After faltering 4.8% the week prior, mortgage applications almost completely rebounded last week, gaining 4.6%, according to a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The refinance index also jumped 8% — hitting its highest level since mid-August. Refinances continued to hover
Redfin Survey: 22% of Homebuyers and Sellers Say the Presidential Election Is Impacting Their Plans
Historically, home sales have remained relatively flat during presidential election seasons. We expect home sales to continue to grow this fall due to the coronavirus pandemic; we are forecasting more home sales in 2020 than in any year since 2006.
400,000 mortgage borrowers are “needlessly delinquent”
There are about 400,000 mortgage borrowers “needlessly delinquent” as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic who did not use available forbearance options, according to a report from the Urban Institute. These are borrowers with mortgages backed by the federal government
Fed warns of “tragic effects” of COVID-19 resurgence
A resurgence of COVID-19 in the winter months, as some health experts have warned might happen, would have “tragic effects” on the health of Americans and the economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned in a speech on Tuesday. “Managing
Finalize the closing disclosure earlier in the process using this collaborative platform
The CoreLogic Title & Closing Solution offers an enhanced workflow designed to support lenders and vendors in the title and closing process. The Title & Closing Solution syncs order management, secures vendor communication and document transfer, encourages full compliance, and
Orchard launches platform that digitizes home-buying process
Home buying and selling marketplace Orchard announced the launch of a digital platform, Orchard Dashboard, that enables homeowners to manage the entire real estate transaction in one place. “The traditional way of buying and selling a home has barely evolved
Compass enters title and escrow with Modus acquisition
Real estate technology company Compass announced on Monday that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire title and escrow software startup, Modus. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Modus, based in Seattle, will merge its 60-plus
ALTA launches Good Deeds Foundation to strengthen communities
The American Land Title Association announced at its ALTA ONE conference Tuesday that it is launching its Good Deeds Foundation to provide grants and sustain efforts to strengthen communities in crisis. The foundation will help the charitable efforts of its
The surprising future of mortgage technology
Talk to any mortgage technologist about the future of the industry and two topics will emerge immediately: big data and smarter automation. I know this because this is what we’ve been talking about in our industry for the past decade.
What renovations should you make before selling your home?
With ever-waning levels of inventory, surging homebuyer demand and bidding wars on the rise, it’s clear that sellers have the upper hand this season. And while that certainly bodes well for homeowners (hello, more profits!) that doesn’t mean every property
Here’s how to get an instant offer on your home
Gone are the days when you had to prep your home, market it and pay a costly commission to a real estate agent just to sell. Though that’s certainly still an option (and will probably net you more in profits),
Opendoor discloses that it’s under federal investigation
Opendoor has officially filed its announcement to go public after announcing its merger with Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp. II in September. But the filing also revealed that Opendoor is under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission over its advertising
Biden’s first-time homebuyer tax credit in the age of COVID-19
When former Vice President Joe Biden first proposed his $15,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit in February, there were no U.S. deaths from COVID-19. Now that the pandemic has plunged the U.S. economy into a recession and killed more than 208,000
Rock Venture’s Trina Scott on adjusting business strategy during social upheaval
Trina Scott, chief diversity officer at Rock Ventures and 2020 HousingWire Woman of Influence, will speak at our HousingWire Annual event on Oct. 8. HousingWire sat down with Scott ahead of that event to get a glimpse of what she’ll
Forbearance rate drops to 6.81%, MBA says
The U.S. forbearance rate measuring the share of mortgages with suspended payments fell to 6.81% in the last week of September, the lowest since mid-April, according to the Mortgage Banker Association. The rate dropped from 6.87% in the prior week,
Princeton Mortgage’s Rich Weidel on how small shops can still compete with Rocket and UWM
Rich Weidel, the CEO of family-owned and operated lender Princeton Mortgage, was scared. He saw the big competitors only getting bigger. He wondered how a smaller retail-and-wholesale shop could possibly compete with the likes of Rocket Companies, with massive budgets
Green housing expert Bob Simpson to speak at HousingWire Annual Oct. 8
A consequential change in decarbonizing housing stock hasn’t been a priority in this pandemic year, but post-pandemic, it is sure to rise in importance. With nearly 40% of total U.S. energy consumption used in the residential and commercial sector, the
Mortgage delinquencies expected to remain above pre-pandemic levels until 2022
Following previous natural disaster recovery patterns, mortgage delinquencies are not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until March 2022, according to a report from Black Knight. If trends persist, the data service provider estimates once the first wave of forbearances
Working Together as a Team: Negotiating with Commercial Tenants During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread mandatory closures of all types of commercial properties. These closures, along with reduced consumer spending, have hampered business operations and created challenges for many businesses that lease office and industrial properties – some of which
Home Prices Up 14%, But Price Growth May Wane Soon
Growth in list prices is down 3 percentage points since the end of August, but pending sales were still up 30% Key housing market takeaways for 434 U.S. metro areas during the 4-week period ending September 27: The median home
Roof Talk
The unsung hero of a house, the roof is an essential construction and design element. Though it sometimes doesn’t seem to be given as much consideration as other design elements, a house’s roof is a vital feature, both aesthetically and
Movement Mortgage’s Montell Watson to speak at HousingWire Annual Oct. 8
Call it what you want – a disruption, a revolution, a transformation or perhaps a thorn in your side, there is no denying the pandemic has stirred the housing industry in all its sectors. How companies adapt and pivot while
Loans in forbearance gain after 6 weeks of decline
After six weeks of steady declines, the number of mortgages in active forbearance rose by 21,000 last week, according to a new report. Though the raw number increased, the number of all mortgages in active forbearance remained at 6.8%, unchanged
Hamptons home sales begin cooling after summer’s frenetic pace
Home sales in the Hamptons, the ritzy New York getaway for Wall Street titans and Hollywood celebrities, showed beginning signs of cooling off in September after a pandemic-induced boom during the summer months. Signed contracts to purchase single-family homes rose
