Housing inventory finally hit my target level of growth last week with mortgage rates now over 7.25%, something I couldn’t get all last year. Of course, what is different this year versus last year is that new listing data is growing yearly instead of trending at the lowest levels recorded in histor

Ginnie Mae has filed a point-by-point response to the initial complaint of the case brought against it by Texas Capital Bank (TCB), which alleges that the government-owned company “extinguished, in return for no consideration, TCB’s first priority lien on tens of millions of dollars in collateral” s

Luxury home prices in the U.S. surged by 8.7% year over year in the first quarter of 2024, with the median price hitting a record $1.225 million, according to data from Redfin. In comparison, prices for non-luxury homes rose by 4.6% to a median of $345,000, which is also a record high.Redfin defined

Retirement at 65 has been a longstanding norm for U.S. workers, but older investors believe that not only is such an outcome unfeasible, but they’re likely to face more challenging retirements than their parents or grandparents.This is according to recently released survey results from Nationwide, w

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 ru

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

Alicia Goncalves has joined the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) as director of associate membership, the trade association announced on Friday. In this role, Goncalves will serve as the primary point of contact for MBA’s associate members, supporting their business efforts and enhancing their eng

Even though the spring homebuying season got off to a slow start across much of the U.S., one of the most populous states saw increased activity.Home sales in Pennsylvania jumped 23.6% from February to March, according to a report released Friday by the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors (PAR). On

Ginnie Mae unveiled a significant revision on Wednesday to its monthly single-family reporting protocols.  The government mortgage bond guarantor incorporated expanded its payment default status (PDS) reporting, including loan default information, any mitigation actions taken and the timing of these

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 Ag

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 Leaders award are open now through April 30th, 2024. Click here to nominate someone.The recent commis

Existing home sales fell in today’s report, which isn’t surprising, but one headline that shocked some people was that home prices are still up year over year, even with higher inventory and higher mortgage rates.From NAR: The median existing home price for all housing types in March was $393,500, a

Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler sat down with Ike Suri, chairman and CEO of FundingShield, to talk about rising fraud risks, what keeps him up at night, and why AI is still far from helpful in his business of protecting clients. Sarah Wheeler: FundingShield just released its Q1 Fraud report, which sho

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,” a

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, is sounding the alarm over challenges faced by elder financial exploitation (EFE).In a newly released trends report, FinCEN highlighted more than $27 billion worth of “suspicious activity” across mo

Digital mortgage automation solutions provider Floify is partnering with Truv, a consumer-permissioned data platform, the company announced on Wednesday. The integration allows mortgage lenders to verify income and employment seamlessly as borrowers apply for a loan.Procuring verification of income

Atlanta-based PulteGroup Inc., one of the largest homebuilders in the U.S., has filed an objection in the Sitzer/Burnett commission lawsuit following settlements with Anywhere, RE/MAX and Keller Williams.PulteGroup says that the company does not have enough information to adequately determine the am

Every business is on the brink of significant transformation driven by the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and workflow automation, and the mortgage industry is no exception. With AI’s capacity to perform complex reasoning and manage autonomous operations, it is critical to explore how thi

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 Sout

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 Cen