• Fairway makes new reverse mortgage investments, rejoins NRMLA

    Fairway makes new reverse mortgage investments, rejoins NRMLA,Chris Clow

    Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation announced on Tuesday a series of reverse mortgage maneuvers designed to increase the company’s investment in the space.The first initiative is the decision to rejoin the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA), which the company left at the end

    Read More
  • Record number of 65-year-olds will reshape the age milestone: WSJ

    Record number of 65-year-olds will reshape the age milestone: WSJ,Chris Clow

    More Americans are reaching the milestone age of 65, and these people are redefining what 65 looks like in comparison to prior generations — with a raft of implications for American society. This is according to a recent story published by the The Wall Street Journal.“Today’s 65-year-olds are redefi

    Read More
  • Reduce title, real estate and mortgage risk with a cyber response plan

    Reduce title, real estate and mortgage risk with a cyber response plan,Bruce Phillips

    In today’s rapidly changing technology landscape, businesses in the title insurance, mortgage and real estate industries must prioritize cybersecurity response planning and business continuity. The second in our “Reducing Risk” series, this month’s article provides practical strategies for safeguard

    Read More
  • Pending legislation would end home inspection waivers in Massachusetts

    Pending legislation would end home inspection waivers in Massachusetts,Bill Conroy

    A housing market marked by relatively high interest rates and tight inventory — and punctuated by the practice of home inspection waivers to sweeten offers — are taking a bite out of business for home inspectors, who play a key role in the sales process by ensuring that buyers are not being sold a l

    Read More
  • Baird & Warner partners with data provider RealReports

    Baird & Warner partners with data provider RealReports,Sarah Marx

    Illinois-based Baird & Warner, an independent real estate brokerage, partnered with proptech firm RealReports, the companies announced Tuesday. The news comes on the heels of the Keyes Company’s partnership with RealReports in October 2023. The collaboration is designed to allow all of Baird & Warne

    Read More
  • Minority homeownership gains ground, but disparities persist: NAR

    Minority homeownership gains ground, but disparities persist: NAR,Sarah Marx

    The dream of homeownership is becoming more attainable for many Americans, with 10.5 million homeowners added between 2012 and 2022. Some racial minorities also witnessed a surge in their homeownership rates.According to a new report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) titled “A Snapshot

    Read More
  • Opinion: The role of the LO will soon be very different

    Opinion: The role of the LO will soon be very different,Franco Terango, Jim Clapp

    Several historic events over the past few years have brought seismic changes to the way the mortgage lending industry operates. The impact of the pandemic and an unprecedented refinance boom followed in short order by the highest interest rates seen in decades cannot be overstated. Today, as we face

    Read More
  • What should lenders consider in 2024 for collateral risk?

    What should lenders consider in 2024 for collateral risk?,Gareth Borcherds

    Gareth Borcherds, managing director, Ascent Software GroupThe GSEs are taking a closer look at how they evaluate collateral risk. Appraisal modernization is vital. Gareth Borcherds, managing director Ascent Software Group outlines the three categories to be aware of, how appraisal modernization can

    Read More
  • How do you solve the California housing crisis?

    How do you solve the California housing crisis?,Sarah Wheeler

    California looms large in any discussion of housing affordability. The largest state by population, one out of every eight Americans lives in the Golden State, but the homeownership rate is dismal. According to Ben Metcalf, managing director of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley

    Read More
  • Is time the enemy of equity for chronically distressed homeowners?

    Is time the enemy of equity for chronically distressed homeowners?,Auction.com

    Chronically distressed properties lost more than $7,000 in total home equity on average while cycling in and out of foreclosure, according to an Auction.com analysis of more than 80,000 properties scheduled for foreclosure auction multiple times in the last three years.The chronically distressed pro

    Read More
  • Are mortgage rates about to break out higher again?

    Are mortgage rates about to break out higher again?,Logan Mohtashami

    Will mortgage rates break toward 8% again, making another 2024 data line that looks like a carbon copy of 2023? It’s not part of my 2024 forecast, but since the Federal Reserve likes playing with fire, let’s look at where we are with mortgage rates and their impact on weekly housing data.Mortgage ra

    Read More
  • Nevada real estate firms hit with second commission lawsuit

    Nevada real estate firms hit with second commission lawsuit,Brooklee Han

    A second home seller in Nevada has filed a lawsuit alleging that real estate industry players in the state have colluded to artificially inflate real estate agent commissions. The copycat commission lawsuit was filed on Friday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas by Nevada home seller Angela Boykin. 

    Read More
  • New Jersey bill seeks to require face-to-face counseling for reverse mortgages

    New Jersey bill seeks to require face-to-face counseling for reverse mortgages,Chris Clow

    A bill introduced in the New Jersey Senate would require face-to-face counseling for the state’s reverse mortgage transactions and would void any loans executed without proof of such counseling having taken place. The bill is currently awaiting deliberation in the state Senate’s commerce committee.T

    Read More
  • NYSE sends second notice to FOA about noncompliance with continued listing standard

    NYSE sends second notice to FOA about noncompliance with continued listing standard,Chris Clow

    Finance of America Companies (FOA), parent company of reverse mortgage industry-leading lender Finance of America Reverse (FAR), was notified for the second time on Feb. 12 by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) that it was not in compliance with the exchange’s continued listing standard. This is acc

    Read More
  • NAR runs out of liability insurance coverage: Sources

    NAR runs out of liability insurance coverage: Sources,Brooklee Han

    Three sources, who have asked to remain anonymous, have confirmed to HousingWire that the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has run out of liability insurance funds. The news about NAR’s insurance predicament began circulating late Wednesday, with industry analyst Rob Hahn highlighting the news

    Read More
  • California judge bans ‘sham mortgage relief operation,’ issues $19M penalty

    California judge bans ‘sham mortgage relief operation,’ issues $19M penalty,Chris Clow

    A judge in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California has ordered that the operators of Home Matters USA — described as a “mortgage relief scam” by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) — be banned from the

    Read More
  • The apartment boom is officially dead, but single-family housing is holding up

    The apartment boom is officially dead, but single-family housing is holding up,Logan Mohtashami

    Today, housing starts fell more than anticipated, but the more important story in today’s report is that even though the apartment boom is dead, single-family permits are rising.The U.S. housing apartment boom ran into higher mortgage rates and more supply faster than anticipated, while single-famil

    Read More
  • Demand rose in January for new home purchases: MBA

    Demand rose in January for new home purchases: MBA,Sarah Marx

    Mortgage applications for new homes surged in January as a lack of existing homes continued to fuel the demand for new construction.Mortgage applications for new home purchases rose 19.1% in January on a year-over-year basis, the 12th consecutive month with an annual increase. Applications were up 3

    Read More
  • Here’s how a mortgage coaching platform wants to carve out a niche in a competitive market

    Here’s how a mortgage coaching platform wants to carve out a niche in a competitive market,Connie Kim

    Cautious optimism is prevalent in the mortgage industry for 2024 as industry professionals anticipate the recovery of lost origination volume. To take advantage of the shifting market, two key areas that loan originators should be focusing on are “nurturing and cementing relationships with preapprov

    Read More
  • Bekki Shae Smith to join high-producing Georgia brokerage

    Bekki Shae Smith to join high-producing Georgia brokerage,Sarah Marx

    Path & Post Real Estate appointed Bekki Shae Smith to the role of managing broker, the Georgia-based boutique brokerage announced on Thursday. Before joining Path & Post, Smith was a Realtor, broker and partner at LOCAL Realty North ATL for three years. Additionally, Smith is serving as the 2024-25

    Read More