Mortgage loan application volume rebounded from the week prior, increasing by 0.3% for the week ending Sept. 10, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly report. The increase in application volume was predominantly driven by purchase mortgage activity, which grew
Treasury removes restrictions on investment properties
The Treasury Department and FHFA announced Tuesday that they are suspending certain requirements that were added in January to the Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (PSPAs) between Treasury and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Under those requirements, Fannie Mae had restricted
Black Knight looks to court brokers with new LOS
Black Knight is looking to hook mortgage brokers with a new loan origination system designed specifically for them. The Florida-based mortgage tech and analytics behemoth on Wednesday unveiled “LoanCatcher” to mortgage brokers, which it described as an “end-to-end” solution that
CoreLogic’s chief appraiser to speak at HW Annual
Big changes are ahead in the valuation space, most recently seen with the FHFA asking for input on appraisal modernization efforts. Will hybrid appraisals become the new norm? Are the GSEs going to expand the use of appraisal waivers? These
Is Mike Calhoun still in the running for FHFA director?
Mike Calhoun is president of the Center for Responsible Lending This week the Biden administration announced several high-level nominations, including Alanna McCargo to lead Ginnie Mae. But missing from those announcements was the White House’s widely expected pick for the
Pacaso’s plans to “democratize” second-home ownership
Real estate startup Pacaso announced Tuesday that it has raised $125 million in its recent Series C funding round, giving it a $1.5 billion valuation. This announcement comes less than six months after the company raised $75 million, bringing its
Industry relieved that Ginnie Mae is no longer being ignored
Monday’s announcement that Alanna McCargo, senior advisor at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is up for the nomination of Ginnie Mae president put a smile on the face of the mortgage industry. Fair housing organizations, trade groups, and
Fannie Mae’s Lyle Radke to speak at HW Annual
Appraisal modernization efforts could mean big changes for property valuations, which is why HousingWire invited Lyle Radke, director of collateral policy at Fannie Mae, to speak at HW Annual Sept. 27-28. Radke will speak on The Future of Valuations panel,
Biden’s not-so-radical plan to boost affordable housing
President Joe Biden and Sandra Thompson The Biden administration, in announcements from a suite of federal agencies, signaled Wednesday that it is making a significant effort to address the lack of supply of affordable housing in America. The announcements spanned
Unlicensed mortgage broker defrauded wholesale lenders
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
CU Direct’s Origence hit with layoffs
CU Direct’s Origence, which provides mortgage loan tech to lenders, has laid off nearly three dozen workers. A company spokesperson said Origence laid off 34 employees on Aug. 17, in multiple departments, as it continues to “build efficiency in its
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
