The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) this week announced a new rule aimed at bolstering the department’s Section 184 Indian Housing Loan Guarantee program, with the goal to increasing lender participation and ensure access to potential Native American beneficiaries. The final rule, published in the Federal Register on March 20 but formally […]
Ginnie Mae President Alanna McCargo is resigning from her position at the government-owned company effective May 3, according to an announcement issued Friday by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Ginnie Mae principal executive vice president Sam Valverde will serve as acting president of the company upon her departure. “The past 3.5 […]
A Freddie Mac home equity product that was proposed this week has the potential to unlock $850 billion in origination volume. But it could face challenges due to the lack of a robust securitization market, according to strategists at Bank of America (BofA). On Tuesday, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced a request for […]
The Academy for Home Equity in Financial Planning housed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) will return to being known as the Funding Longevity Task Force, and it will “mobilize as needed if there are any regulatory changes or major changes within the reverse mortgage industry,” according to a representative for Mutual of Omaha […]
Florida-based First Federal Bank announced on Thursday that it struck a deal to acquire Watson Mortgage Corp., expanding its mortgage retail lending footprint in the communities in which it operates. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. First Federal Bank has 25 branches in the Southeast and operations in the Midwest, including mortgage centers in Jacksonville, […]
The median monthly housing payment for U.S. homebuyers rose to a record $2,775 during the four-week period ending April 14, up 11% year over year, according to a Redfin report. The recent hotter-than-expected inflation reading sent mortgage rates upward. On Thursday, HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center showed the average 30-year fixed rate for conventional loans at 7.31%, up […]
A former loan officer at Guaranteed Rate (G-Rate) has sued the lender and two managers for allegedly discriminating against her on the basis of gender, failing to compensate her equally to male coworkers with similar performance and subjecting her to sexual harassment. In response, the lender said it’s conducting a detailed investigation into the claims. […]
Data courtesy of Sterling Point Advisors and Augment Analytics Brett Ludden is managing director and co-head of the financial services team at Sterling Point Advisors, a merger and acquisitions advisory firm. He is also the co-founder and managing partner of Augment Analytics. “We’re seeing a downward trend in total [loans] repurchased [on a dollar basis], and […]
Wire fraud prevention firm CertifID and big four title firm Old Republic have entered into a strategic agreement to prevent mortgage payoff fraud, according to an announcement on Thursday. Mortgage payoff fraud occurs when a title company mistakenly sends payoff funds to a fraudulent bank account after receiving wire instructions that appear to be from […]
Following the submission of a letter by Indiana Sen. Mike Braun (R) to Ginnie Mae President Alanna McCargo about concerns related to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM)-backed Securities (HMBS) program, McCargo’s predecessor, Ted Tozer, hopes the senator will dive deeper into the program’s mechanics and what led to the collapse of Reverse Mortgage Funding […]
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) announced on Wednesday a series of legislative recommendations, which it sent to the chairman and ranking member of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee as the body considers the markup of proposed bills centered on real estate financing. The first piece is House Joint Resolution 120, which would […]
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) this week announced a new product proposal for government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) Freddie Mac that would allow the agency to purchase certain single-family, closed-end second mortgages. This would offer borrowers an alternative way to access their home equity without surrendering a first mortgage with a more favorable interest rate than […]
Capital Fundings, a Florida-based private mortgage lender, has partnered with real estate investment platform Privy, the companies announced on Tuesday. The collaboration will allow Capital Fundings’ borrowers to receive personalized investor insights. “Capital Fundings is thrilled to embark on this exciting journey with Privy,” Alex Bogumil, CEO of Capital Fundings, said in a statement. “Our […]
Mortgage demand increased for the second week in a row on the back of a strong economy. Applications increased by 3.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis during the week ending April 12, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey. “Rates increased for the second consecutive week, driven by incoming data indicating […]
Nearly half (48%) of a $65 billion portfolio of loans processed during the first quarter of 2024 contained vulnerabilities to wire and title fraud, according to a report released Wednesday by FundingShield. The portfolio of loans examined included residential, commercial investor and business purpose loans. On loans that exhibited problems, the analysis found an average […]
