San Francisco-based Unison is extending its reach in the heartland by expanding its shared-equity loan program to homeowners in Nebraska. The move follows the opening of an office in Omaha earlier this year and reaching the milestone as of June 30 of
Lower-rate loans dominate PLS pipeline
The loan quality of mortgage pools backing private-label securitization (PLS) deals has remained solid this year through the end of June, even as deal volume slowed appreciably between the first and second quarters. In addition, the average coupon for PLS
Struggling loanDepot to cut nearly 5,000 jobs in 2022
Nonbank lender loanDepot is making what appears to be the largest series of cuts in the mortgage industry this year, eliminating 4,800 jobs over the course of 2022. Overall, the California-based lender is implementing a program dubbed “Vision 2025” to save
HW+ Member Spotlight: Jeremy Potter
This week’s HW+ member spotlight features Jeremy Potter, chief evangelist at Stavvy, a 2022 Tech100 Mortgage winner. Potter was recently promoted after serving as head of legal and capital markets and is a thought leader in the industry, regularly sharing his insights
CFPB wants lenders to disclose reason for denial of credit
All lenders must explain their rationale when denying credit to loan applicants, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau affirmed Thursday, after looking into whether companies claiming exemption because they rely on “complex algorithms” were in violation of federal anti-discrimination law. The
Freddie Mac single-family division chief announces resignation
Donna Corley, head of the single-family division at Freddie Mac, is stepping down from her post at the government-sponsored enterprise. Corley will stay on until Nov. 25 as executive vice president and special advisor, reporting to Michael Hutchins, president of
Opinion: A unified approach for reducing appraisal bias
There is no single silver bullet that will rectify the pernicious impact of bias in residential real estate valuations — it is a complex problem that requires a multifaceted solution. But there is the promise of a better future on
Purchase apps are at 2009 level: where’s the inventory?
It’s an excellent time to discuss housing inventory. The housing market shifted in March of this year. As the 10-year yield broke above 1.94% and mortgage rates rose, we saw the impact on housing data. Since the summer of 2020,
Opinion: A more balanced approach to manufactured home energy efficiency
The Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) appreciates that the Biden administration has created a White House Task Force on Manufactured Housing. We also commend the administration for the White House initiative announced a week ago Monday to “Ease the Burden of
How top originators can build and retain borrower relationships
In the midst of a competitive purchase market, it’s more important than ever to foster existing borrower relationships. In light of this, HW Media CEO Clayton Collins spoke with Steve Reich, COO at Finance of America Mortgage, to learn more
Freddie Mac automates pre-closing employment verification
Freddie Mac will now automatically verify borrower employment 10 days ahead of closing, which it says is more efficient than obtaining that information through oral or written verification. The option will be available starting June 1. To verify the borrower’s
Financial institutions jump into ARMs amid high rates
At least two financial institutions brought back adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) products this week amid surging mortgage rates and double-digit home price growth. Michigan-based wholesale lender Homepoint rolled out a jumbo ARM product offering a maximum loan amount as much as
Florida-based LO accused of falsifying documents
A Florida-based loan officer faces more than 30 years in federal prison if convicted on charges alleging she falsified divorce papers and child support payment information to help unqualified borrowers secure a loan, according to a Department of Justice indictment.
Blend: We plan to outperform the decline in origination volume
Blend Labs reported a $73.5 million loss in the first quarter, but pointed to the performance of its mortgage banking and title sectors as a positive sign for the rest of the year. The company’s revenue rose to $71.5 million,
Opinion: Use data to scale your mortgage servicing business
Mortgage servicing is a scale business, meaning the economics of scale can be achieved with larger servicing portfolio by spreading the fixed costs among more loans being serviced. Such scaling; however, hasn’t achieved the expected results as indicated by both
‘Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act’ awaits New York governor’s signature
Homeowners in New York who are knee-deep in foreclosure litigation may soon get a break, as a piece of legislation making its way to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk could discharge a swath of foreclosure cases pending in state and appellate
Pros and cons of buying out-of-state rental property in 2022
Not everyone can afford to invest in rental property in the area they live in. In some regions, housing prices are so high that it may be difficult to add to your real estate portfolio. Whether cash buyers outbid you
Opinion: Is the lending market overcorrecting toward tech? Maybe
Rates are rising. Refinances are falling. Inventory is contracting. Application fallouts are worsening. It’s getting harder out there. Worsening market conditions are only going to accelerate an already hyper-competitive mortgage lending industry that is still learning to adapt to post-pandemic
Homepoint profits $12M in Q1 after selling operations and assets
Home Point Capital, the parent company of wholesale lender Homepoint, continues to turn profits based on the selling of operations and assets as management adjusts the company to the shrinking mortgage market. The wholesaler reported on Thursday morning it notched a
MSR sales played a key role in nonbank profits in Q1
An ebullient market for mortgage-servicing rights (MSRs) helped to buoy the profitability of at least three major nonbank lenders that are publicly traded and abated losses for a fourth, based on their recently announced first-quarter financial results. Those lenders are UWM Holdings Corp., the
Almost 45% of homeowners are now equity rich
Soaring home prices continue to serve existing homeowners, with nearly 45% of all property owners now considered equity rich, a year-over-year jump that boosted 13% more homeowners into the prime position. A homeowner is considered equity rich when they have
Julia Gordon confirmed as new FHA commissioner
The U.S. Senate confirmed Julia Gordon on Wednesday evening to serve as commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The position is part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Gordon, who most recently stepped down from her role
Purchase mortgage rates increase to 5.30%
Purchase mortgage rates this week averaged 5.30%, up three basis points from a week ago, causing homeowners’ monthly payments to increase by about one-third year-over-year, according to the latest Freddie Mac PMMS. Borrowers continue displaying resilience, but higher rates expected in coming months
The housing market is still savagely unhealthy
The National Association of Realtors reported that existing home sales for March came in as a miss of estimate at 5.77 million. However, the real story of 2022 is that the savagely unhealthy housing market continues as inventory is still