Mortgage applications decreased 10% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending July 11. Last week’s results included an adjustment for the July 4 holiday. On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 13% compared with the prior week. The refinance index decreased […]
Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler sat down with Bill Packer, chief operating officer at Longbridge Financial, to talk about the ways his company is using AI to serve reverse mortgage borrowers. Packer has worked in the consumer lending space for four decades, with deep expertise in technology and operations. This interview has been edited for […]
Mortgage industry professionals had more questions than answers following last week’s bombshell announcement that the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have approved the use of VantageScore 4.0, a new credit scoring model. A week after the initial announcement, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte answered several key questions. In an FAQ […]
New American Funding (NAF), a top-25 U.S. mortgage lender, notified the California attorney general last week of a data breach involving one of its vendors, which potentially compromises customers’ personal information. NAF on June 6 discovered “suspicious activity associated with information provided to one of our vendors that provided notary systems, Mobile Notary Zone,” according to […]
A recent report from the Urban Institute analyzed potential reasons behind the increasing number of delinquencies on Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. While the increase is sizable, it’s not a cause for concern, the authors of the report suggest. Laurie Goodman, Jun Zhu, Ted Tozer and Jung Hyun Choi — the authors of the July […]
Mortgage rates had been moving downward of late, but the positive momentum reflected in purchase application activity lost steam this week. HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center on Tuesday showed that rates rose slightly during the past week, ending a two-week pattern of declines. Rates for 30-year conventional loans averaged 6.86%, up 1 basis point from one […]
Jeff Hutchinson is AnnieMac Home Mortgage‘s new senior vice president of retail production, and he will help lead a new group on the East Coast. The Tuesday announcement also detailed the official co-founding of a new Momentum Group division by Hutchinson, Ian Aubourg and Rick Dionne. With more than 20 years in the mortgage industry, […]
President Trump on Thursday morning accused Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the junior senator of California, of engaging in a pattern of mortgage fraud. Citing conclusive evidence reached by Fannie Mae’s financial crimes division, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Schiff reported his primary residence to be in Maryland rather than in California. Primary residence mortgages […]
The failure-to-launch trend that started with millennials is continuing with Gen Z, and many are turning to parents for assistance, according to a new column by Bloomberg. According to a 2024 Bank of America study, over half of adult Gen Zers reported that they don’t pay for their own housing. A separate study by Savings.com found […]
Bayview Asset Management’s $1.3 billion deal to acquire Guild Holding Co., the parent of Guild Mortgage, has left loan officers wondering how the traditionally purchase-focused lender would integrate refinance capabilities to leverage the $770 billion servicing portfolio of soon-to-be sister company Lakeview Loan Servicing, the nation’s second-largest mortgage servicer. Guild LOs, who spoke with HousingWire […]
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced Monday that it will no longer enforce disparate impact analysis in fair lending risk assessments, following a directive from the White House issued three months ago. “Consistent with EO 14281, the OCC supervisory process for fair lending compliance no longer includes examining for disparate impact […]
Informative Research, a provider of credit and verification solutions to the mortgage lending community, announced on Monday the availability of Halcyon’s IRS tax transcript service within Informative Research‘s verification platform. The enhancement expands Informative Research’s suite of income verification and employment verification options, enabling lenders to access secure, permissioned tax transcript data directly from the […]
The American workforce is undergoing a seismic shift, with a growing number of professionals leaving W-2 jobs behind. Data from Statista projects that by 2027, around 86.5 million Americans — more than half of the U.S. workforce — will be freelancing. The growing “gig economy” is reshaping the future of homebuying, and savvy brokers are […]
It’s no secret that low-income housing options are in short supply across much the country. And a report this week out of Fairfax County, Virginia, illustrates the challenges that seniors can face when trying to find subsidized housing. Fairfax County, which borders the District of Columbia and is home to about 1.1 million residents, is […]
Welcome back to Tech Pulse — HousingWire‘s weekly series rounding up the latest in technology — including tools, integrations and trends that impact mortgage and real estate. Here’s what happened this week: Realtor.com adds property tax appeal tool with Ownwell integration Realtor.com now offers property tax monitoring and appeals through a new partnership with Ownwell. With rising homeownership costs, this […]
