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
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
The immeasurable impact of women’s mentorship
Ask a roomful of accomplished business leaders the secrets to their success, and faces will light up as they tell you about the mentors who gave them confidence, the role models who showed them how it was done, the sponsors
The immeasurable impact of women’s mentorship
Ask a roomful of accomplished business leaders the secrets to their success, and faces will light up as they tell you about the mentors who gave them confidence, the role models who showed them how it was done, the sponsors
The least affordable cities for first-time homebuyers
Are you a first-time homebuyer? Buying a home for the first time can be a daunting task. Besides having to shop the market for your dream house, you also have to throw down a huge chunk of change once you
The least affordable cities for first-time homebuyers
Are you a first-time homebuyer? Buying a home for the first time can be a daunting task. Besides having to shop the market for your dream house, you also have to throw down a huge chunk of change once you
Finance of America unveils hybrid reverse mortgage product
Finance of America Reverse will soon debut a hybrid product that combines elements of a reverse mortgage with a forward mortgage. The lender says it’s an innovative approach to servicing borrowers who are in retirement age but don’t qualify or
Finance of America unveils hybrid reverse mortgage product
Finance of America Reverse will soon debut a hybrid product that combines elements of a reverse mortgage with a forward mortgage. The lender says it’s an innovative approach to servicing borrowers who are in retirement age but don’t qualify or
HomeSmart snares prominent Atlanta brokerage
Growing real estate brokerage firm HomeSmart announced Wednesday that it bought PalmerHouse Properties, an Atlanta-headquartered brokerage that has about 2,000 agents. Reached Thursday, HomeSmart President Ashley Bowers declined to say what the company paid for PalmerHouse. PalmerHouse racked up $3.1
What is the end goal of tech disruption?
Innovators have made self-driving cars a reality, and yet finding a tech solution that prioritizes anyone beyond the perfect borrower is hard to find? This striking contrast between what is possible with tech disruption and innovation and what is actually happening
What is the end goal of tech disruption?
Innovators have made self-driving cars a reality, and yet finding a tech solution that prioritizes anyone beyond the perfect borrower is hard to find? This striking contrast between what is possible with tech disruption and innovation and what is actually happening
HomeSmart snares prominent Atlanta brokerage
Growing real estate brokerage firm HomeSmart announced Wednesday that it bought PalmerHouse Properties, an Atlanta-headquartered brokerage that has about 2,000 agents. Reached Thursday, HomeSmart President Ashley Bowers declined to say what the company paid for PalmerHouse. PalmerHouse racked up $3.1
Better.com to hire thousands from Google program
Better.com is continuing to grow its head count in the midst of the pandemic, announcing Thursday that it will be adding at least 2,000 Google Career Certificate graduates in the next three years. The hiring initiative will be through Better.com’s
Industry welcomes Marcia Fudge as HUD Secretary
Marcia Fudge was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday as Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary by a vote of 64-33, making her the first Black woman to lead the government agency in more than 40 years. Fudge was first
Fannie Mae tightens standards on investment properties
Fannie Mae is tightening the underwriting criteria for second homes and investment properties, the government sponsored entity said in a letter to sellers on Wednesday. “Recent amendments to our senior preferred stock purchase agreement with Treasury impose additional risk criteria
Qualia courts proptech firms with title, escrow offering
Digital closing platform Qualia announced Wednesday the release of “Qualia Scale,” a software program that allows proptech companies to attach title & escrow to their core offerings. It’s the second proptech offering created by Qualia. The first, Partner API, is
Mainspring releases SaaS platform for title and escrow
Title and escrow software company Mainspring Services announced the release of “titleLOOK,” a software-as-a-service platform that streamlines the title production process. According to Mainspring, the service addresses a major headache for lenders, underwriters and consumers. It’s the first SaaS platform
Community lenders will thrive in 2021’s purchase market
In the last decade, community lenders—those credit unions, community banks, and independent mortgage banks who serve their local markets—have grown to own the market. Now, with 2021 leaning back to purchase-driven volume, they are positioned to accelerate that market dominance.
Vacation towns, suburbs see housing markets boom
It has been roughly a year since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the United States, and more people than ever are buying residential real estate in vacation housing markets, per a report from Redfin. In a study of counties that
Mortgage applications drop, but spring buying season looms
After a slight increase in late February, mortgage applications dipped 1.3% in the week ending March 5, according to the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. But experts aren’t concerned. With spring approaching – signaling the start of a
HUD settles with JPMorgan over appraisal bias case
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced that JPMorgan Chase has come to an agreement with a Black homeowner who claimed the bank’s mortgage division – relying on a valuation done by an appraiser – valued her
Are you ready to be the Amazon of real estate?
Imagine requesting an Uber and not being able to see a map view of where the driver is located in real time; ordering food from DoorDash without up-to-date digital menus from an endless number of restaurants; or buying an item
The purchase market is an opportunity for the title industry
Prognosticators are already suggesting the mortgage market has recently “peaked.” That’s based, primarily, on total origination volume and may or may not account for seasonality. No matter. Most agree that in 2021, we will not match the astronomical origination volume
Mortgage credit, and the coming purchase storm
Mortgage credit is still the tightest it has been in more than six years, but an unwavering February may be the calm before the purchase storm as lenders prepare for a revitalized economy, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in a report on
