Courtney Thompson, senior vice president of default mortgage at Flagstar Bank, will speak on a panel titled Servicing Challenges in a Pandemic Period at HousingWire’s Spring Summit on March 4. Thompson leads Flagstar’s default mortgage operations team, delivering industry-leading transparency into the
Top 2021 Design Trends to Watch
Our homes became the center of our worlds in 2020. As we move forward into 2021, what home design trends are expected to emerge? Here are some top predictions from interior designers. Neutrals Mixed with Bold Colors – Neutral tones will
Blend CEO Nima Ghamsari to speak at Spring Summit
Tech giant Blend‘s CEO and Co-founder Nima Ghamsari will join other housing luminaries at HousingWire’s Spring Summit March 4 to discuss mortgage disruption and what’s coming down the road for those in housing. Even in the midst of a banner
United Wholesale Mortgage moves to dismiss broker lawsuit
United Wholesale Mortgage has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by three independent mortgage brokers last year whom the lender accused of “churning.” The Pontiac, Michigan-based wholesale mortgage lender filed a motion this week saying that the three
Embracing the future of mortgage servicing
This year has brought plenty of disruption to mortgage servicing, from regulatory and economic uncertainties, to a long-term shift toward remote work environments. Meanwhile, the past decade has seen an explosion of digital solutions in mortgage origination, and servicing will
Fannie Mae execs see path to exit conservatorship
Fannie Mae, the largest mortgage financier in the U.S., said Friday that its net income in the fourth quarter of 2020 checked in at $4.6 billion – up 8% from the third quarter. The government-sponsored entity’s total net income for
CBC Mortgage’s Tai Christensen to speak at Spring Summit
Tai Christensen, CBC Mortgage Agency’s director of government affairs, will join other housing luminaries to discuss how lenders can increase their diversity to impact minority homeownership at HousingWire’s Spring Summit on March 4. The homeownership gap between white and Black Americans is
Candor CEO on robot underwriters & the future of mortgage
It wasn’t long ago that scribes were writing the obituary of the mortgage underwriter. And yet, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the underwriter has become the most sought-after professional in the mortgage industry. Some underwriters were commanding five-figure bonuses on top
Realogy reorganizes lead generation programs
Realogy announced Thursday that it has centralized its lead programs under one roof, yet another example of streamlining and reorganization at the brokerage conglomerate over the past year. Effective immediately, the move hands the lead generation process at all franchises
What is PMI and Do You Need to Pay it?
If you’re a first-time homebuyer you’ve surely been putting pencil to paper to estimate what your future mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, and maintenance will be on a new home. However, before finalizing your list of new homeowner expenses, one of
LoanDepot raises just $54M in downsized IPO
Online retail lender loanDepot raised just $54 million by offering 3.9 million shares at $14 on Thursday, far below the range of $19 to $21 it initially had sought. The downsized offering follows a theme that’s afflicted almost all of
First American notches $7.1B in 2020 revenue
“Big Four” title insurer First American Financial Corp. announced a healthy $7.1 billion in total 2020 revenue in its annual earnings report, released Thursday. That’s a 14% rise year over year, according to officials. Net income was $696.4 million last
The Outpost Economy: A New Trend
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many behavioral changes, not the least of which is the acceleration of the work-from-home trend. As the location of many workplaces remains flexible, there’s been a shift in the nature of work, its location
What You Need to Buy a House in 2021
You are about to embark on one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences that can ever come from spending money: buying a home. If you are trying to figure out where to start as a first-time homebuyer buying
Inside Compass’s colorful past and publicly traded future
Real estate brokers are a chatty bunch, but a few can be draining socially. Discuss the weather, how your pets are handling the pandemic, even the housing market, but these brokers will steer the conversation to one subject, and one
What is a home appraisal gap?
When you go to buy a home, your mortgage lender will almost always order a home appraisal. The purpose? They want to verify the home’s worth. Specifically, they want to be sure it’s worth the money they’re lending you and,
FHFA extends forbearance policies for up to 15 months
Borrowers with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may be eligible for an additional forbearance extension of up to three months, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Tuesday. FHFA forbearance plans initially had a 12 month expiration date, however, the government entity is
Top Realtor Xio Sandoval to speak at Spring Summit
The demand for real estate has grown to a frenzy in some areas of the country over the last year and succeeding in those competitive markets requires skill, experience and finding innovative ways to get deals done. That’s why we’ve
Should lenders look to non-QM when the refi boom slows?
Last June, Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions was bracing itself for an influx of non-QM borrowers after the pandemic. Since then, there has been a healthy appetite for non-QM products. HousingWire recently sat down with Tom Hutchens, Angel Oak EVP of
Matterport to go public via SPAC in $3B deal
Venture capital-backed real estate technology firm Matterport will merge with a blank-check company and go public in a deal that values the startup at $2.3 billion. Matterport, a spatial data firm that makes software for virtual property tours, will merge
8 Reasons to Hire A Cleaning Service – Your Home Will Thank You
Sooner or later, dust, dirt, crumbs, dander, hair, and other nameless debris builds up on the surfaces of your furniture and begin to linger in the air of your home, requiring a deep and thorough clean. While many home cleaning
It’s still really difficult to get a mortgage, but getting easier
Mortgage credit is still the tightest it has been in more than six years, but steady loosening in January revealed lenders are preparing for a rebounding economy, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in a report on Tuesday. The group’s Mortgage Credit Availability
Am I Ready to Buy a House? 8 Questions to Help You Decide
So lately you’ve found yourself asking, “am I ready to buy a house?” Homeownership is a major milestone that many people dream of reaching one day. However, there are a variety of factors to consider when making one of the
Real Estate Virtual Demo Day: Metro Brokers
Metro Brokers – Craig McClelland McClelland was a top Realtor before starting a small independent firm in Atlanta after his first year in the business. He grew the firm to 23 offices with 1,100 agent before selling the company at
