housing wire

Following an almost 9% jump in mortgage applications last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported a 2.5% decrease in applications in its latest report for the week ending April 23, 2021. Mortgage applications decreased despite mortgage rates falling for the

In 2002, Natalya Delcoure and Norman Miller, two real estate economists, set about to learn what fees consumers pay real estate agents in America. They were especially interested in real estate commissions.  What Decloure and Miller discovered was somewhat shocking.

Following an incredible year for refinances that mostly benefited wealthier borrowers, the Federal House Finance Agency announced it is implementing a new refi product that targets low-income borrowers with single-family mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. According to

Hispanic homeownership in the U.S. climbed significantly in 2020 – there are now 8.8 million Hispanic homeowners in the country, according to a report released this week by the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals. That’s 725,000 more than

Wisconsin-based Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. announced Wednesday a multiyear partnership with Major League Baseball‘s Milwaukee Brewers. Fairway will have signage placed throughout the Brewers’ home stadium, American Family Field, and will participate in multiple off-the-field Brewers initiatives, such as the

As part of the landmark CARES Act passed in 2020, Congress stipulated that mortgages in forbearance as a result of COVID-19 must be reported as “current” on credit reports. The legislation saved millions of homeowners from having their credit scores

Nebraska-based Charter Title and Escrow has formed a Hispanic division to further assist Spanish-speaking customers, Realtors and loan officers in the region, the company announced on Wednesday. Per Angela Miller, Charter Title agent, Hispanics make up the fastest-growing demographic in

As a leader in the adoption, implementation and use of digital mortgages Camelia Martin’s breadth of experience has never been more relevant to the industry. A 2020 Woman of Influence, Martin joined Snapdocs earlier this year as Head of Industry

If you’re caught in the sights of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau — or if you’re hoping to avoid the regulator’s scrutiny altogether — here’s what you need to know in 2021. The regulator is no longer “taking it easy”

Sales of luxury homes rose 41.6% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2021, crushing sales of affordable homes (7% increase) and mid-priced homes (5.9%), per a recent report from Redfin. Redfin defines “luxury” homes as selling for an average of

After six consecutive weeks of dips, mortgage applications rose 8.6% in the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The jump in applications can be traced to mortgage rates falling to the lowest level in two months, prompting a small

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced on Wednesday that due to “low usage” it is no longer extending expirations on certain temporary loan origination flexibilities for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The regulator is also advancing permanent changes to be made in

As lawmakers take up housing-related bills in Congress, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge laid out her priorities during an address at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s spring virtual conference. Fudge hailed the passage of the American Rescue Plan

Plans initiated by the Biden administration in February to release billions of dollars in aid to Puerto Rico are now coming to fruition with a revised distribution of $8.2 billion, according to a Monday release from the Department of House

Servicers’ total number of loans in forbearance dropped for the seventh week in a row, down another 16 basis points last week to 4.5% of portfolio volume, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Following the massive decline the week prior,

Fintech company Knox Financial announced Monday a $10 million Series A funding round, led by G20 Ventures. That’s $14.7 million of total funding to-date for Knox. Other investors included Greycroft, Pillar VC, 2LVC, and Gaingels.   Knox oversees a portfolio of

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is making good on its threats to police mortgage servicers. In late January, the agency released a series of authority actions warning servicers that they need to do right by consumers who need access

Keller Williams Realty is revamping its leadership team yet again, announcing on Monday three senior hires to a recently created holding company. Carl Liebert, CEO of KWx – which formed in October as the holding company for Keller Williams, named

Last year, Laura Grannemann’s dedication to providing Americans with access to safe and affordable housing earned her a spot as one of HousingWire’s 2020 Women of Influence. Today, her passion is still apparent in the work that she’s doing to

Passport Title Services LLC will use Qualia as its new title production software, after officials announced the company invested in Qualia Core and Qualia Connect to aid clients. Headquarterd in Rockville, Maryland, Passport Title focuses on real estate settlement processing

A recent article published by CNBC showed that internet searches for the term “housing crash” had gone up 2,450% in the past month. A lot of folks are concerned about a housing market crash. They may be wishing for it,

With intense demand for homes on the higher end of the pricing spectrum, new updates to the QM rule that went into effect on March 1 and growing investor interest in jumbo mortgages – this is the perfect time for

There is a well-known analogy about a frog and a pot of water. If you drop a frog into a boiling pot of water, the frog will leap out. But if you drop a frog into a pot of cold

As HousingWire reported earlier this year, 2021 will be a year of heightened M&A activity — and not just for mortgage lenders and originators. As the refinance wave gives way to a purchase market, consolidation is already upon us – even