Tennessee-based multichannel mortgage lender First Community Mortgage announced on Wednesday that it has selected the Blue Sage Solutions digital lending platform and its LION Consumer POS to help scale its growth efforts across the 48 states it operates in. The move allows the lender to have “modernized its mortgage operational processes, boosted productivity and delivered […]
Mortgage applications for new homes stalled in March as buyers felt the brunt of sustained home price growth. Compared to February 2024, mortgage applications for new-home purchases rose 1% in March. Applications were up 6.2% from March 2023, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Builder Application Survey. According to MBA estimates, new single-family home […]
In a down market disrupted by the commission lawsuits, agents and LOs are considering working in a dual capacity. But it’s a tough road to hoe. AI image generated by MidJourney. ” data-medium-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Newsroom-Template.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Newsroom-Template.jpg?w=1024″ src=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Newsroom-Template.jpg?w=1024″ alt=”Copy of Copy of Newsroom Template” class=”wp-image-456316″ srcset=”https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Newsroom-Template.jpg 1200w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Newsroom-Template.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Newsroom-Template.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Newsroom-Template.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https://www.housingwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Copy-of-Copy-of-Newsroom-Template.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, […]
Because of certain persistent reputational challenges faced by the reverse mortgage industry, it can be challenging for borrowers to find objective informational sources about the product category. That’s what drove a listener of the podcast “The Indicator from Planet Money,” a production of National Public Radio (NPR), to ask hosts Wailin Wong and Darian Woods […]
Bank of America (BofA) reported another quarterly decline in mortgage and home equity production in the first quarter of 2024. On Tuesday morning, the top-20 U.S. mortgage lender stated it produced a volume of $3.4 billion in first mortgages from January to March, down 12.5% from the $3.9 billion in the previous quarter and the same […]
In the late 2000s, Ryan Schmidt was a restaurant manager with no real understanding of the reverse mortgage product. It wouldn’t take long for that to change, however, and Schmidt now serves as the vice president of partner engagement at Finance of America Reverse (FAR), the reverse mortgage industry market leader in the U.S. No […]
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will not count buyer’s agent commissions as part of their allowable interested party contributions (IPCs), according to announcements from the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) on Monday. The GSEs noted that this guidance was not an update to their selling guides but a clarification on the treatment of seller-paid real estate agent […]
As older people increasingly express their preference to age in place in their own homes, family members will oftentimes be required to provide some semblance of care for their loved ones in later life. Caregiving challenges can be compounded if there’s only one child in the family, but a reverse mortgage could offer a solution, […]
Last week’s above-consensus inflation figures brought the mortgage market back to a sour reality: The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, an index closely watched by industry experts, may be close to or even above the 7% level for longer than previously expected. If this scenario unfolds, analysts and executives will be ready to update their […]
The National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) announced a partnership with artificial intelligence (AI)-based video marketing platform Roomvu to provide mortgage brokers with marketing tools. The new partnership will make digital marketing easier for NAMB members to market their services with automation tools to create content and distribute newsletters, the association said. “This partnership represents […]
Mortgage rates headed higher last week after the CPI inflation report, but now, with news of a wider war in the Middle East, should we expect even higher rates? Some argue that money will go into the safety of the bond market, while others say a wider war can lead to higher inflation and higher […]
Job recruiters in the South are facing hurdles to attract skilled professionals from the Midwest despite offering competitive compensation packages, according to a Bloomberg report published Friday. That’s because many of these potential hires are locked into super-low 30-year mortgages. During the fourth quarter of 2023, the proportion of job seekers in the U.S. who […]
Reverse mortgage industry professionals have spoken for months about the consequences of high interest rates on their ability to pursue business, and now AARP has taken a closer look at the impacts. While higher rates are bad news for the mortgage industry in a broad sense, the impact on reverse lending is more nuanced, Bruce […]
As artificial intelligence continues to grow in prominence, mortgage professionals “must carefully evaluate and manage” their use of AI and “focus on deriving the benefits while avoiding potentially catastrophic risks.” That’s one of the key conclusions reached by the BlackFin Group in a recently published white paper, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Mortgage Banking.” The paper […]
