisition of Bay Equity Home Loans, paying $137.8 million for the mortgage lending operation in its quest to provide customers “a one-stop shop” where they can buy, sell, rent and finance a home, according to a news release from the company.   Seattle-based Redfin previously announced its intention to acquire the lender, but […]

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FHA unveils 40-year loan modification option

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The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is moving to expand its COVID-19 loss mitigation “waterfall” by introducing a 40-year loan modification option and is asking the mortgage industry for input. The proposed rule, published by the Department of Housing and Urban Development late last week, would change repayment provisions for FHA borrowers, allowing lenders to recast […]

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Movement Mortgage lays off 170 employees

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#2022 ” data-image-caption=”” data-medium-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_layoffs.png?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_layoffs.png?w=1024″ width=”1200″ height=”700″ src=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_layoffs.png?w=1024″ alt=”2022 Layoff” class=”wp-image-335200″ srcset=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_layoffs.png 1200w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_layoffs.png?resize=150,88 150w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_layoffs.png?resize=300,175 300w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_layoffs.png?resize=768,448 768w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_layoffs.png?resize=1024,597 1024w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_layoffs.png?resize=600,350 600w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px”> South Carolina-based Movement Mortgage laid off around 170 employees in March, another case of a top-25 mortgage lender paring back its workforce due to a more challenging origination […]

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FHA borrowers are getting hammered by rising rates

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Text sign showing hand written words FHA Home loan The spectacular and historic spike in interest rates will hurt most homebuyers, but one group is especially vulnerable: FHA borrowers. Over 80% percent of FHA purchasers are first-time homebuyers, and borrowers of color obtained over 40% of FHA loans last year, according to HUD. The FHA also […]

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HW+ Member Spotlight: Daniella Casseres

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This week’s HW+ member spotlight features Daniella Casseres, a partner at Mitchell Sandler. Casseres sits on the firm’s management committee, which helps deepen the firm’s commitment to becoming a leading majority-women-owned and -managed financial services law firm. She also heads the firm’s mortgage regulatory practice group, and has a vast background in advising mortgage companies on federal and state […]

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The PLS market hits a bump in the road

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The rate volatility that has gripped the economy since the start of the year and caused the mortgage-origination market to stumble is taking a toll on the private-label securitization market as well.  Fast rising rates — the 30-year fixed rate is up nearly a point-and-half since the start of the year — have blunted mortgage […]

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Mortgage rates reach highest level since 2018

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Mortgage rates keep climbing amid rising inflation, war in Ukraine, and disruptions to the supply chain, and there’s no sign that they’ll fall anytime soon. The latest weekly Freddie Mac PMMS mortgage survey, released Thursday, showed that the average purchase mortgage rate touched 4.67%, up 25 basis points from the week prior. That was the […]

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Inside Figure’s bold plan for crypto mortgages

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Figure Technologies co-founder and CEO Mike Cagney ” data-medium-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mike-Cagney-HW.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mike-Cagney-HW.jpg?w=1024″ width=”1207″ height=”700″ src=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mike-Cagney-HW.jpg?w=1024″ alt=”Mike Cagney – HW+” class=”wp-image-318432″ srcset=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mike-Cagney-HW.jpg 1207w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mike-Cagney-HW.jpg?resize=150,87 150w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mike-Cagney-HW.jpg?resize=300,174 300w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mike-Cagney-HW.jpg?resize=768,445 768w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mike-Cagney-HW.jpg?resize=1024,594 1024w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mike-Cagney-HW.jpg?resize=600,348 600w” sizes=”(max-width: 1207px) 100vw, 1207px”>Figure Technologies co-founder and CEO Mike Cagney Mike Cagney didn’t expect to be releasing a cryptocurrency-backed 30-year fixed-rate mortgage product so soon. […]

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HMDA: The top 10 VA lenders by volume in 2021

