housing wire

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is requesting industry input on its strategic plan for fiscal 2021 to 2024, six weeks before an election that could change the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The watchdog for the companies that

In recent months, the mortgage industry has been hit with a surge in borrower demand as record-low rates coincide with the unknowns around a global pandemic. “Homeowners and renters have a lot of questions about navigating the financial fallout of

HousingWire recently spoke with Keith Murray, president and CEO of VRM Mortgage Services, about the importance of diversity in an organization and how VRM has continued to serve its clients in an unusual year. HousingWire: The term we keep hearing

Ginnie Mae, the government-owned corporation that securitizes loans backed by the Veterans Administration and the Federal Housing Administration, said it won’t accept adjustable-rate mortgages benchmarked to the London Interbank Offer Rate, or LIBOR, starting in January. For home equity conversion

Despite mortgage rates rising slightly from a previously all-time low, mortgage applications gained 6.8% last week, according to a report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The refinance index continued its upward climb, gaining 9% last week and jumping 86% higher than

Sales of existing homes rose to a 14-year high of 6 million in August, the National Association of Realtors said in a report on Tuesday. Combined sales of single-family houses, townhomes, condominiums and cooperatively owned apartments rose 2.4% from July,

Just two months after its public debut, Rocket Companies is looking to bulk up its wholesale operation by sweetening the pot for mortgage brokers. The Detroit-based firm, which began 35 years ago as a mortgage broker shop in southeast Michigan,

Painter Kenneth Noland said,  “Context is key – from that comes the understanding of everything.”  Whether that is true in the world of art I could not tell you, but it is most certainly true in the world of economics.

After hiring 120 underwriters in the past 90 days, Evolve Mortgage Services announced on Monday the company plans to fill another 100 permanent underwriter positions for agency and non-QM loans by the end of the year. Evolve’s announcement is timely

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said on Monday it had settled with three former Wells Fargo executives for their roles in the bank’s fake-account scandal. The settlements include a $925,000 penalty to former Community Bank Group Finance

The Federal Reserve approved a revamp of the anti-redlining rules known as the Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA, in a live-streamed meeting on Monday morning and gave 120 days for community and industry feedback. The move comes four months after

U.S. homeowners with mortgages witnessed a 6.6% year-over-year increase in their equity in the second quarter of 2020 – representing a cumulative gain of $620 billion for the nation and an average $9,800 hike in equity per homeowner, according to

The housing and mortgage markets have been the rare bright spots in an otherwise fragile economy brought forth by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Mortgage origination volume this year is on track to be the highest in more than 15 years,

March 2020 is a month the real estate industry will never forget. In a moment’s notice the “nice to have” tasks on our to-do lists became the new crises du jour. Over the course of a few days, much of

Digital lender Beeline announced on Friday the company plans to officially open its second U.S. office in Charlotte, N.C. in October. With this latest addition, Beeline aims to hire 120 employees to its Charlotte location over the course of the

The group of people advising former Vice President Joe Biden on the economy is dominated by people who worked in the Obama administration, according to Beacon Policy Advisors. Biden has surrounded himself with economic advisers that offer viewpoints ranging from

For Victoria Murphy, a RE/MAX agent in Oahu, Hawaii, getting her Realtor license was always a part of her plan. But shut-down orders in March helped push the college student to get it done. Murphy said the shut-down gave her

In the second quarter of 2020 nearly 11 million households fell behind on their rent or mortgages – however nearly triple that number, approximately 30 million individuals, missed at least one student loan payment, according to a recent report from

Churchill Mortgage has added Randy Starkweather to its executive team, naming him chief financial officer where he will be responsible for overseeing the company’s financial operations and performance.  Starkweather brings more than 35 years of executive management experience to the

Last week, Keller Williams’ International Agent Leadership Council voted unanimously on a motion to amend its belief system and to add an additional committee, as introduced by Kymber Menkiti and John Clidy, co-chairs of the KW National Social Equity Task

No matter how experienced a real estate agent is, he or she relies on leads for business growth. And, since a National Association of Realtors survey showed that 53% of buyers in 2019 used an agent that was either referred

Shant Banosian, the nation’s No. 1 loan originator, has become Guaranteed Rate’s first loan officer to fund $1 billion in loan volume in one year. Over the course of his decade-long career, Banosian has generated more than $4 billion in

As lenders continue to adjust to a new normal, the pivotal role of technology has become increasingly clear in maximizing productivity and keeping lending pipelines flowing. “Ultimately, we are preparing for the digitization of the entire mortgage cycle, front-to-back,” said

Fidelity National Financial recently announced it hired a new leader as it expands its presence into the state of Georgia. And Stewart Title picked up its acquisition activity to grow its presence in Alaska. Fidelity hired Rachel Hollinger Chapman to