The HousingWire award spotlight series highlights the individuals and organizations that have been recognized through our Editors’ Choice Awards. Nominations for HousingWire’s 2024 Marketing Leaders are open until April 30, 2024. Click here to nominate someone from your organization today. If there’s one word to describe today’s successful marketers in mortgage and real estate it’s […]
The real estate market is experiencing a slight rise in foreclosure activity following an extended period of moratoria that paused any foreclosures during the pandemic. The uptick in foreclosures could signal homeowner distress due to recent difficult economic circumstances but also account for foreclosures that were in the pipeline prior to the pandemic. However, the […]
California-based multichannel mortgage lender CMG Financial announced on Thursday that it acquired Norcom Mortgage’s retail assets, expanding its operations in the Northeast with the addition of 25 branches from Maryland to Maine. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. “Norcom Mortgage has made the strategic decision to focus on and continue to grow our wholesale platform […]
Property preservation company MCS announced last month that it had entered the reverse mortgage business after acquiring Five Brothers Asset Management Solutions. In part one of RMD’s interview with MCS CEO Craig Torrance, he explained his company’s interest in the reverse space. In the second part of the interview, Torrance goes deeper into the value […]
Experts from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Georgia are weighing in on recent federal attention that senior caregivers have received after President Joe Biden highlighted these issues in his State of the Union address last month. The experts say that adequately serving seniors who prefer to age in place will […]
Jamie Dimon evidently believes in the KISS principle when it comes to mortgage — keep it simple, stupid. In his annual letter to shareholders, the influential head of JPMorgan Chase wrote that “we can fix the housing and mortgage” markets. “For example, mortgage regulations around origination, servicing and securitization could be simplified, without increasing risk, in […]
Rocket Mortgage Chief Information Officer Brian Woodring is departing the company to pursue other opportunities, multiple sources told HousingWire. The decision comes as the lender shifts its business strategy to embrace artificial intelligence (AI). Woodring joined Rocket in 2017 as chief technology officer to lead the product engineering team. As CIO, he was responsible for the strategy […]
Figure Technology Solutions (FTS), the parent company of Figure Lending LLC, announced on Thursday that it will begin making its Digital Asset Registration Technologies (DART) platform — which it describes as “a combined lien and eNote registry service” — available to private and wholesale lending partners. It will initially be made available for its home […]
Finance of America Companies (FOA), parent company of industry-leading reverse mortgage lender Finance of America Reverse (FAR), released a new “investor update” this week to update shareholders and other stakeholders on different elements of its reverse mortgage business including its strategic initiatives, business model and an update on its integration of American Advisors Group (AAG). […]
HomeEquity Bank, the leading reverse mortgage lender in Canada and a Schedule I federal bank in the country, announced on Wednesday that its longtime president and CEO Steven Ranson will retire effective June 30. “We have achieved what I set out to achieve many years ago; to establish reverse mortgages and HomeEquity Bank as a […]
Nominations for the 2024 Marketing Leaders award are open now through April 30. This prestigious accolade recognizes the visionaries, innovators and strategists who have set new standards of marketing excellence in mortgage and real estate. HousingWire is proud to have recognized a slew of industry heavyweights since the program started. We’re taking a look back […]
Mortgage demand increased slightly for the first time in four weeks, with a modest uptick in refinance applications leading the way. But don’t expect it to continue. Mortgage applications increased by 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis during the week ending April 5, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey. “Mortgage […]
The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) have signed onto a memorandum of understanding to formally share information between each other related to nonbank mortgage companies. “The [MOU] establishes substantive information sharing protocols between state financial regulators and FHFA, improving the ability to coordinate on market developments, identify […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is considering a ban on mortgage banks charging homebuyers for the lender’s title insurance policy, according to a report by Bloomberg. Lender’s title policies protect lenders from issues that may arise with the title of the property, but they are paid by the borrower. The homebuyer also has the option […]
Perhaps the most striking detail gleaned from a HousingWire analysis of millions of single-family purchase mortgages is how much more homebuyers had to pay in 2023 compared to 2022. The median borrower on a 30-year mortgage in 2023 received an interest rate of 6.625%, which is 1.635 percentage points higher than the same borrower a […]
The most anticipated economic report of the month showed that inflation has not just stalled, but increased. The news almost certainly rules out a rate cut in June, and traders are increasingly skeptical there will be more than a couple cuts in 2024, if any at all. Consumer prices in March were up 3.5% from […]