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Origination volume in the Veterans Affairs (VA) universe amounted to $388 billion in 2021, an analysis of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data by Polygon Research application HMDAVision found. This marks a notable dip in originations from 2020, a record-breaking year in which VA lenders pumped out approximately $427 billion in VA loans. The top 10 VA […]

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Opinion: HUD needs to lower the MIP and do it now

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This week, the Community Home Lenders Association (CHLA) repeated their call for FHA to lower premiums and to eliminate the life of loan premium on FHA loans. While I might have a different view on the life of loan premium, I applaud their call and cannot understand why HUD has not yet lowered FHA premiums. […]

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HMDA: The top 10 FHA lenders by volume in 2021

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Origination volume for FHA-insured loans increased by 3% in 2021, growing from $324 billion in 2020 to $332.24 billion, an analysis of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data by Polygon Research application HMDAVision found. Of the origination volume, retail lenders originated $276.4 billion worth of FHA loans, while wholesale lenders originated $57.64 billion. The top […]

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The big nonbanks stir up a non-QM turf war

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As the end of the first quarter of 2022 approaches, the expected blossoming of the non-QM lending space in the private label market is well underway.  Some three dozen non-QM securitizations sponsored by about two dozen different entities have made their way to bond-rating firms so far in 2022. This year’s non-QM volume numbers are […]

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 10 Critical metrics to track in a purchase market

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Transport yourself back to 2019. It’s 9 a.m. You are suited, showered and seated behind a desk in a bustling office. Industry newsletters are reporting that mortgage lenders are tightening their belts as the cost to manufacture a loan peaks at a decade high of $9,299. Then boom! In March 2020 all of that changed. […]

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Here are the top 10 mortgage lenders in 2021

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Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data, released Thursday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, showed a reshuffle in the top 10 lenders by volume for 2021. Those top 10 are: Rocket Mortgage United Wholesale Mortgage Wells Fargo LoanDepot JPMorgan Chase New Residential Investment Corp. Freedom Mortgage Bank of America Homepoint Guaranteed Rate The two top […]

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HW+ Member Spotlight: Arjun Dhingra

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This week’s HW+ member spotlight features Arjun Dhingra, who serves as sales and business development at All Western Mortgage. Dhingra has over 20 years of experience helping homebuyers and real estate agents and is an expert when it comes to harnessing the power of social media to help educate and inform people on the home-buying process. Creating […]

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FHA backed $4.5B in mortgages without required flood insurance

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The Federal Housing Administration insured thousands of mortgages in 2020 without the mandatory flood insurance coverage. The potential loss on these loans could amount to $1.5 billion, an audit released this week by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General found. According to the watchdog, at least 31,500 FHA-insured loans insured […]

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Homebuyers are really beginning to feel the squeeze

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The one-two punch of higher mortgage rates and escalating home prices reduced homebuyers’ ability to buy homes in February. The trend is also likely to worsen in the coming months. The national median monthly mortgage payment settled in loan applications increased 8.3%, from $1,526 in January to $1,653 in February, according to a survey published Thursday […]

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Mortgage rates soar to 4.42% following rate hike

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The rollercoaster is still climbing. Mortgage rates are approaching 4.5%, a level economists forecasted would not be reached until the tail end of 2022. And there’s good reason to believe mortgage rates will be in the 5% range before too long. According to data from Freddie Mac‘s PMMS survey, mortgage rates on the traditional 30-year fixed-rate mortgage […]

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This global investment firm wants to become a non-QM rainmaker

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Minneapolis-based CarVal Investors, a global alternative investment manager and long-time player in the mortgage market, has launched a real estate mortgage investment conduit, or REMIC, that plans to work with loan originators around the country to develop and acquire innovative nonagency mortgage products. The new REMIC, Mill City Loan Holdings LLC, will serve as a […]

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Ginnie Mae announces the addition of two senior staffers