Lead generation for mortgage brokers and officers is all about consistently filling your pipeline with individuals who are interested in buying a home now or in the future. Considering the fluctuating state of the housing market and inflated mortgage rates, it’s even more crucial to showcase your expertise and amazing service to bring qualified clients […]
Westcor Land Title Insurance Co. is now the second title vendor taking part in Fannie Mae‘s title insurance waiver pilot program. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte announced the move in a social media post. The waiver pilot, relaunched by Fannie Mae in March 2024, allows approved mortgage lenders to use an automated […]
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), announced on Friday that next week will be known as “Anti-Crypto Corruption Week.” During this time, they plan to rally Democrats to push back against Republican efforts to fast-track three pieces of legislation related to cryptocurrency — the “Clarity Act,” the “GENIUS Act” and a bill […]
Rising property taxes, insurance payments and growing delinquencies are eroding the promise of long-term stability in homeownership, according to a new blog from Cotality. The post revealed that across the country, more people are starting to fall behind on their mortgages due to the post-purchase costs. These include property taxes and homeowners insurance, both of […]
“Marry the house, date the rate” is a phrase that was popularized during the post-pandemic era of rising mortgage rates. Lenders urged borrowers to focus on finding a house they were head over heels with and worry about their interest rate down the line. Borrowers who were accustomed to rates hovering near 3% didn’t realize […]
Bilt, which operates a loyalty program and credit card that converts rent payments into points, has secured a $250 million funding round led by General Catalyst and GID, with participation from United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), the nation’s largest mortgage lender. The funding brings Bilt’s valuation to $10.75 billion and will fuel expansion across the broader […]
On Thursday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Jonathan Gould as head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in a 50-45 vote. The confirmation marks another Trump administration appointee who supports more lenient oversight of the banking sector and a more welcoming stance toward cryptocurrency. Gould previously held roles at the OCC during […]
Fairway Home Mortgage announced this week that it’s donating $1 million to the ongoing relief efforts following catastrophic flooding in Texas. Fairway has a large presence in Texas, where at least 170 people are known to be missing in the epicenter of Kerr County as a result of the flooding, according to CBS News. Nearly […]
Panorama Mortgage Group, a multichannel mortgage company headquartered in Las Vegas, announced Thursday the launch of Travisa Financial, a dba that expands the company’s reach within the third-party origination (TPO) space. “Travisa gives us the opportunity to expand our reach to brokers and lenders who share our purpose; helping first-time buyers and underserved communities build […]
Private equity firm GTCR announced on Tuesday that it has made a significant investment in national real estate analytics and data solutions company Clear Capital. As part of the investment, GTCR is partnering with Clear Capital co-founder and CEO Duane Andrews. The transaction represents Clear Capital’s first outside investment, with GTCR becoming the company’s majority […]
Mortgage applications increased 9.4% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 4, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 13% compared with the previous week. Last week’s results included an adjustment for the Independence Day holiday. The seasonally adjusted […]
A plaintiff in California is claiming that Xactus and Equifax did not conduct a “reasonable” investigation into claims of identity theft, which harmed her credit and violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The suit was filed in late May in the Superior Court of San Bernardino County, California, by plaintiff Junnan Guo, who is representing […]
Scott Turner, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), announced on Tuesday a 90-day foreclosure moratorium for Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured single-family mortgages in the areas of Kerr County, Texas, that have been devastated by recent severe storms, including wind and flood damage. The 90-day moratorium prohibits mortgage servicers from […]
Tax-deferred retirement accounts are a necessary source of income for seniors looking to age in place. But it can be confusing to navigate the options for taking the required minimum distributions (RMDs) from the account as mandated by the IRS — especially given the tax implications. What’s the best approach for seniors as they plan […]
Union Home Mortgage (UHM) is extending its reach into the Cincinnati, Ohio, market, the company announced on Tuesday. Ravi Patel and Justin Allen will both serve as area branch managers of the Cincinnati office and bring with them a team of eight additional loan officers, three loan officer assistants, a processor, a production manager and […]
