Anthony Hsieh, founder and CEO of loandepot A former loanDepot employee has filed a lawsuit against the company and its CEO, Anthony Hsieh, for allegedly discriminating against him due to his physical disabilities and his sexual orientation. This is the
The MSR market is exuberant — for all the right reasons
The MSR sales market is finishing out 2021 at a robust pace that market observers expect will continue into the new year, propelled by a rising-rate environment and anticipated tax-code changes. As evidence, Denver-based Incenter Mortgage Advisors this month unveiled
Opinion: Pass the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act
A shortage of affordable starter homes is thwarting aspiring first-time homebuyers and fueling inflation in home prices. At the same time, many urban and rural communities are struggling for stability and vitality. It’s a fact: the homeownership gap between Black
Second term for Powell, Brainard to be Fed vice chair
President Joe Biden nominated Jerome Powell for a second term as Federal Reserve chair, and elevated Lael Brainard to vice chair, the No. 2 position at the central bank. Powell’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in the form of aggressive
Low-to-no cost strategies for keeping your pipeline full in 2022
This Lunch and Learn will examine the nation’s lack of housing inventory and the factors that have contributed to a decline in homebuilding. The discussion, which will feature speakers from the National A After last year’s record growth, mortgage leaders
Inside the Realogy-Blackstone iBuying venture
RealSure CEO Katie Finnegan Realogy says it is real serious about its two-year-old iBuying division, RealSure. “Our RealSure investment will step up meaningfully in Q4 as we continue to scale, launch this new product, expand our direct-to-consumer marketing and substantially
CFPB ponders how well HMDA captures discrimination
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is launching a voluntary review of its mortgage data collection — a key tool in bringing redlining cases — to assess its effectiveness in detecting discrimination. The evaluation of rules implementing the Home Mortgage
Why the private-label market will chill in 2022
Securitizations backed by jumbo loans and mortgages on residential investment properties have propelled a rebounding private-label market in 2021. That gravy train, however, is expected to slow down some as we turn the corner into 2022 — with rising interest
What role does appraisal tech have in creating customers for life?
For lenders to successfully manage their portfolios, they need to provide borrowers with a seamless mortgage process from start to finish. It’s for this reason more lenders are starting to integrate automation, like eClosing solutions and automated underwriting, to provide
How Fannie Mae is leveraging technology to expand access to homeownership
The advancement in digital mortgage has focused on delivering end-to-end digital solutions to improve the consumer experience. But even with this push to make a borrower’s life easier, systemic inequality still exists. HousingWire recently sat down with Joe Hallett, Fannie
UWM waives MI with a 10.01% down payment, but there’s a catch
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) rolled out a new purchase product that will waive mortgage insurance payments if a borrower opts for a 10.01%-or-more down payment. But borrowers would be wise to note that they’ll get hit with higher interest rates.
Is UWM’s plan to shed the “meme stock” label?
Mat Ishbia, president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage Mat Ishbia and his family will slightly reduce their ownership of United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), a step to make the company more attractive to long-term investors – and, hopefully, to leave
@properties looks beyond Chicago with Christie’s deal
For years, @properties has sat atop Chicago residential real estate, fueling speculation about if and when they might aggressively expand outside Chicagoland. On Wednesday, the brokerage announced perhaps its biggest move ever outside the Windy City, stating that they have
Mortgage rates climb back up, to 3.10%
Mortgage rates strongly increased above 3% in the week ending November 18, according to the latest Freddie Mac PMMS mortgage report. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit 3.10%, up 12 basis points from 2.98% the week prior. A year ago at this time, the
Good governance and good housing: Public-private partnerships in proptech
The U.S. housing market is one of staggering proportions. With more than 100 million homesteads and an aggregate value approaching $40 trillion, housing is the largest single asset class in the country. While the numbers are stratospheric, the importance cannot
FHFA tells GSEs to prioritize affordability in 2022
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Acting Director Sandra Thompson has put affordability at the top of the annual to-do list for the government-sponsored enterprises. In its 2022 Scorecard, the conservator also tasked the GSEs with updating their pricing framework to
GSE forbearance rate declines to 1%
Servicers’ forbearance portfolio volume declined at a reduced pace this week, as mortgage holders continue to exit COVID-19 plans, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The total number of loans in forbearance decreased by seven basis points to
New York poised to expand CRA rule to nonbank lenders
New York State is close to approving a controversial bill that expands the requirements of the state community reinvestment act (CRA) to non-depository lenders, following the lead of Massachusetts and Illinois. The CRA rule, enacted in 1977, mandates that banks
Bidding wars are starting to cool off
For the fifth consecutive month the number of bidding wars on home sales declined, according to a new report from brokerage Redfin. In September, 58.9% of offers written by Redfin agents ended up in a bidding war, the lowest rate
HW+ Member Spotlight: Karen Mayfield
This week’s HW+ spotlight features Karen Mayfield, head of National Retail Sales at Wyndham Capital Mortgage. In her role, Mayfield is tasked with expanding on the company’s digital roots into the retail mortgage environment. With more than two decades in the industry,
Rocket Pro TPO redesigns pricing calculator for brokers
In the face of a serious housing shortage, exceptional service from brokers is more important than ever. With forced bidding becoming the new norm, top brokers understand the importance of providing loan pricing with speed and certainty. Purchase originations demand
Why brokerages and mortgage lenders are rushing into JVs
The excited and at times nervous first-time homebuyers that James Dunn often represents ask him how that whole process of taking out a mortgage works, and Dunn, a Los Angeles-based real estate agent with eXp, replies with a few trusted
Recruiting the next generation of appraisers
The appraisal industry’s lack of diversity — in terms of age, gender and ethnicity — and the growing number of appraisers exiting the profession as they reach retirement age have been well-documented issues. But now that the industry is keenly
Charlie Oppler: DOJ needs to honor agreement with NAR
You should be able to count on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to honor an agreement. And yet, in a complete breach of commitment and legal precedent, the DOJ backed out of an agreement with the National Association of Realtors (NAR)