A 50-year-old former unlicensed mortgage broker from Long Island, New York, pleaded guilty Wednesday to defrauding clients and wholesale lenders out of $4.7 million in mortgage refinancing proceeds that were supposed to pay off existing client mortgages. Brent Kaufman, of
HousingWire Magazine: September 2021
Brena NathHW+ Managing Editor Did you dream about getting into the mortgage industry? It’s a question — an often joked about question — that I think we’ve all heard before when chatting with others in the space. Personally, my own
Lincoln slog: Why home prices don’t rise in Springfield
“It was here, in Springfield, where North, South, East and West come together, that I was reminded of the essential decency of the American people, where I came to believe that through this decency, we build a more hopeful America.”
Reverse mortgage pro fact-checks product claims by Dave Ramsey
The reverse mortgage industry is perhaps overly familiar with having a need to fact-check certain claims about the product category made by financial commentators, some of which are very well-known by the general public while others are simply ubiquitous enough
Tim Mayopoulos to speak at HW Annual Sept. 27- 28
As the mortgage industry moves further into the digital era, lenders are continuing to see the value and ease of cloud-based lending to simplify outdated processes. That’s why HousingWire has invited Tim Mayopoulos, president of Blend, to sit down for a
Introducing the 2021 HW Insiders
HousingWire’s Insiders are known as the operational all-stars who are vital to their organization’s success behind the scenes. For the first time, this year’s list includes 100 honorees, reflecting the massive role this group had on the industry. They truly
Refinance applications sputter despite low rates
Mortgage applications dipped 2.4% for the week ending Aug. 27, with a notable drop in refinance applications, according to the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. On an unadjusted basis, the weekly mortgage application survey by the trade organization
Policing the pocket listings
This is HousingWire’s two-part series examining the ramifications of NAR’s decision last year to ban pocket listings. Part 1 looked at the history of the ban and inherent enforcement problems it posed. Part 2 examines how MLSs have implemented the
Roofstock buys Great Jones platform to help investors profit on their real estate
Roofstock, a proptech startup aimed at making it easier to purchase an income-producing property, announced Wednesday its acquisition of Great Jones, a property management platform that Roofstock intends to utilize for its “end-to-end single-family rental platform.” The Oakland, California-based company
Finding Ginnie Mae president should be a priority for Biden
As I observe Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Fudge staffing out her management teams, a large hole remains unfilled. In fact, this hole has not been filled permanently in almost five years. The position is an important one, a
Stewart Title acquires Informative Research for $192M
“Big Four” title firm Stewart Title has struck yet another acquisitions deal. And this one’s a big one. Stewart has acquired Informative Research, a mortgage-focused data and analytics tech company based in Houston, the companies announced on Thursday. Informative Research
Finicity expands mortgage verification with ICE integration
Finicity, an open-banking solutions provider that was acquired by Mastercard in 2020, announced a partnership with its one-touch Mortgage Verification Service and ICE Mortgage Technology on Thursday. The integration allows borrowers to permission data so that lenders can quickly verify assets, income
CoreLogic partners with ICE Mortgage Technology
Analytics vendor CoreLogic announced Thursday that it has entered into an enterprise agreement with ICE Mortgage Technology to integrate and automate its core solutions on ICE’s platform, enabling a more streamlined workflow for lenders. Via the Encompass Partner Connect, a cloud-native
The problem with banning pocket listings
This is Part 1 of HousingWire’s two-part series examining the National Association of Realtors’ clear cooperation policy, better known as a ban on pocket listings, or homes not marketed on Multiple Listings Service. Part 1 looks at the history of
Mortgage rates hold steady at 2.87%
The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage held steady at 2.87% for the week ending in August 26, according to mortgage rates data released Thursday by Freddie Mac‘s PMMS. The week prior, mortgage rates declined slightly to 2.86%. This week’s near constant
Another $15K first-time homebuyer tax credit bill emerges
The much-talked-about $15,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit has made another appearance in Washington, D.C., this time as part of a housing bill introduced in the U.S. Senate. Though certain provisions of the bill contain some of the boldest proposed housing
How lenders can prepare for increasing regulatory pressures
As compliance becomes an increased focal point for mortgage lenders and investors, staying ahead of state and federal regulations can be the difference between a flourishing business and one mired in fines. SitusAMC’s Scott McNulla, Senior Director of Regulatory Compliance,
Gary Keller stars at KW’s Mega Camp
Gary Keller, executive chairman of KWx Whatever changes are afoot at Keller Williams, Gary Keller remains the company’s public face. Last October, Keller, founder of the real estate franchise network, stepped down as CEO. He took the role of executive
Rental assistance isn’t reaching at-risk tenants
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program, created to help renters quash their missed payments, is disbursing the $46.5 billion allocated to the program at a snail’s pace. The month of July saw a mere $1.7 billion made available to eligible households
Lone Wolf builds tech empire with Propertybase
With four other real estate tech acquisitions in the last year, Lone Wolf Technologies recently added Boston Logic-owned Propertybase to its tech toolbox. The acquisition rounds out Lone Wolf’s technology platform that includes websites, lead generation tools, and CRM. With
New MISMO standards are critical to a growing PLS market
Prior to the Great Recession, private label securitizations (PLS) constituted a majority of all residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) issued. In the intervening years, the makeup of the RMBS market has changed significantly and, today, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie
Purchase mortgage applications rise as Treasury yields fall
Mortgage applications rose 1.6% on the week ending Aug. 20, moving in concert with a drop in Treasury yields, according to the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The market composite index moved 1% on an unadjusted basis from
Positive revisions boost new home sales report
In Tuesday’s new home sales report from the Census Bureau, monthly supply hit recent highs at 6.2 months and 5.9 months on the more critical three-month average. I focus on the monthly supply as being the most critical data for
LRES acquires REO services firm Keystone Asset Management
LRES Corporation, a California-based REO and valuation services company, has inked a deal to acquire Keystone Asset Management, a REO property management firm that also offers related services. Terms of the deal, which is due to close on Sept. 1,
