The single-family home construction industry might be headed for a slowdown. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that single-family building permits dropped 7.7% year over year in October, hitting a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.416 million units. Housing starts didn’t fare much better, dr

In preparation for widespread credit scoring changes, leading credit-score and data analytics company VantageScore has launched a Mortgage Resource Center to support lenders transitioning to the VantageScore 4.0 credit model.The new resource provides tools and guidance to facilitate integration and

What will the housing market look like in 2025? We already see many signals for what to expect, including last week’s data on inventory, new listings and price reductions, which I analyze below. For a more comprehensive look, read our 2025 Housing Market Forecast covering home prices, home sales vol

With Donald Trump’s victory now secured, housing advocates and experts are closely watching for signs of what his second term as president could mean for the nation’s growing housing crisis. Housing was a key topic throughout the presidential election cycle, and it was one of the policy areas discus

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has spent much of the past few years having its dirty laundry aired across public domain and in courtrooms. Now a new report is taking aim at compensation for NAR executives.On Monday, The New York Times published an expose about the lavish perks enjoyed by

People often disregard reverse mortgages as being too complex. However, I argue they are simply unfamiliar. When explained properly, borrowers can easily understand the concept of a reverse mortgage. However, the loan terms and language are unfamiliar to most existing homeowners.Therefore, when lend

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) on Monday announced that it will raise the 2025 multifamily loan caps for purchases by the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to $73 billion each. This represents a total of $146 billion in multifamily market support for next

Farmers across America maintain retirement accounts at a higher clip than other types of workers, but they’re also saving less than the general population. (Image generated by AI in Midjourney)Farmers are more likely than the average American to maintain a retirement account of some kind, but their

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Monday announced a proposal to shift its Title I home loan programs to the use of the Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA) that would more closely align them with broader industry standards.The proposal, now available for review on

The stock market was not the only thing that saw a boost after the presidential election earlier this month. Homebuilder confidence also rose in November, marking the third straight month of increases.The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) rose three

Add American Neighborhood Mortgage Acceptance Company LLC, doing business as AnnieMac, to the list of mortgage lenders that have recently suffered a data breach from a cyberattack. The company notified state authorities that it became aware of “suspicious activity” of certain systems within its netw

Last week we were at risk of breaking a key level in the bond market, which could have sent mortgage rates much higher. We also had a lot of economic, political, and Fed news that could have pushed rates up. Despite all those negative headlines, we dodged a bullet for now; the key levels held, and w

The housing bubble crash theory has failed once again as we approach the end of 2024, but it’s always important to know why something didn’t happen. This week, we got the updated New York Fed credit data report and it shows the strong position of homeowners — especially in comparison to the years be

Chrissi Callaghan Rhea, co-founder of Mortgage Investors Group and member of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) board of directors, died on Nov. 8, at the age of 73. “Chrissi was a pioneer in the industry, co-founding MIG in the late 1980s and leading the company until just a few months ago,” MB

Vetted by HousingWire  |  Our editors independently review the products we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.You’re probably aware that each state has its own real estate license requirements, unique laws and regulations around real estate licensure. So, should you

Rocket Companies’ third-quarter earnings call offered a glimpse into a key element of its 2025 strategy for Rocket Mortgage — driving profits through ridiculously high recapture rates and an expanding servicing portfolio.When mortgage rates dropped into the low 6% range in early September, most lend

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) reported a solid year of financial performance for the Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund, covering FHA’s Title II Single Family Mortgage Insurance programs.The FHA’s MMI Fund achieved a capital

Should the goal of marketing technology be to make it so that a loan officer never needs to log in? Or, should LOs be encouraged to engage with marketing tools as much as possible in order to help them build their own brand and connections?I started in the mortgage industry in 2015, working for larg