Author: Michael Gersitz

Despite increased competition, wholesale lender Homepoint has rolled out a new home equity line of credit (HELOC) product. The goal is to court more brokers at a time when home equity levels remain high.  Available on investment properties, single-unit owner-occupied

Revenue and net income were both down for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the third quarter, and the two government sponsored entities (GSEs) expect the housing market to deteriorate further in the fourth quarter. Collectively, the GSEs have set

California lender New American Funding issued pink slips to 240 employees last week, bringing the total cut this year to nearly 1,000. The force reductions come after two years of rapid expansion. “The mortgage market slowdown is unfortunately affecting our

On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 261,000 jobs were created and we had 29,000 positive revisions to prior reports. This means the honey badger labor market will keep the Federal Reserve from pivoting anytime soon.  This has

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released a report on Friday that found 88% of all first-time homebuyers in the U.S. are white, while 8% are Hispanic, 3% are Black and 2% are Asian. The share of Black and Asian

This week’s HW+ member spotlight features Aaron Smith, vice president at sales at Next Door Photos. HW Media: What is your current favorite HW+ article and why? Aaron Smith: I love everything RealTrends. It helps cut through the noise of the market and shows you what

There has been a flurry of recent articles prognosticating a decrease to Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insurance premiums. Several trade groups including the Mortgage Bankers Association have corresponded with the HUD Secretary in support of cuts. One news article suggested a possible

Retail lender and servicer Mr. Cooper has dropped the ax on approximately 800 staffers, roughly a week after hinting that job cuts were coming due to lower origination production. “In the face of market volatility and economic uncertainty, Mr. Cooper

Rocket Companies, the parent of Rocket Mortgage, lost money in the third quarter and also appears to have lost its title as America’s largest mortgage originator. Rocket originated $25.6 billion in mortgage volume in the third quarter, which was 71%

Job growth continued in October, but at a slower pace as the Federal Reserve continues to raise interest rates. Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 261,000 jobs from September, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) is now the biggest mortgage lender in America, thanks in large part to a cut-rate pricing strategy that has put extreme pressure on competitors. UWM originated $33.5 billion in the third quarter, toppling its arch rival

The Federal Reserve’s tightening of monetary policy is causing mortgage rates to rise rapidly. For lenders, that means finding new ways to drum up business, like introducing programs that try to convince borrowers to ‘marry the house and date the

A team of more than 60 mortgage bankers at now-defunct Finance of America Mortgage has landed at Hallmark Home Mortgage. The retail team covers the states of Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina and Texas. Marc Wadman will continue

The housing industry, from servicers to real estate agents and more, will feel the impacts of this year’s hurricane season far beyond 2022. In the midst of this, a potential lapse in the National Flood Insurance is top of mind

Rocket Mortgage is now offering a conventional loan option for buyers who want to purchase or refinance a manufactured home, which expands the home financing options in a rapidly shrinking industry. Borrowers can use this loan to finance a manufactured