A group of banking and mortgage associations is trying to get the U.S. Supreme Court‘s attention due to constitutional concerns about the state of New York’s Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act (FAPA). Friedman Vartolo LLP announced on Monday that it has filed an amicus curiae brief with the Supreme Court on behalf of five of the […]
Capital One Financial Corp. has decided to shut down the home equity and refinance operations it inherited through its acquisition of Discover Financial Services, the company confirmed this week. The decision comes roughly two months after Capital One finalized its all-stock, $35.3 billion acquisition of Discover, originally announced in February 2024. Home Equity Lending News […]
Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), announced via social media on Tuesday that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will with immediate effect accept the VantageScore 4.0 credit model. The government-sponsored enterprises, however, will continue to consider credit scores from three bureaus, called tri-merge scores. Since he joined the FHFA, Pulte […]
Zeenat Zonte “I am thrilled to lead Dunmor’s new wholesale broker division and empower our broker partners with the tools and resources they need to succeed,” said Zonte. “Together, we will unlock new opportunities for growth and set a new standard for excellence in the wholesale lending space.” The broker division offers a full suite […]
U.S. residential real estate is drawing increasing interest from international investors —particularly in Latin and South America — according to Miami-based Waltz, a digital mortgage platform that caters to foreign buyers. The firm announced it has reached $50 million in total funding to date — including a newly secured $25 million line of credit from […]
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has opened a request for information on buy now, pay later (BNPL) lending as it seeks to understand its implications for housing affordability and stability. Comments are due by Aug. 25. These installment loans — often referred to as “phantom debt” — gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among […]
Robert Jayne Jayne has 20-plus of experience in construction finance. His most recent role was with Pittsburgh-based lender Kiavi on Monday announced the hirings of Tom Hallock and Robert Jayne as the company seeks to grow its construction financing segment to better meet the needs of real estate investors. Hallock was named as Kiavi‘s new […]
A rise in negative equity and exposure to student debt are creating “pockets of vulnerability” for U.S. homeowners. That’s according to ICE Mortgage Technology‘s July 2025 Mortgage Monitor report released on Monday. The resumption of student loan payments and collection efforts on defaulted federal student loans in May, following a five-year pause, could increase financial […]
It’s been just over a week since Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to start preparing for the use of cryptocurrency in single-family mortgages. With limited guidance beyond the FHFA’s directive, mortgage originators and industry experts are working to assess how cryptocurrency could be applied to mortgages. […]
Cornerstone Capital Bank and Tresidio Homes on Thursday announced the launch of Table Rock Mortgage, a joint venture mortgage brokerage. The new Idaho-licensed brokerage will provide mortgage services to local homebuyers “with goals of promoting affordability and streamlining the mortgage process for homebuyers,” according to press release from the companies. “This joint venture brings together […]
The high mortgage rates that have stymied the broader housing market continue to put a lid on reverse mortgage activity too. According to the June report from Reverse Mortgage Insight, Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsements dropped to 2,244 loans, down 2.3% compared to May and part of a sinking trend that resumed after an […]
Just a week ago, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte issued a directive for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to begin preparing their businesses for the use of cryptocurrency in single-family mortgages. In response, originators are weighing the potential hurdles for offering crypto-backed loans. Despite crypto’s promise, its extreme volatility poses risks, including […]
Florida-based lender Foundation Mortgage announced on Wednesday the launch of its Stars, Stripes & Submissions Broker Challenge — a limited-time pricing incentive for July that was created to reward brokers for delivering funded loans in June. The promotion offers mortgage brokers the chance to earn exclusive pricing credits on eligible nonqualified mortgages (non-QMs) that are […]
Truv, a provider of direct-to-source income, employment and asset verifications, on Wednesday announced a strategic integration with Tidalwave, an AI-powered mortgage point-of-sale platform. Per a press release from Truv, the integration “embeds Truv’s advanced verification capabilities directly into Tidalwave’s mortgage application flow,” establishing a seamless verification process that reduces preapproval times and improves conversion rates. […]
Lower mortgage rates drove a 2.7% increase in mortgage applications from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending June 27, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 13% compared with the previous week. Last week’s results included an adjustment for the […]