This year has been a numbers game. How long does forbearance last? What are the rates this week? Will the next stimulus bill be enough? The pandemic has created an onslaught of record-breaking figures, but behind all the headlines and
Housing Market White Hot After Labor Day: Home Prices Up 13%, Pending Sales Up 27%
New listings of homes for sale were 6% above 2019 levels Key housing market takeaways for 434 U.S. metro areas during the 4-week period ending September 13: Median home sale price increased 13% from 2019 to $319,261—the highest on record.
How Much Can You Negotiate on a House, Really?
So, you’ve finally found the perfect home and you’ve submitted your offer. In an ideal situation, the seller would accept it, you’d close, and the home would be yours. However, it’s not always that easy. In fact, it’s likely the
Kansas City Real Estate Market & Investment Overview 2020
The Kansas City real estate market is very hot and in many ways the envy of housing pundits on both coasts. Despite the COVID pandemic causing huge unemployment and impaired consumer confidence in real estate buying and selling, the Kansas
The Pandemic Can’t Stop Military Home-Buyers – 5 Reasons VA Loan Usage is Surging
It comes as no surprise that the rise in COVID-19 cases rocked the housing market in more ways than one. Military homebuyers are facing new challenges in their search for a dream home. Yet, VA loan usage has surged in
Help your broker partners with client retention by retaining servicing
HousingWire spoke to Home Point Financial’s new President of Servicing Perry Hilzendeger about the company’s “We Care” philosophy and how Home Point supports its broker partners. HW: What was it that initially drew you to Home Point, coming from such
More young adults live at home now than during the Great Depression
While at the beginning of the year it seemed like Millennials and Generation Z were going to take hold of the housing market in 2020, the pandemic drastically changed that prediction. For the first time since the Great Depression, the
Fed says expect low rates through 2023
The Federal Reserve left its overnight lending rate unchanged on Wednesday at the end of its last meeting before the Nov. 3 presidential election and said it expects to keep it near zero for more than a year. In a
Here are 2020’s top companies in title so far
The title industry experienced quite a rush in the second quarter of 2020 with $4.18 billion in title insurance premiums generated. According to a report from the American Land Title Association, family markets made up nearly 81% of those gains
Lawmakers ask Calabria to rethink adverse-market fee
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mark Calabria took fire during Congressional testimony on Wednesday about the implementation of an adverse-market fee that’s expected to add about $1,400 to the cost of refinanced mortgages delivered to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac
Louisiana brokers now have access to Texas MLS
North Texas Real Estate Information Systems has added another state to its Multiple Listing Service. Brokers and agents in the Shreveport and Bossier City region now have access to the database of listings and products the NTREIS system has to
Mat Ishbia talks super-low mortgage rates, adverse market fee and capacity limits
A well-qualified buyer these days can find a mortgage at historically low interest rates. But that’s not good enough for United Wholesale Mortgage CEO Mat Ishbia. He’s looking to hook borrowers at stupid-low mortgage rates, though not all applicants will
Title insurance premiums surging during COVID-19 pandemic
The title insurance industry saw a surge in premium volume in the second quarter of 2020, according to the American Land Title Association’s latest Market Share Analysis. It’s no secret that lending volume is up in 2020. In fact, the
9 Things to Consider Before Moving to a Small Town
Are you finding yourself longing for small-town life lately? Are you looking to have more space, know your neighbors, and to just have a more relaxed way of living? Well, you’re not alone. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic,
Home Prices Rose 11% in August—Biggest Gain in Over 6 Years
The housing market in August resembled a game of musical chairs, as high home prices and low mortgage rates began to draw more sellers to the market: New listings climbed 5%, fueling a 30% increase in pending sales. The national
MBA: Refi index still 30% higher than last year even as mortgage applications slow
Mortgage applications decreased 2.5% last week after seeing some positivity the week prior, according to a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The refinance index decreased 4% compared to the week prior but remains 30% higher than the same week
Coastal Migrants Boost Las Vegas Home Prices, Up 8% in August, Amid High Local Unemployment Rate
People moving in from expensive cities and locals with changing needs are contributing to rising home prices and fast sales even as the tourism industry takes the brunt of the pandemic’s economic impact. The typical home-sale price in the Las
Selling Your House: A Timeline of What to Expect
Selling a home has many moving parts, and whether you’re a first-time home seller or seasoned seller, the process can be daunting. In a perfect world, the home selling process would be stress-free, where you can list your house, find
Mortgage lending volume in 2020 likely to break records
Fannie Mae, the world’s largest mortgage financier, said mortgage lending this year probably will reach an all-time high of $3.9 trillion. The dollar-volume record will be boosted by $2.4 trillion in refinancings, the highest level since 2003 and more than
Virtual notary adoption surges as businesses rush to close transactions remotely
This article was written for FinLedger, HW Media’s new fintech focused news brand designed specifically for financial services professionals in banking, payments, insurance and proptech. Register for the FinLedger Daily Newsletter. The virtual notary services industry has become increasingly popular amid
Black Knight’s Andy Crisenbery: COVID-19 created “quick fix” fintech solutions
Last spring, the housing industry was forced to pivot its traditionally in-person processes and harness available technology resources amid the spread of COVID-19. Now, the industry will need to take a step back to figure out which fintech solutions can
Better together: The united impact of the Veterans United Foundation
In early March, as everyone started to prepare for a virus that they knew so little about, the Veterans United Foundation’s Erik Morse was working with other leaders in the community on what would eventually become the beginning strategy for
RedfinNow expands to Palm Springs, California
For the first time since the pandemic began making an impact on the real estate industry, Redfin’s iBuying solution RedfinNow is now available in a brand new market – Palm Springs, California. Palm Springs is a “natural place” for RedfinNow
Docutech becomes First American Docutech
Mortgage tech firm Docutech became First American Docutech on Tuesday as First American, one of the biggest U.S. title insurance companies, completed the rebranding of the company it agreed to purchase for $350 million in February. For First American, the