housing wire

Mortgage applications dropped 4.2% from two weeks prior, according to the latest report by the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mortgage rates continued 2020’s trend at historically low figures, with the 30-year fixed rate at 2.86% and the 15-year fixed rate at

Over the past few decades, the inventory of affordable homes has been in sharp decline while home prices have risen dramatically. In fact, since 2012, the average price of a home has risen by almost 47%. As a result, affordable

Proptech company RealPage will acquire WhiteSky Communications, a company that offers internet, video and voice services to multifamily buildings. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed on Monday. Alabama-based WhiteSky offers its bulk services to apartments, student living, hotels,

The Housing Policy Council has weighed in on the Conference of State Bank Supervisors’ new proposed standards for nonbank mortgage servicers. In its comments, HPC suggests that regulators need to align on the regulations in order to avoid disruption. In

Chicago-based lender Guaranteed Rate is acquiring multi-channel lender Stearns Holdings for an undisclosed sum, multiple sources told HousingWire Tuesday. Employees at Stearns, which is owned by financial giant Blackstone Group, were told in an all-hands call on Tuesday afternoon, sources

Months after it delayed its $250 million initial public offering, AmeriHome has signaled that it may now be ready to enter the public markets. The lender and servicer filed updated paperwork with the Securities and Exchanges Commission on Monday detailing

The Federal Housing Finance Agency published the 2021 plans for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to serve the most vulnerable communities through their Duty to Serve plans. While these plans normally encompass three years – and would need to lay

Knight Barry Title is joining the ranks of title companies upping their merger and acquisition games. The company announced its purchase of Title One, a six-office operation that will strengthen its presence in Minnesota, especially the Minniapolis-St. Paul area. Title

There’s a common misconception that you need a 20% down payment to purchase a home. But the truth is, your down payment depends on your lender, credit score and the type of mortgage you qualify for. For example, some loans

SimpleNexus, a digital mortgage startup, announced on Tuesday that it picked up $108 million in a Series B funding round. The fund raise comes as the company attempts to increase its marketshare within the eClosing and mobile mortgage segments. The

ReverseVision, a reverse mortgage technology provider, announced on Monday its president, Joe Langner, will now serve as both president and chief executive officer after just nine months with the company. Langner will succeed former CEO John Button, who had previously

Jeff TuckerZillow Senior Economist This is the fourth installment of our economist Q&A series, as we work to answer the top 2021 housing market questions. Every Tuesday in December, HousingWire interviewed a top economist in the HW+ Slack channel. The

After falling to the lowest rate in Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey’s near 50-year-history last week, the average U.S. mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed loan remained at a survey-low 2.67% this week. Last week’s announcement of a 2.67%

The clock has effectively run out for FHFA Director Calabria to release Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from their 12-year captivity under conservatorship following the great financial crisis. The incoming Biden administration has an opportunity now to reshape the housing

In October, the Conference of State Bank Supervisors made a controversial move to issue a final rule with proposed prudential standards for nonbank mortgage servicers – standards that, if enacted, have some stakeholders worried. The proposed rule addressed capital, liquidity,

EasyKnock has rolled out another sale-leaseback product for homeowners. With this initiative, homeowners can sell their home and remain living there rental payment-free until they find their new abode. EasyKnock said that this service enables the homeowner to leverage their

RentPath announced Wednesday that it has terminated an agreement to be acquired by CoStar Group following the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) decision to sue to block the transaction. The FTC had argued that the $588 million acquisition would be harm

Rodman Schley was selected to become the next president of the Appraisal Institute (AI) beginning Jan. 1, succeeding appraiser Jefferson Sherman, according to the trade organization. Schley, a senior managing director at BBG in Colorado, served as vice president of

While the United States may not have been prepared to combat a deadly virus, a quick and robust response from the Federal Reserve, along with changing consumer preferences, created a perfect storm that resulted in a record year for the

2020 served as a real litmus test for mortgage technology and fintech. Between having to transition whole teams to work from home — in some cases over just a weekend — to dealing with crushing origination volume, companies could clearly

U.S. pending home sales slid for the third consecutive month in November, dropping 2.6% from October, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. However, year-over-year contract signings were still up by 16.4%. “The latest monthly decline is

The number of mortgages in active forbearance rose by 20,000 last week, according to a Friday report from Black Knight. Though the raw number increased, the number of mortgages in active forbearance remained at 5.3%, unchanged from the week prior.

Frank Nothaft Executive and Chief Economist at CoreLogic This is the third installment of our economist Q&A series. Every Tuesday in December, HousingWire has interviewed a top economist in the HW+ Slack channel. The 2021 housing market forecasts have focused on

The shift to AI-powered technology is rapidly taking over the mortgage industry with leaders turning to machine learning to increase efficiency amid COVID-19. With the move toward a remote workforce and the real estate market booming, this technology is an