So you’ve been using the same outdated title production software for years and feel like you’re no longer getting the most bang for your buck. As your business grows, you need efficient software that can grow with you, but some questions hold you back. The four most common questions we hear from title professionals about […]
Mortgage rates were near 7% last week but purchase applications were still able to pull out an 8% week-to-week gain. That was surprisingly strong, but as I have always stressed, context is critical. Purchase apps were coming off a four-week losing streak and even though those were mild week-to-week declines, it was still four weeks […]
Below-median family income households are overcoming constraints related to increased borrowing costs and home prices and are finding ways to become homeowners, according to Freddie Mac’s latest economic, housing and mortgage outlook. The below-median family income homeownership rate increased to 53% from 48% since 2016, Freddie Mac said, citing data from the Census Bureau’s Housing […]
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is highlighting the challenges and successes that the COVID-19 pandemic created for mortgage servicers in response to a series of reports published this week by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG). “[The] report from the OIG confirms what we all know […]
A former CrossCountry Mortgage employee accused her immediate superior at a branch in Georgia of sexual harassment and said the mortgage company retaliated against her after she lodged complaints with the human resources department and federal authorities. Christina Nielsen, a former processor, claims that during her employment at CrossCountry, Alpharetta branch manager Steven Bocca subjected […]
SimpleNexus, a homeownership platform developer for loan officers, borrowers, real estate agents, and settlement agents, announced this week a new integration with Empower, the loan origination system (LOS) from Black Knight. This bidirectional integration, available to financial institutions, including independent mortgage banks nationwide, enables real-time sharing of loan application data, milestone updates, and documents. “We […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will look for ways to streamline and simplify mortgage servicing rules in the months ahead following public comment on how to reduce risks for borrowers having trouble with their mortgage payments, according to a blog post from CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. Chopra noted in the post the importance of […]
After a slight decline this week, mortgage rates are expected to stay at their current elevated levels for a while in reaction to the Federal Reserve‘s (Fed) decision to pause its tightening monetary policy in June. In turn, mortgage origination volumes will remain under pressure for the remainder of the year. The Freddie Mac’s Primary […]
The Federal Reserve‘s (Fed) interest rate hike pause will give the housing industry a cautious sigh of relief, but observers are already nervous that the rate-induced pain train won’t come to a complete stop for a while longer and volatility will remain. The Fed’s updated economic projections showed that central bankers forecast that inflation could […]
About 60% of mortgage industry professionals in the U.S. are living paycheck to paycheck, an issue caused primarily by inflation, high interest rates and fewer deals, according to a study released this week by payroll technology company Everee. “The survey of 314 U.S.-based professionals in the mortgage industry with commission-based roles also found that over […]
The Federal Reserve (Fed) maintained the federal funds rate in the 5% to 5.25% range on Wednesday, following 10 consecutive hikes that brought rates to a level never seen since 2007. The Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) has decided to pause its rate hikes in June after data that pointed to cooling inflation and the […]
TransUnion announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a commercial agreement with Truework, an income and employment (VOIE) services verification provider, in order to provide comprehensive income verification coverage. Together, Transunion and Truework will offer verifiers an accurate and up-to-date view of consumers’ income and credit data, enabling better insights and more efficient decision-making, […]
Two straight weeks of mortgage rate declines helped spur consumer demand, according to the latest figures from the Mortgage Bankers Association. For the week that ended June 9, mortgage applications climbed 7.2% from the prior week. It can partly be explained by the 30-year fixed rate decreasing to 6.77% during roughly the same period. “Mortgage […]
The first quarter of 2023 proved a tough market for everyone in the housing industry, including institutional buyers of single-family rental (SFR) properties, but there are signs the second quarter of this year has been far more buoyant for these so-called “Wall Street” players. One clue to that resurgence is a $1.5 billion deal inked recently by Pretium […]
Dallas-based Comerica Bank has decided to “organically exit” the mortgage banker finance business following the tumult in the banking industry that threatened the nation’s top warehouse lenders. The process of exiting the space, which is expected to be largely complete by year-end, is a “strategic action” to enhance Comerica’s core business focus, according to a bank’s presentation […]
