In April, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned the industry of its plans to keep a much closer eye on servicers as they transition borrowers out of forbearance. On Tuesday, a report from the government watchdog may have just kicked
MCS CEO Caroline Reaves announces her retirement
Caroline Reaves, CEO of property services provider Mortgage Contracting Services, announced her retirement on Tuesday after leading the company for 14 years. While Reaves will be departing from one position at the company’s helm, the mortgage veteran is set to
As rates rise, mortgage applications dip
Mortgage applications dropped again, falling 0.9% from the previous week, according to the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association for the week ending April 30, 2021. MBA’s Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry Forecasting Joel Kan called last
ProperSign launches eSign tool for RON capabilities
Remote online notarization company ProperSign announced a new electronic signature tool called QuickSign, which offers both RON and eSign capabilities. “Between the RON capability and QuickSign, professionals no longer have to shop for two different tools,” said Wyatt Long, ProperSign
HUD goes after defunct mortgage modification firm
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) charged a now-defunct California business for allegedly targeting Hispanic homeowners with illegal and discriminatory mortgage modification services. HUD said that The House Lawyer, based in Redwood City, California, collected fees from
Jonathan Corr joins Reggora board of directors
Former Ellie Mae CEO Jonathan Corr has joined the board of directors for appraisal technology company Reggora. Corr spent 18 years at Ellie Mae before announcing his retirement in September after the company was acquired by Intercontinental Exchange. Joe Tyrrell, Ellie Mae’s chief
US Housing Market Crash Forecast: Will It Crash or Boom?
Here are the latest housing market predictions for 2021 & 2022. It has been roughly one year when the pandemic put the housing market on hold for several months last spring. But the real estate market bounced back rather quickly.
Lawsuit claims Compass defrauds agents
Compass defrauded its real estate agents out of millions of dollars in sales commissions and broke pledges to give agents shares of stock, according to a new lawsuit that seeks class-action status. Filed last week in California state courts, the
Forbearance slides to 4.47% after a lackluster week of exits
The total number of servicers’ loans in forbearance fell for the ninth straight week. However, due to a slowdown in exits, forbearance portfolio volume dipped just two basis points last week to an average of 4.47%, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Several
Old Republic reports healthy 1Q revenue after rough 2020
Title giant Old Republic saw massive first quarter 2021 gains, reporting a 40% year-over-year growth in title insurance premiums and fees. The company posted a total operating revenue of $2.3 billion for the first quarter 2021 — up from only
Doug Duncan to speak at Engage Marketing June 17
Economists came into their own last year as their ability to model likely future scenarios and interpret the numbers were crucial to lenders surviving and thriving in the pandemic. That information is still critical this year, that’s why we’ve invited
Scottsdale housing market: Not just for snowbirds anymore
Historically, retirees have always put Scottsdale high on their list of destinations when looking to take advantage of lower home prices, larger lots, agreeable weather and low cost of living. But the Scottsdale housing market, and Arizona as a whole,
How new GSE guidelines will push more borrowers to non-QM
New GSE guideline updates to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac forces them to cap the amount of second home and investor properties delivered at 7%. This means a meaningful amount of supply will have to come to non-QM sector. The FHFA’s
Few may actually qualify for low-income refi program
The great refi boom in 2020 wasn’t exactly equitable. Wealthier borrowers with stable jobs and high credit scores were fortunate enough to lock in a forever rate, typically lowering their monthly mortgage payments by hundreds of dollars. But the lower-income
Fannie and Freddie continued to pump originations in Q1
After a record year of mortgage originations, the GSEs released their Q1 earnings for the year on Thursday and Friday, revealing that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are still riding the tail end of the market’s highs. With both enterprises
Your home appraisal came in lower than your offer – Now what?
In today’s booming housing market, sellers have their pick of home offers. According to a study by Realtor.com, the median home listing price is up 15.6% compared to last year. Now, more than ever, sellers have a chance to get
The mortgage ecosystem is fractured – Here’s how to fix it
An ecosystem is a complex network of organisms that live and interact in a mutual environment. For that ecosystem to maintain and survive each organism must work together in a symbiotic manner. The same can be said about the mortgage
Housing starts are rising, despite cost to buyers
More than a quarter of single-family homes for sale during the first quarter were new-construction homes — nearly 26%, and March housing starts jumped nearly 20% month over month to the highest level since 2006, per the latest report from
Why outsourcing is a key resource in a purchase market
Community lenders have big opportunities in today’s purchase market. As homebuyers increasingly demand personal, service-driven experiences with their mortgage providers, community lending teams are well-positioned to capture business via the strong relationships they excel at creating. Including credit unions, community
What is a Property Easement and How Can it Affect You?
When you’ve found the perfect house, you may be surprised you have to work around a property easement. You’ll want to include learning about any easements among your steps to buying a house because the rights granted by an easement
The future of U.S. real estate commissions
Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin, and Luke Babich, chief operating officer of Clever (left to right) This is the final of a three part series on residential real estate sales commissions. Part one explained the history of sales commissions, and
Getting Ready to Sell Your House? Here Are 11 Things Most People Forget to Do
You’ve decided that you’re ready to sell your house, found a great real estate agent, and are busy making repairs and updates to make sure your home stands out. But, you’re probably noticing that getting ready to sell your house
LoanDepot forms JV with homebuilder LGI Homes
Top retail mortgage lender loanDepot has formed yet another strategic joint-venture with a fast-growing homebuilder. California-based loanDepot has formed a JV partnership with LGI Homes, called LGI Mortgage Solutions, the companies announced on Thursday. “Having been a preferred lender with LGI
Veritex buys 49% stake in Thrive Mortgage
The parent company of Veritex Community Bank will acquire a 49% stake in Texas-based mortgage lender Thrive Mortgage, the firms announced late Tuesday afternoon. Veritex Holdings, which has a long history of making acquisitions, will pay $53.9 million for its
