Clayton Collins, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, and Diego Sanchez, Chief Operating Officer, of HW Media, are proud to announce the promotion of Jennifer Watson Laws to Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations. Watson Laws joined HousingWire in 2016
Renters, and Biden’s $15,000 homebuyer tax credit
The housing industry has been keeping a keen eye on President Joe Biden’s proposed $15,000 homebuyer tax credit for first-time homebuyers. But just how many people would actually benefit from it? According to a report from Zillow, about 9.3 million renter
How the bond market continues to impact mortgage originators and investors
After months of low rates, there have recently been shocks to the bond market. HousingWire recently sat down with Scott Happ, president of Secondary Marketing Technologies for Black Knight, to discuss the impact this has on mortgage originators and investors.
Mortgage applications continue to fall as rates climb
Mortgage applications dropped for the second straight week — falling 2.2%, according to the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The continued increase in mortgage rates is to blame, according to MBA’s Associate Vice President of Economic and Industry
Private equity shop Lovell Minnick acquires UniversalCIS
Lovell Minnick Partners, a private equity firm that acquired ATTOM Data Solutions in 2019, announced Wednesday morning that it’s diving further in to the housing space with the acquisition of UniversalCIS. Lovell Minnick acquired a majority stake in the Philadelphia-based
Consumers still struggling, but vaccine, stimulus offer hope
TransUnion’s latest financial hardship study, performed between Feb. 26 and March 1, showed that 22% of consumers surveyed still feel they are in financial “limbo,” or feel like their income has decreased and are doubtful as to when their finances
Freddie Mac taps Mark Grier as interim CEO
Months after the departure of David Brickman, Freddie Mac has tapped Mark Grier to serve as CEO on an interim basis, the government sponsored entity said on Tuesday. Grier will be intimately aware of the challenges he faces as interim
Insane lumber prices mean new homes cost $24K more
With lumber prices and other building material costs still at record-high levels, homebuilder confidence fell two points in March, per the latest report from the National Association of Home Builders. That drop in builder confidence is in spite of sky-high
How lenders can improve property tax estimation processes to bolster borrower satisfaction
For the past few years, low mortgage rates have fueled a housing market so hot that even a pandemic couldn’t derail purchase originations. Record-breaking lending volumes led many lenders to tighten up their processes across every stage of the mortgage
Lone Wolf launches digital title solution
Real estate technology company Lone Wolf Technologies announced its launch of Digital Title Orders, a digital title solution allowing agents to select their preferred title provider and submit orders directly within a transaction. Following a year where real estate and
Homebuilders struggle with supply-side bottlenecks
Mortgage applications for new homes dropped 9% from January to February, but overall applications are still up 9.2% year-over-year for homebuilders, according to the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. MBA’s homebuilder application survey showed new, single-family home sales
Mortgage forbearance ticks down to 5.14%
The industry is now less than two weeks away from the one-year anniversary of the CARES Act, which provided borrowers with federally backed mortgages the option to receive forbearance for up to 180 days. After many extensions and exits, the Mortgage
Cryptocurrency provider picks up former head of the OCC
Brian Brooks, former acting head of the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, has joined the board of Spring Labs, a startup tech provider for cryptocurrencies and blockchain. This is not the first dip Brooks has taken in
Blend breaks into title insurance with latest acquisition
Digital lending software provider Blend announced on Monday that it is expanding its cloud-based platform with the acquisition of Title365 from the Mr. Cooper Group for approximately $422 million, reflecting an enterprise value of $500 million. Subject to closing conditions,
In UWM’s war with Rocket, brokers must choose a side
Before Thursday, March 4, John was an unabashed fan of United Wholesale Mortgage. His West Coast brokerage shop sent tens of millions of dollars in loans to the wholesale mortgage giant in recent years. He loved their turn times, found
Redfin: Former redlined neighborhoods at massive flood risk
A new Redfin report details how Americans – many of whom are people of color – living in formerly redlined neighborhoods are more likely to see their homes jeopardized by water damage. According to Redfin, $107 billion worth of homes are
Where real estate agents fit into Zillow’s grand vision
Zillow is the elephant in the room, and Mynor Herrera doesn’t know whether to feed it, ignore it, or find a mouse. Herrera at first felt he needed to work with Zillow, and he sent a check to the company
Are we seeing a cash-out refinance crisis?
I hear a lot of chatter about a boom in cash-out refinances, and the presumption seems to be that this is destined to wreak havoc on the housing market and the economy at some point. Cash-out loans have been growing
CFPB reverses course on UDAAP enforcement
Under former Director Richard Cordray, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau took frequent action against companies who had violated its Unfair, Deceptive, and Abusive Acts and Practices standards. But many in the financial services industry complained that the standards were ambiguous
How to chip away debt and become a first-time homebuyer
Millennials are a significant part of the housing market boom as first-time homebuyers. Reports show 63% of millennial home shoppers plan to purchase a home because of their new remote work status. If you’re interested in becoming a first-time homebuyer,
How to chip away debt and become a first-time homebuyer
Millennials are a significant part of the housing market boom as first-time homebuyers. Reports show 63% of millennial home shoppers plan to purchase a home because of their new remote work status. If you’re interested in becoming a first-time homebuyer,
How modernized servicing creates customers for life
The modernization of mortgage originations in recent years has made customers expect a smart, push-button experience. Now it’s finally time to deliver this experience in servicing, and the timing has never been more urgent. The CARES Act policy response to
How modernized servicing creates customers for life
The modernization of mortgage originations in recent years has made customers expect a smart, push-button experience. Now it’s finally time to deliver this experience in servicing, and the timing has never been more urgent. The CARES Act policy response to
Real Estate Exchange files antitrust suit against Zillow, NAR
Real Estate Exchange (REX) filed an antitrust lawsuit Tuesday in federal court against Zillow, accusing the company of anticompetitive behavior related to showing certain homes on its platform. Trulia and the National Association of Realtors are also named in the
