What was once two cities on either side of the Mississippi River – Minneapolis combines the best of both cities and offers its residents a little bit of everything. From checking out the restaurant scene to cheering on the sports
Is Minneapolis a Good Place to Live? 10 Pros and Cons of Calling the Twin Cities Home
Does Minneapolis have more to offer than long winters and pro sports teams? You betcha. Minnesota is a massive state with many rural areas, but the urban region is truly metropolitan and has long flown under the radar. Whether you
How LOs get into a real estate agent’s circle
To get into an agent’s circle, an LO has to see problems before they manifest they need to communicate whether the news is good, bad or ugly, agents said. Becca Summers does not typically include Wells Fargo on the lender
Housing Market Forecast 2024 & 2025: Predictions for Next 5 Years
Housing Market Predictions for Next 5 Years Here’s what some of the experts predict will happen in the housing market in the next five years. Some economists are more hopeful, but even those who predicted price increases through 2023 are
Here’s why new home sales are up along with prices
Today new home sales beat estimates, and new home median sales prices hit an all-time high. What is going on here? My job is always to be the detective, not the troll so let’s take a look at today’s data,
Buydowns become key for buyers to beat the market
It’s a terrible time for homebuyers. Mortgage rates for a 30-year fixed-rate loan are hovering around 7% levels and still-high home prices are slashing purchasing power. What helped Erica Davis, a loan originator at Guild Mortgage, in the current high-rate
New home sales continued to yo-yo in October
Homebuilders must be feeling some whiplash, as new single-family home sales continued to yo-yo in October. After rebounding in August from a drop in July only to fall again in September, new home sales were back up in October, according
Nonbank lender job cuts could shorten the market downturn
The current market downturn for mortgage lenders may be shorter than the previous cycles, mainly due to the recent rounds of workforce layoffs imposed by nonbanks. “While it is true that many nonbanks entered this downturn with a large war
Mortgage rates dropped again, so why are some borrowers on the sidelines?
Recent declines in mortgage rates, which are due to a slowdown in inflation growth, have been enough to convince some borrowers to apply for new home loans, according to recent data on mortgage applications. However, there are still forces pushing
How to communicate rate changes to borrowers
Mortgage rates are changing every day – and those changes can have big effects on borrowers. Over the last year, it seems that most of those changes have taken an upward trajectory, but there are times that monitoring mortgage rates
Demand for mortgages is on the rise as rates fall
With mortgage rates down nearly 50 basis points from the recent peak about a month ago, borrower demand picked up again this week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The market composite index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, rose
Prepayment activity drops to another record low as mortgage rates top 7%
Prepayment activity fell to another record low in October amid mortgage rates topping 7% and refis drying up. Black Knight expects that the steep declines in rate lock volume and seasonality factors point to further declines in prepayment activity. Prepayment
Gas vs. Electric Stove: Sustainability, Cost, and Maintenance Debunked
If you’re in the market for a new stove, choosing a replacement can be challenging. Along with size, brand, and aesthetic, an important decision is deciding which fuel source you want it to use. Both have their advantages and disadvantages,
15 Must-Read Tips for Organizing Small Spaces
If you live in a small space, you know the struggle of trying to keep it organized. It can seem like an impossible task, but some organizing hacks for small spaces can help. From the tiniest studio apartment in Los
Marcia Fudge will be the first sitting HUD secretary to visit Japan
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge will be the first sitting HUD secretary to visit Japan when she arrives in Tokyo next week. According to an announcement, Tokyo’s Governor Yuriko Koike will hold a joint
Los Angeles Housing Market: Prices, Trends, Forecast 2022-2023
Are Housing Prices Going Down in Los Angeles? We’ll discuss the recent trends in the Los Angeles housing market. The market dynamics are changing now. After a two-year housing boom spurred in large part by record-low borrowing costs, the Los
Hidden Gems in Denver: Miles to Explore in the Mile High City
Denver is known for its craft beer scene, access to nature, and high altitude. It’s regarded as the “Mile High City” because it sits over 5,000 feet above sea level. There is no shortage of excitement that locals can find
Inside Movement Mortgage’s acquisition plans
Movement Mortgage CEO Casey Crawford and President Mike Brennan. Movement Mortgage’s deal to acquire top indie retail lender Mortgage Network marks a shift in the South Carolina-based company’s strategy. “Over the years, we’ve been more focused on organic growth, one
Days on market grow despite low inventory for existing homes
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported today on two trends in existing home sales that we have seen for many months now: sales are declining while total inventory data has fallen directly for the three straight months. On a
Black Knight to sell TitlePoint back to Fidelity for $225M
Black Knight agreed to sell its TitlePoint business unit to former parent company Fidelity National Financial for $225 million in cash. A sale of TitlePoint is expected ahead of Black Knight’s planned blockbuster acquisition by Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. TitlePoint enables
Proptech company Rhino acquires Desposify to transform deposit platform
Proptech firm Rhino will be buying the technology and assets of Deposify, a cash security deposit management technology platform, to launch an end-to-end deposit management and compliance platform. The platform, which is planned to launch after the transaction closes this
Housing industry continues to shed employees in economic downturn
Don’t be fooled by last week’s mortgage rate collapse. A combination of elevated mortgage rates, sluggish home sales and inflation continue to plague the housing market workforce, with numerous mortgage lenders and real estate startups shedding employees. “The U.S. housing
Opinion: Two legal issues relevant to FHFA’s review of FHLB system
On Aug. 31, 2022, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that it would conduct a comprehensive review of the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) system. This article addresses two legal issues relevant to the review: FHFA’s statutory authority to
Farmhouse Style House: A Timeless Classic Full of Natural Charm
One of the most iconic and long-lasting home styles to grace the housing market is none other than the farmhouse style house. With their clean lines, sprawling porches, and usually set on acres of land, farmhouses are a timeless choice,