Inflation was running over 9% last year and the headline inflation growth rate has cooled off a lot recently. Does this mean the Federal Reserve will pivot soon to prevent a recession? I don’t believe they will, but the growth rate of headline inflation falling is good enough for them to pause rate hikes tomorrow. […]
Mortgage credit availability dropped in May, a consequence of a tougher mortgage landscape that has resulted in lender consolidation as well as high rates and limited inventory that has stretched consumer budgets. The monthly Mortgage Credit Availability Index fell by 3.1% to 96.5 last month, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. A decline of the […]
Add Guild Mortgage to the list of lenders offering down payment assistance programs in order to court more buyers at a time when mortgage rates remain elevated. The California-based lender rolled out a 1% down payment advantage program this week that allows customers to buy a home with a minimum down payment of 1% of […]
In accordance with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Fannie Mae has released a new version of its 2022 Stress Test Disclosure, which reflects two hypothetical economic scenarios, including a “severely adverse” scenario. The report was initially released in August 2022, but Fannie Mae announced in November that it had made a […]
HomeZada, a cloud-based platform for digital home management, announced on Monday that it has added Zada, an AI chat assistant, to the suite of apps on its platform. The goal of Zada Home AI Assistant is to assist with the challenges homeowners face when trying to finding answers on remodeling projects, product comparisons, and maintenance […]
The housing market, which is facing challenges with mortgage rates, affordability, prices and inventory, hasn’t been this purchase-dominant in decades, according to Black Knight’s originations market monitor report. Today, nearly nine out of every 10 mortgages originated is a purchase loan, the report notes. Last month, purchase locks accounted for 88% of the market mix, […]
After seeing disappointing inventory growth two weeks ago, which I chalked up to the Memorial Day holiday, I was hoping for a big push in active listings last week, but that didn’t happen. And, the recent uptick in mortgage rates to almost 7% slowed purchase application data again. Here’s a quick rundown of the last […]
Home prices aren’t crashing, despite what the housing bubble boys are saying. In fact, home prices have firmed up higher recently. The housing bubble boys are a crew that from 2012 to 2019 screamed housing crash every year. They went all in during COVID-19 in 2020, doubled down in 2021 as the forbearance crash bros […]
With mortgage rates still in the upper-mid 6% range, borrowers who received mortgages in May 2023 paid an average of $2,331 a month, up 20% from a year prior. That’s according to the latest origination data from mortgage tech firm Candor Technology. Per data from Candor’s underwriting engine, the average buyer in May 2023 received […]
The National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) declared its support this week for a bill introduced by Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives that would reinstate the Loan Level Price Adjustment (LLPA) structure that was in place prior to May 1, 2023. Lawmakers proposed similar legislation in April. However, it was more limited in […]
Homebuyers these days are facing much higher costs of ownership compared to a year ago, pushing most to the sidelines. Mortgage rates and home prices are high and inventory is paltry, resulting in a largely frozen housing market. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they are waiting for mortgage rates to drop before entering the market, according […]
Home equity levels have been on the decline over the last year, new data shows. Homeowners with mortgage loans saw their home equity levels decline by an average of 0.7% between the Q1 2022 and Q1 2023, the first decline recorded since early 2012, according to CoreLogic’s Homeowner Equity Report (HER). Homes with mortgages account […]
It’s been a brutal 15-month period for the housing market since the Federal Reserve began escalating its benchmark interest rate in March 2022 to combat rising inflation. Since then, the Fed has bumped rates 10 times, effectively putting the brakes on what had been a hot housing market. As the June 13-14 meeting of the central bank’s Federal […]
A 10 basis point decline in mortgage rates last week wasn’t enough to spur consumer demand for mortgages, according to the latest figures from the Mortgage Bankers Association. For the week that ended June 2, mortgage applications fell 1.4% from the prior week. That was despite mortgage rates dropping to 6.81% from 6.91% during roughly […]
High home prices and mortgage rates are continuing to constrain affordability in housing markets nationwide. As a result, consumers’ perceptions on home buying and selling have further diverged. Fannie Mae‘s Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) — which tracks the housing market and consumer confidence with selling or buying a home — declined by 1.2 points […]