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Ginnie Mae recently filled two executive roles, naming Sam Valverde as its first Hispanic executive vice president and Felecia Rotellini as senior advisor and chief of staff to the president. Alanna McCargo, president of Ginnie Mae, announced the appointments during the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals conference that took place in Washington D.C. last […]

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UWM targets real estate investors with new loan product

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United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), the nation’s largest wholesale lender, announced on Wednesday a new product that will qualify borrowers for investment properties based on the monthly rental income, rather than the their current income. This is the second new non-QM product the Pontiac-based lender has launched this month – the wholesale lender also unveiled a bank statement loan […]

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Mortgage apps decline 8% amid rate hike

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Interest in residential mortgage loans fell 8.1% for the week ending March 18 as mortgage rates rose to 4.5%, the highest level in years, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association‘s latest survey. “The jump in rates comes as markets moved to price in a much faster pace of rate hikes, as well as expectations of fewer MBS purchases […]

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Ginnie Mae EBO loan market buffeted by rising rates

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#2022 ” data-image-caption=” Mortgage rates, rates ” data-medium-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_rates.png?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_rates.png?w=1024″ width=”1200″ height=”700″ src=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_rates.png?w=1024″ alt=”2022 Mortgage rates” class=”wp-image-335142″ srcset=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_rates.png 1200w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_rates.png?resize=150,88 150w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_rates.png?resize=300,175 300w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_rates.png?resize=768,448 768w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_rates.png?resize=1024,597 1024w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/newsroom-template_rates.png?resize=600,350 600w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px”>Mortgage rates, rates New York-based Mortgage Industry Advisory Corp. (MIAC) is in the market with two whole-loan offerings of nonperforming Ginnie Mae-insured mortgages that combined are […]

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Fannie Mae finalizes two additional credit insurance risk transfers

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On the heels of completing its first credit insurance risk transfer (CIRT) deal of the year in early March, Fannie Mae has announced that it has executed two additional CIRT deals.  The newest deals, CIRT 2022-2 and CIRT 2022-3, together transferred $1.8 billion of mortgage credit risk to private insurers and reinsurers.  “We appreciate our continued partnership with […]

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Profit margins are plunging for nonbanks

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Nonbanks and mortgage subsidiaries of chartered banks reported grim profitability figures in the fourth quarter of 2021, when costs reached a new high and margins fell to the lowest level since early 2019. And most industry observers think it will only get worse in the next few quarters.  Net gains in Q4 declined to $1,099 […]

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Maxwell adds Amy Brandt to board of directors

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Digital mortgage platform Maxwell has brought on Amy Brandt to its board of directors to gain perspective on the challenges that lenders face and the gaps in the mortgage digitalization process. A veteran with two decades of experience in digital mortgage solutions, Brandt most recently served as president and CEO at First American Docutech. She […]

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Forbearance rate declined to just 1.18% in February

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Servicers’ forbearance portfolio volume dropped in February for the 21st-consecutive month, with more borrowers current on their mortgage payments due to improvements in the economy and viable loss mitigation options. The total number of loans in forbearance decreased by 12 basis points, from 1.30% in January to 1.18% in February, according to the Mortgage Bankers […]

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Fannie Mae rolling out its third CRT offering of 2022

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Fannie Mae is off to steady start on its path toward issuing $15 billion in notes this year through its Connecticut Avenue Securities (CAS) real estate mortgage investment conduit, or REMIC. The agency is about to unveil its third deal this year through its CAS credit-risk transfer vehicle. The March offering, CAS Series 2022-R03, involves […]

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Will zombie foreclosures haunt servicers?

