The pandemic has supercharged Utah’s housing market driven by historically low interest rates and low unemployment rates. Utah housing market has been ranked as the nation’s #1 housing market for the strongest pace of job growth, along with low unemployment,
Moving Forward: The Role of the Home in Well-Being and Productivity
Recent events have made the spaces in our homes more important than ever—to our productivity, well-being, health and comfort. As we head into a new future, how can we make sure that our homes serve us better? While homes have
LRES acquires REO services firm Keystone Asset Management
LRES Corporation, a California-based REO and valuation services company, has inked a deal to acquire Keystone Asset Management, a REO property management firm that also offers related services. Terms of the deal, which is due to close on Sept. 1,
Forbearance numbers dip slightly as exits slow
The total number of loans in forbearance remained relatively unchanged, declining by one basis point to 3.25% as of Aug. 15, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s latest tally. Though the drop is more subdued than in previous weeks, the
Home sales beat estimates: no housing crash in sight
The National Association of Realtors reported 5.99 million home sales for July, which was an excellent beat of estimates and a dagger into the hearts of the 2021 housing crash crew. Mother demographics and low mortgage rates, two things that
Fewer first-time homebuyers are competing these days
Existing-home sales grew by 2.0% in July from the month prior, a report published by the National Association of Realtors on Monday found. But first-time homebuyers are still getting squeezed. Completed sales transactions for single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops,
How new analytics can help lenders expand access to mortgage credit
As the economic recovery from COVID-19 continues, conflicting trends in mortgage credit availability have emerged. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that the number of mortgages reached its highest level to date in 2020, with $1.2 trillion in
Minority borrowers struggled in 2020: HMDA
The mortgage market had a stunning year in 2020, with closed-end originations increasing by 65.2% from the year prior, a Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) report published by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this week disclosed. But some of the
How a noncompete ban would impact the mortgage industry
On July 9, President Joe Biden ordered the Federal Trade Commission to fully ban or limit an employer’s use of noncompetes. If such a rule is implemented, industry veterans and labor attorneys say it could change how the mortgage industry
AI can finally address some of the chokepoints in title
For the title industry, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a futuristic concept to be discussed wistfully in conference breakout sessions. It’s here — and not a moment too soon. There are few general production processes in the housing
Here’s how Priority Title & Escrow made the Inc. 5000 list
Buoyed by the volume of mortgage originations in 2020, 12 title companies made the Inc. 5000 list this year. Like all the companies on the list, those in title dealt with the special challenges of pandemic conditions and found a
The fastest growing companies in housing
Congratulations to all of the entrepreneurs, founders and executives who have survived the onslaught of phone calls, emails and DMs from first-year private equity associates (yeah… we’re looking at you Summit Partners….). But hey, growth equity firms and potential acquirers
What is a Mother-in-Law Suite, And Does it Add Property Value?
What is a Mother-in-Law Suite? A mother-in-law suite is a residence or addition built for an in-law or relatives. The suite is either connected to or built on the same lot as a home that’s occupied by other family members.
Nashville Housing Market: Prices | Trends | Forecast 2021
Nashville’s housing market is one of the hottest markets in the US. However, at the end of July, the Nashville-area real estate market began to slow slightly. The number of home sales in July was down from the previous year.
California Housing Market Shows Signs of Cooling in July 2021
The California housing market moderated for the third month in a row in July 2021. After a busy summer, the state’s housing market continues to stabilize, with both sales and prices moderating as we go into the fall. The overheated
SELLER: All about disclosures
Disclosure is key to the house selling process. While the form may seem overly long and confusing, filling it outright is important. Failure to disclose some problems or entering false information can leave you open to a lawsuit, even after
Reservations Are Now Open for Space Perspective
You don’t have to be a Richard Branson or Jeff Bezos to head to space. Now, you can book your own history-making flight via Space Perspective. The Florida-based luxury spaceflight experience company recently announced that reservations are now open for their
Servicer phones are ringing as forbearance decreases
The volume of loans in forbearance fell 14 basis points, from 3.40% the prior week to 3.26% for the week ending August 8, per the latest Mortgage Bankers Association report, while new forbearance requests and calls to servicers increased. According
Don’t get scared off by these 8 common house problems
When house hunting, it’s hard to see past flaws. However, there are lots of minor repairs and aesthetic fixes that should never keep you from buying an otherwise perfect home. If you love the neighborhood, the style, the size, and
UWM’s income, margins drop significantly in Q2 2021
United Wholesale Mortgage CEO Mat Ishbia has set the goal of topping arch-rival Rocket Mortgage by 2024. The second quarter earnings report shows he still has quite a bit of work ahead of him. The wholesale-only lender originated $59 billion
$350 Million ‘Palace on Rails’ Luxury Train Concept Unveiled
French designer Thierry Gaugain, a frequent collaborator with renowned designer Philippe Starck, has unveiled his vision for a “palace on rails.” The $350 million private “G Train” project reimagines the luxury rail travel experience with the modern yacht experience in
We may finally be reaching this seller’s market peak
With houses flying off the market, bidding wars, and supply shortages pausing new construction, house shopping can’t get much crazier. For months, there’s been no sign of things easing up. But now, at long last, there are some signs of
Fannie Mae’s rental payment change worries some
The mortgage industry had mixed feelings about the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s move to count positive rental history in Fannie Mae’s underwriting process. Advocates for affordable housing cheered the move. Lenders appeared to be supportive of the change. But some
HUD and FHFA raise the focus on fair lending
In an interesting announcement last week, HUD and FHFA issued a joint MOU (memorandum of understanding) that enhances efforts to synchronize fair lending policy, enforcement and investigatory activities. This is a rare instance where HUD and the regulator of the