After the recent extraordinary show of force defending changes to LLPAs by federal regulators and their friends, the forest through the trees risk remains in focus to me. One of the great concerns I have, as both a former regulator and the former head of a major industry trade association, is the downside risk of […]
The acquisition of Roostify by CoreLogic aims to streamline the user experience in the mortgage application process. By incorporating Roostify’s mortgage application software into CoreLogic’s suite of products, clients can benefit from an end-to-end integrated workflow to the loan origination process. This integration will simplify the application process, reducing manual tasks and providing real-time updates […]
Rocket Mortgage is looking to hire local loan officers at a time when mortgage rates are high and the industry remains heavily reliant on the purchase market. The Michigan lender, which racked up record profits with its call center model during the pandemic due to a large number of refis, said hiring local LOs isn’t […]
Sprout Mortgage and its ex-workers are close to settling several lawsuits over unpaid wages following the abrupt closure of the non-QM lender 11 months ago. A judge has yet to approve the deal. On June 1, attorneys representing the former employees filed a notice of motion for preliminary settlement approval in a federal district court in […]
Cenlar FSB, the second-largest mortgage servicer and largest subservicer in the U.S., announced on Tuesday the promotion of two leaders in its wholesale bank division. Keith Austin has been promoted to director of asset management and valuation services. With over 25 years of experience in portfolio management, he brings to the role an extensive expertise in default […]
In honor of National Homeownership Month, Chase Home Lending unveiled on Tuesday an upgraded suite of resources for homebuyers to assist in navigating the homebuying process and managing homeownership. One resource unveiled by Chase is Lock and Shop, which enables buyers to lock in their mortgage rate for 90 days without an upfront fee when […]
With rates around 6.9% and home prices still near record highs, homebuyers are demanding that their loan officers provide options to lower monthly mortgage payments as much as possible. Michael J. Barnes, a branch manager at Mann Mortgage, recently had a client who planned to live in a new home for five years before selling […]
Nationwide Property & Appraisal Services LLC (NPAS), a pioneer in the real estate appraisal sector, announced on Tuesday the launch of its product line, Pinnacle Desktop Appraisals. This service delivers a cost-effective solution that enhances efficiency, accuracy, and impartiality, according to the company. Designed to cater to the needs of home equity lenders, fix and […]
Top U.S. originator United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) is the target of two lawsuits filed by former underwriters alleging retaliation, a hostile workplace environment, gender/sexual harassment and failure to pay minimum wages and overtime. The company declined to comment on the accusations. According to the lawsuits filed in a U.S. district court in Michigan, the alleged events occurred […]
Top Producer Software, a leading real estate software provider, announced on Monday the release of its first-ever social media lead product, Social Connect. This new product combines social media marketing with automated lead nurture to enable real estate agents to grow their database and convert more leads into clients. “Social Connect is a game changer […]
Desmond Smith: There are two ways to get a mortgage — HousingWire recently spoke with Desmond Smith, chief growth officer at United Wholesale Mortgage, about the role that wholesale lending plays in the mortgage ecosystem and common myths and misconceptions about becoming an independent mortgage broker. HousingWire: What role has wholesale lending historically played in […]
Direct retail lender Revolution Mortgage has scooped up two of loanDepot‘s top LOs, accelerating its plans to expand market share despite a tough origination environment. Jorden Brok and Brett Lotsoff are producing area managers and SVPs of mortgage lending at Revolution Mortgage and are tasked with expanding the company’s footprint in the greater Chicago area. […]
The affordability challenges homebuyers are facing are becoming more deeply entrenched, according to Black Knight‘s most recent monthly mortgage monitor report. “In a sense, the gridlocked housing market has been feeding on itself,” Andy Walden, VP of enterprise research strategy at Black Knight, said. Tightening credit availability, elevated rates, inventory shortages and strengthening home prices […]
It’s been such a different year for inventory from 2023 versus 2022 that we are heading toward an event that would have seemed impossible in earlier years: If the current inventory trend continues, we will see some negative year-over-year inventory data soon for the weekly single-family listing data. the chart below shows the clear trend, […]
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) this week announced that it had secured a settlement of more than $3 million from Philadelphia, Penn.-based ESSA Bank & Trust over allegations that the company engaged in redlining majority Black and Hispanic communities from access to credit services around the Philadelphia area. According to a complaint filed by […]