Natural and environmental hazards driven by climate change are becoming key considerations for today’s homebuyers. Each year, wildfires burn millions of acres across the U.S. and cause severe damage to buildings, homes, and communities. Few homeowners can imagine the devastation
Home equity won’t be enough to prevent foreclosure for some
Despite record-high home prices, home equity may not save some borrowers in forbearance from foreclosure, according to a Black Knight’s report published Monday. Since 2010, around 10% of borrowers with more than 120 days in delinquency were referred to foreclosure,
The American Colonial Style House
There are many popular home styles in the United States – contemporary, ranch, bungalow, English Tudor, Victorian, and log homes, to name a few. But no style has stood the test of time as the colonial house. With its defining
Housing Market Forecast 2021 & 2022: Crash or Boom Next?
Mortgage rates at record lows and a scarcity of inventory are keeping the US housing market robust in terms of demand. While affordability concerns continue to rise, low mortgage rates, rising savings, and a stronger job market all work together
Introducing the 2021 HousingWire Vanguards
If you were tasked with defining the word “leadership,” how would you explain what it means? The word encapsulates so much, and yet according to Merriam-Webster, it can be summed up as “the power or ability to lead other people.”
PennyMac, UWM raise conforming loan limit ceiling
PennyMac announced this week that it is upping conforming loan limits by almost 14% through broker and correspondent channels. According to PennyMac, for a one-unit property a borrower could receive $625,000, an increase of almost $75,000 from the maximum loan
How Much Does Title Insurance Cost and Is It Required?
When the seller accepts your offer, the closing process requires verification that the seller is the sole owner of the home’s title. This is called making sure you have a “clean title” and no one else has a legal claim
How credit scores impact lenders’ pipelines in a purchase market
With the purchase market becoming a primary emphasis for lenders in 2021, HousingWire sat down with CreditXpert VP of Marketing Mike Darne to talk about credit trends in a purchase market and how that impact lenders’ pipelines. HousingWire: We know
Bring the Indoors Out! How to Make the Most Out of Your Outdoor Living Spaces
If you’re looking to make the most of your square footage, consider extending your living space outside. Whether you enjoy laying by the pool or cooking a nice meal at the barbecue, designing your outdoor living spaces using the same
Homebuyers drawn to cheaper areas in Midwest and South
Pending home sales rose in August, following two consecutive months of decline, according to the National Association of Realtor’s pending home sales index report released on Wednesday. And homebuyers with flexibility are keen on more moderately priced regions within the
Can real estate brokerages survive without mortgage?
Real estate brokerages can survive, but only if they seriously invest in mortgage. So said members of a panel Tuesday on the evolution of the real estate brokerage during HousingWire Annual in Frisco, Texas. Today the value of a single
Mortgage applications fall as rates begin to rise
Mortgage application volume declined by 1.1% for the week ending Sept. 24, after a rebound in the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Pushing the decline was the purchase index, which dipped by 1.2% from the previous
LoanDepot sued 7 LOs after they left for a rival
LoanDepot CEO Anthony Hsieh After an origination team departed loanDepot in April of this year, loanDepot slammed the seven ex-employees and their new employer, CrossCountry Mortgage, with a lawsuit alleging they “hatched and implemented a scheme to loot loanDepot’s business.”
Why mortgage companies must focus on cybersecurity
Mortgage companies must focus on bolstering cybersecurity infrastructure, and should report any and all incursions from bad actors who seek access to sensitive information or who plan to encrypt systems to hold for ransom. This was a core part of
Loan origination complaints spike during pandemic
Loan origination-related consumer complaints rose significantly over the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) report published last week. The bureau’s research brief, which analyzed the relationship between U.S. Census characteristics and
Nashville Real Estate Market: Prices | Trends | Forecast 2021-2022
Nashville’s housing market is one of the hottest markets in the US. It is among the nation’s top cities for fastest-selling houses. With hot homes on the market selling in less than ten days, it seems as if Nashville’s housing
Los Angeles Real Estate Market: Prices | Trends | Forecast 2021-2022
We’ll discuss the recent trends in the Southern California housing market as well as the Los Angeles housing market. Following the impact of the pandemic, which temporarily stalled the market, we saw the first signs of recovery in property sales
Are consistently error-free closings within reach for lenders?
Largely driven by record-low mortgage rates, lending volume surpassed everyone’s expectations in the past year. But as lenders scrambled to keep up with demand, closing errors naturally crept in. In the wake of this unparalleled volume, companies across the housing
US home prices hit record level (again)
July marked the fourth consecutive month in which the growth rate of home prices set a record, according to the latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index Report released on Tuesday. The index showed a 19.7% annual gain for
Housing Market Crash: Forecasts | Prices | Demand 2021-2022
Mortgage rates at record lows and a scarcity of inventory are keeping the US housing market robust in terms of demand. While affordability concerns continue to rise, low mortgage rates, rising savings, and a stronger job market all work together
Las Vegas Housing Market: Prices | Trends | Forecast 2021-2022
The Las Vegas housing market is on fire. Sales of single-family homes are up from last year, and prices are reaching new highs. Month after month, inventory is depleting and cannot keep up with demand. People continue to flock to
How Much Should I Spend on a House? 4 Steps to Follow
Shopping for a mortgage, you might encounter lenders who pre-qualify you for a higher loan amount than you expected. Many lenders work with standard debt-to-income ratio calculations which don’t take into account other costs of home ownership. If you take
Atlanta Real Estate Market: Prices | Trends | Forecast 2021-2022
This article has been updated to reflect the latest trends in the Atlanta real estate market in 2021. Metro Atlanta housing market has experienced a smooth recovery by far. Despite unemployment and uncertainty, the greater Atlanta residential real estate market
Scottsdale Housing Market: Prices | Trends | Forecast 2021-2022
The Scottsdale housing market is dealing with high demand and low supply. Sellers are well aware that they can command a premium for their homes because demand is the craziest it’s ever been. According to local Realtors, the Scottsdale housing