Quicken Loans on Tuesday filed an S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the name Rocket Companies. Last month, we reported that the largest online mortgage lender in the U.S. had confidentially filed for its prospectus for an
Low mortgage rates drive purchase applications 5% higher
Purchase applications bounced back last week to the highest level in almost a month with a 5% gain from the week prior, according to a report by the Mortgage Bankers Association. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan
More proof that rent is getting cheaper across the U.S.
Nationally, asking rents fell 0.4% in April and May, following nearly a decade of solid growth, a new report from Yardi Matrix revealed. Between January 2015 and the first quarter of 2020, before COVID-19 hit, asking rents grew a considerable
2020 HousingWire Vanguard awards open for nominations
It’s that time of year again — the 2020 HousingWire Vanguard awards just opened for nominations. You might notice a slight shift – we’re opening the nominations earlier than last year. That’s because for the first time ever, we are
House Hunting? 10 Potential Red Flags to Be Aware of
Touring and looking at homes can be one of the most exciting steps in the homebuying process. However, it can be easy to get carried away in the excitement and easily overlook details that could become an issue down the
Zillow Offers resumes in five more markets, bringing the total to 20 out of 24 markets
Zillow announced Tuesday morning that it would resume buying homes via Zillow Offers in five more markets, making 20 out of its 24 markets operational again since pausing the service due to COVID-19. Home sellers in Los Angeles; Riverside, California;
Foreclosure threat grows as COVID-19 surges, Fed says
The danger of mortgage forbearances turning into foreclosures is rising as COVID-19 infections surge in the U.S., according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. COVID-19 cases in Texas, Arizona, Florida and other sunbelt states have set record highs in
Houston Association of Realtors replaces term “master”
The Houston Association of Realtors said it will stop using the term “master” when describing bedrooms or bathrooms via its multiple listing service. Instead, HAR will update the phrase to say “primary bedroom” and “primary bathroom,” according to the Houston
Goldman Sachs warns of economic fallout from U.S. virus response
The U.S. has failed to contain the COVID-19 virus, alone among developed economies, and will suffer the economic consequences, Goldman Sachs economists said in a report issued on Independence Day. “Over the last few weeks, the covid situation in the
Promontory MortgagePath continues to hire during pandemic
Mortgage fulfillment servicer Promontory MortgagePath is looking to hire mortgage professionals for its Denver and Danbury, Connecticut locations. The eight positions currently open are fully remote during the pandemic, but will likely return to in-person at a later date. At
Is it worth it for lenders to reopen physical offices?
As cities all over the country see a surge in COVID-19 cases, many companies are re-evaluating plans to reopen their offices. On July 1, tech giant Google announced it was delaying the reopening of its U.S. offices by about two
Tappable home equity rises to record $6.5 trillion
Tappable home equity, meaning the equity homeowners could borrow against while leaving a 20% buffer, rose to a record $6.5 trillion in the first quarter, Black Knight said in a report on Monday. More than 75% of homeowners with tappable
It looks like Kanye West is revisiting his affordable housing plans
Kanye West had a busy weekend. On July 4 the rapper used Twitter to announce he was running for president, apparently with the support of Elon Musk, and on Sunday seemed to indicate he was resuming an affordable-housing project he
For lenders, managing their settlement agent network is a problem that keeps growing
While risk is inherent in all stages of origination, the closing process has a distinctive consideration as lenders and title agents collaborate on sealing the deal. With so many moving parts, risk mitigation is key to ensuring a successful closing.
Supreme Court: Robocall ban “should remain in place”
Lenders attempting to reach borrowers in arrears will still be limited in the use of robocalls thanks to the actions of the Supreme Court on Monday, where they upheld a federal ban on the non-emergency auto-dialed calls to cell phones.
Milwaukee, San Francisco and Detroit Top the List of Places Where Black Homebuyers Are More Likely to Be Denied a Home Loan
Nationwide, 1 in 6 Black mortgage applicants is turned away when applying for a mortgage, compared with 1 in 14 white applicants. The gap is even wider in the most segregated parts of the country. Banks most frequently cite debt
Pressing Pause on Facebook Ads
Inspired by the NAACP-led boycott Stop Hate for Profit, Redfin is limiting its advertising spending on Facebook in July. Facebook is a fixture in our society. It connects people with their friends and family, but it’s also how many folks
Dallas Real Estate Market 2020 Overview
The latest Dallas Real Estate Market Report is given below. The demand and sales have been climbing at a feverish pace in the Dallas housing market for more than two years now. The market started cooling off in the last
Housing market recovery: things are looking up
The housing market continues to show positive signs of recovery, according to realtor.com’s weekly Housing Market Recovery Index, yet the effects of COVID-19 still remain a concern. The index is set to 100 for the last week of January and
New free platform looks to connect homebuyers and sellers before houses are listed
With mortgage rates hitting historic lows, many consumers are eager to shop for houses. However, they face the challenge of low inventory and sellers who may be hesitant to put their homes on the market in the midst of the
Virus surge and Fed’s sour outlook push mortgage rates lower
When the nation’s top central bankers spoke in public this week, they didn’t sugarcoat their outlook for the U.S. economy: What could have been a V-shape recovery if the nation managed to get the COVID-19 virus under control is probably
Open Mortgage pulls Facebook advertising as part of ‘Stop Hate For Profit’ campaign
On Wednesday, reverse mortgage lender Open Mortgage pledged to suspend its Facebook advertising for the month of July in solidarity with the Stop Hate For Profit campaign. The multi-channel mortgage lender stated in a release that it stands with the
FOMC worried virus resurgence will trigger new spike in layoffs, minutes show
Federal Reserve officials expressed concerns at their last meeting about additional waves of COVID-19 infections worsening the recession and triggering a new spike in unemployment, according to minutes released Wednesday. At June’s rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee, conducted via videoconference,
How one company is addressing digital VOA shortcomings for lenders
Lenders are growing frustrated with digital Verification of Asset (VOA) services that don’t always work — and Athens, Georgia-based FormFree is listening. Now, the company is taking the data retrieval issues behind those frustrations head-on. “There are a couple of