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During the Great Recession, “zombie foreclosures” were a thorn in the side of servicers. With no money to pay their mortgages, some underwater borrowers simply abandoned their homes. When the Covid-19 pandemic began in March 2020, zombie foreclosures were one of the housing industry’s greatest fears.  In August 2021, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) […]

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UWM appraisal shakeup makes small splash

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UWM’s headquarters in Pontiac, Michigan. ” data-medium-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HW-UWM.png?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HW-UWM.png?w=1024″ width=”1200″ height=”737″ src=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HW-UWM.png?w=1024″ alt=”HW-UWM” class=”wp-image-324074″ srcset=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HW-UWM.png 1200w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HW-UWM.png?resize=150,92 150w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HW-UWM.png?resize=300,184 300w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HW-UWM.png?resize=768,472 768w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HW-UWM.png?resize=1024,629 1024w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HW-UWM.png?resize=600,369 600w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px”>UWM’s headquarters in Pontiac, Michigan. United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) announced late last year that it would turn the appraisal space on its head by launching an in-house […]

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Bill Dallas out at Finance of America Mortgage

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Veteran mortgage executive Bill Dallas has left his position as president of Finance of America Mortgage amid larger changes to the Texas-based nonbank lender’s C-Suite and business lines. Dallas, a seasoned entrepreneur, joined FoA Mortgage four years ago after selling one of his companies to Finance of America Companies, the Blackstone Group-controlled parent company. Dallas […]

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PLS market struggling to clear backlog of loans locked at last year’s rates

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The rate volatility created by fast-rising inflation, now approaching 8% annualized, and the opposing flight to quality sparked by the war in Ukraine, is complicating an already challenging execution environment in the private-label securities market.  Into March of this year, according to multiple market experts, the nonagency secondary market has been digesting a large backlog […]

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AmeriSave hires Sudhir Nair, loanDepot’s former tech leader

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Online home mortgage lender AmeriSave Mortgage Corporation announced on Thursday that Sudhir Nair, the former head of information and technology at loanDepot, has been tapped as its first-ever chief digital officer. Nair, who has worked in technology leadership roles at Bank of America, Xome/Mr. Cooper, CountryWide, Amazon and others, will help the lender become more […]

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Figure and Apollo complete ownership transfer via blockchain

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Figure, a blockchain-focused financial service company and Apollo, a global alternative asset manager, announced today completing a transaction involving the origination of digital mortgage loans and transfer of ownership via blockchain technology, according to a press release shared with FinLedger. The companies say the secure process was a “first of its kind” in the mortgage […]

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Mortgage rates rise 31 bps to 4.16%

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As the Federal Reserve raised short-term rates for the first time in years, mortgage rates climbed 31 basis points to 4.16%, according to data from Freddie Mac‘s PMMS survey. “The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage exceeded four percent for the first time since May of 2019,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “The Federal Reserve raising […]

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Shareholder sues loanDepot’s top executives

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Anthony Hsieh, founder and CEO of loandepot ” data-medium-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Anthony-Hsieh-e1632930256968.png?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Anthony-Hsieh-e1632930256968.png?w=1024″ width=”3990″ height=”2390″ src=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Anthony-Hsieh-e1632930256968.png?w=1024″ alt=”Anthony Hsieh” class=”wp-image-322982″>Anthony Hsieh, founder and CEO of loandepot California-based nonbank lender loanDepot is the target of a new shareholder lawsuit.  Investor Tuyet Vu accuses seven top executives and board members, including loanDepot’s founder Anthony Hsieh, of making misleading statements and omitting […]

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What the Fed rate hike means for the economy

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On Wednesday the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates 0.25%, which has forced me to raise my second recession red flag on this historic economic recovery and expansion. From the Federal Reserve:  Indicators of economic activity and employment have continued to strengthen. Job gains have been strong in recent months, and the unemployment rate has declined […]

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UWM rolls out bank statement loans for self-employed borrowers

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United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), the nation’s largest wholesale lender, announced on Wednesday it will accept personal or business bank statements in self-employed borrowers’ loan applications.  The step comes as rising interest rates slow the flood of refinances, reduce lenders’ origination volume, and companies prepare to boost their non-qualified mortgage (non-QM) products.  According to UWM, only […]