Getting ready for what’s next: lower rates, more refis, more tech

The game plan is not to survive until 2025. The executives in this session are rising above and operating from a growth mindset. They have decades of experience with receipts to show their approach works, and they’re going to share their hard-earned wisdom with our audience.Watch the full session be
Read MoreReverse mortgage volume, HMBS issuance show little movement in September

The reverse mortgage industry could begin seeing some benefits of lower interest rates, but endorsement volume and securities issuance largely continued its trend from the prior month.Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsements fell by 2.1% from August to September, with 2,153 loans endorsed
Read MoreWhy downsizing is not an easy call for seniors and families to make

Seniors often face a range of emotions when the discussion of downsizing to a different home arises. (Image generated by AI through MidjourneyWhile many older homeowners often entertain the idea of downsizing into a smaller home to better accommodate natural changes to mobility in later life, this d
Read MoreHomebuyer demand gains steam in response to lower mortgage rates

The real estate industry illuminati believe that mortgage rates dropping below 6% will get housing markets moving again, but there’s growing evidence that the recent decline in rates is already doing so.Redfin’s Homebuyer Demand Index — which measures homebuyer requests for agent services like home
Read MoreICE launches pilot to sunset old Encompass CRM

ICE Mortgage Technology is continuing to accelerate the adoption of its more modern tools by sunsetting older tech stacks. The mortgage tech behemoth on Wednesday told clients that it would be launching a pilot program that will ultimately sunset its Encompass CRM in favor of the more modern Surefir
Read MoreHousingWire Pulse Survey: Respondents says Trump’s policies better for housing
When it comes to housing, real estate and mortgage industry professionals in the HousingWire Pulse Q4 2024 survey chose President Donald Trump’s housing policies over Vice President Kamala Harris’s. Broken down by real estate brokers, real estate agents and mortgage professionals, some 51% of broker
Read More10 best practices for working with homebuyers (& getting referrals)

At any point this year, have you worried about how to articulate the value you bring when representing a homebuyer in a real estate transaction? You know what you do, but how do you explain it so a buyer understands your value? Do you detail the required agency forms, the potential pitfalls, and eve
Read MoreTexas-based MLSs announce data sharing agreement

Three Texas-based multiple listings services (MLSs) are teaming up. The Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), San Antonio Board of Realtors (SABOR) and Austin-based Unlock MLS are entering into a data sharing agreement that will give Realtors access to each other’s listings, with the deal set to be
Read MoreWith sale finalized, REcolorado names Dana Bennett as new CEO

REcolorado has taken a big step toward moving on from its controversial sale earlier this year. The Denver-area MLS has named a new CEO in Dana Bennett, who returns to REcolorado after an 18-month stint away from the company. Bennett’s most recent role at the MLS was as vice president and chief busi
Read MoreHUD counseling head says partnership with reverse mortgage industry ensures seniors’ safety

David Berenbaum, deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Housing Counseling at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), addressed industry attendees at the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) Annual Meeting and Expo in San Diego last week. He emphasized the
Read MoreThe forecast remains mostly sunny for real estate investors

Real estate investors continue to forecast mostly sunny skies for their businesses, according to quarterly survey data released Wednesday by RCN Capital and the CJ Patrick Co. The companies’ Fall 2024 Investor Sentiment Index showed that 68% of investors view the current housing market as “better” o
Read MoreReverse mortgage lender finds retirees are happier than older workers

HomeEquity Bank, the leading reverse mortgage lender in Canada, recently conducted a survey and found that the country’s retirees ages 75 and older were generally happier with their lives than workers in their 50s who are approaching retirement.“According to the findings, 95% of Canadians 75 and old
Read MoreCoreLogic home-price report shows slowest appreciation rate since July 2023

The Federal Reserve’s 50 basis-point interest rate cut in September is already making an impact on housing markets across the country. But high mortgage rates and affordability challenges put a damper on home-price growth in August.That’s according to CoreLogic’s Home Price Index, which showed that
Read MoreBoston suburb’s housing battle with state echoes national issues

As localities across the country wrestle with housing shortages, one Massachusetts town will make its case to a panel of judges next week to argue against a plan that requires the construction of more multifamily units, according to reporting by USA Today and state records reviewed by HousingWire.As
Read MoreArc Home adds OptifiNow’s advanced CRM to aid sales, marketing efforts

OptifiNow announced the implementation of its high-tech customer relationship management (CRM) platform with nonqualified mortgage (non-QM) lender Arc Home LLC on Tuesday. The platform offers a new broker scoring system designed for better account management and a tagging system to improve email mar
Read MoreTop Agent Network renews antitrust suit aimed at NAR’s Clear Cooperation Policy

Top Agent Network (TAN) is not backing down in its antitrust lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors (NAR).After being dismissed with prejudice in 2021 after a lower court ruled that TAN failed to state a claim with prejudice in its third amended complaint, the plaintiff appealed the ru
Read MoreVance and Walz spar over housing in VP debate

The candidates for vice president highlighted their housing policies in the VP debate on Tuesday night, one month out from election day. JD Vance, the Republican senator from Ohio, and Tim Walz, the Democratic governor of Minnesota, outlined how their parties would address the housing crisis. After
Read MoreIMB Summit: Bob Broeksmit mulls election impacts on mortgage rates, regulations

Whichever candidate — Kamala Harris or Donald Trump — wins the 2024 presidential election will not have a significant impact on the path of interest rates, but they will bring changes to the mortgage industry from a regulatory standpoint, according to Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) president and
Read MoreMatterport introduces AI tools for property photos and descriptions

Have you ever taken a great photo only to realize later that there’s a random person in the background, an object that doesn’t belong or something you simply don’t want in it? Real estate agents now have a new tool to remove these distraction from home staging photos — and no, it’s not Apple Intelli
Read MoreAt the Hard Rock Hotel, FHA’s Gordon talks reverse mortgage observations, possible enhancements

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner Julia Gordon offered her insights on the agency’s Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program at this year’s National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) Annual Meeting and Expo, reflecting on her journey toward greater understanding of b
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